One of the toughest things to hear when on a sales call is “I heard your company is terrible.” Bad reviews happen even to the best businesses, and knowing how to handle bad reviews and continue to close sales is a key part of successful sales.
According to an article by Steli Efti, here are a few things to avoid when confronted with a bad review:
- Don’t get angry
- Don’t get whiny
- Don’t get deflated
- Don’t get overly apologetic
- Don’t lose confidence
The author invites salespeople to see a ‘bad review’ objection as an opportunity. If handled incorrectly, the prospect will likely forget your entire pitch after the meeting. The first way to address the issue is to find the source of the bad review. “If I may ask, did you read it on a review site or hear it from a friend?” Now the salesperson can address the concern directly. Depending on the situation the information may be:
- Correct, but outdated, in which case the salesperson can point out the efforts that have been made since the review to improve how your company handled things the first time.
- Partially true, in which case the salesperson could address the situation and provide context for the bad review. Sometimes dissatisfied customers blow things out of proportion.
- Incorrect, in which case the salesperson but not give in to the temptation of an immediate and strong refutation. A wise salesperson will calmly state how they have not heard such dissatisfaction from any of their other clients, and how their company avoids problems such as that.
- Correct, in which case owning up to the shortcomings of the company and describing how the customer can expect a better experience can solidify respect and trust between the client and salesperson.
These strategies will go a long way to maintain professional respect for a salesperson’s business, and even close sales in the future despite bad reviews.
BoweryJE22