Customer intent

Eight sales objections and what a good answer sounds like. Eight objections come up again and again on sales calls, and every good answer has the same four parts and ends by returning to a specific time. 7 min read.

The customer brings up who they use now, what they pay or when their contract ends, which puts a real switch on the table.

Something a customer says or does that shows real purchase interest, such as asking about availability, price, timing or how to get started.

Intent, commitments, next step: how to read any customer conversation. Every conversation should leave the team knowing what the customer is trying to do, what each side promised, and what happens next with a date on it. 7 min read.

The customer asks about the monthly cost, the deposit, payment terms or approval, which means they are working out whether the purchase can actually happen.

A signal is interest the customer showed. A flag is a problem in how the conversation was handled. They call for different responses.

Twelve customer types every salesperson should be able to handle. Customer types are twelve different intents arriving in similar words, and each one has a next step that fits it and several that waste the conversation. 7 min read.

What "I need to talk to my spouse" actually means, and what to say next. The spouse objection is almost never a no, and what you ask next decides whether the other person ever hears an accurate version of the offer. 7 min read.

The customer asks whether the offer, the product or an opening is still available, which is a check before they commit more time to you.

The customer names one particular product, plan or package instead of asking about a category or a price range.

The customer says when they need something in place, which tells you how to work the lead and how hard to push for this week.

The customer says they are talking to other companies or waiting on other quotes, which puts your appointment in a race for the same week.

The customer asks to see something specific before they commit, such as a photo, the contract, the policy wording or the fine print.

The customer has a figure from a competing company, often in writing, and asks you to beat it.

Something a person agrees to do next, stated clearly enough that both sides would describe it the same way afterward.

What a customer is actually trying to do, read from what they say and ask rather than from the source the lead came in on.

An objection is resistance you can work with. A condition is a fact that has to change before any deal is possible.

A customer contacting you from far enough away that distance, logistics and paperwork become part of the conversation.

Giving a customer a monthly payment or price figure by phone or text before the details that decide it are settled.

A customer whose real question is the monthly number rather than the total price.

A customer’s stated resistance on price, which often stands in for a different concern such as the monthly payment or the cost of switching.

A customer working several companies on price, who will keep calling until somebody gives them a reason to stop.

A customer whose current contract, policy or plan is coming up for renewal, which puts a date on the decision and makes the options worth explaining.

Data about companies and people you might sell to, such as contact details, company facts and signs of buying interest, used to decide who to contact.

A customer deferring a decision until they speak with a partner or another person involved in the purchase.

The second person involved in the decision, who may also need to be on the paperwork.