Keep the Deal Moving: Handling Customer Concerns Without Stalling

Hello and welcome. My name is Tavishima Ayede. I saw sales and marketing challenges, and I'm making today's recording in my living room, so expect to hear some noise in the background. Now, the goal of this podcast, like every other one I make, is business education. So please spread the word so that your friends and family members, both home and abroad can benefit from the questions that we tackle. They can do that by subscribing on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, or any player of their choice.

And if you'd love to connect, you can call SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Today on the podcast, Hopefully this is going to be a short one in the last episode and I think the episode before maybe like 5-6 episodes, I've been saying a lot about dealing with objections. And so that's what I want to tackle today. And that's because I just got off the phone with one of my clients that I've been consulting with for a while and they pulled one kind move with a potential customer and I move no, no two pure.

So I said, let me just come and make this recording just in case you're in that kind of a situation and you self, you know, you now do something that would just torpedo the deal, even though you don't know actually what's going on. So what is an objection for those of you who are tuning in for the first time? An objection is just any particular reason that people give because they don't want to go ahead with the discussion,

with the transaction, with your agenda, with your proposal, with your whatever. So like the example that I gave last time is let's say you're a member of the Catholic Church, you're in parish pastoral council, you're proposing let us celebrate these, let's celebrate these. And people are saying no, no, no, no, no, no, no, all that, no, no, no, that is objection. If you're involved in business, you're a fashion designer,

somebody's talking to you. The Madam says she wants peplum and you're thinking that based on how body size and everything, peplum will not do pure. You're trying to recommend that she try something else and then because of that, it looks as if she's backing down. That is an objection. You're trying to get somebody to buy something from you and then the person says like, are you mad? If I go next door I can buy it at 50% off?

You're too expensive. That is an objection. So any kind of common question mark, slowing down, matching brake, changing the topic, you know, whatever, any kind of speed bump like that, that is what we call objections in the sales process. And sometimes we business people, we don't handle objections too well. Well, number one is because we don't know. And number #2 because sometimes body they're hot. So you will now just be provoking unnecessarily.

And that's what happened in this case. So that's the reason why I'm making today's podcast episode. So this is exactly what went down. Now I've been advising for a client in the real estate space. You know, they have an app that is supposed to make it easier to connect, you know, landlords with tenants, people who want to sell a house, you know, buy a house, all that kind of thing. And they have a proprietary algorithm that helps, you know,

do all this, you know, stuff, you know, fancy, fancy stuff, you know, tech things. So, you know, I don't understand the mathematics behind it, so I don't even bother. My only just OK, I'm advising for you guys. So it's a matter of, you know, hooking you guys up with clients, making sure that you have access to, you know, certain kinds of people, whatever the priorities of the client seems to be for the day. So I'm just advising them now.

There's this deal that they've been working on that they've been pursuing and I've been advising them. And so the CEO, when I was talking to other people and so we had draw proposal that we're doing something around December. We need you guys to secure XYZ number of shortlists. You know, was was plenty was running into thousands. Actually, we need you to secure, you know, XYZ number of short let's stay hotel, you know, this kind of thing running into thousands and thousands.

And then, well, first of all, the CEO said why you guys draw a proposal? That was 1 goof and the the liaison officer now called me and I was like, no, that's not how you will draw proposal. Now you don't just, you know, just go and write anything and say this is proposal. And then you send first of all, you need to ask the client, OK, you are doing this thing in December, you know, like what's going on? What's the plan?

You try and get a sense of the vibe, try and get a sense of what the problem is trying to solve. Then you cannot make a convincing proposal. Your proposal will now say that, OK, we XYZ Corporation have been engaged to, you know, provide services to you, blah, blah, blah. This is what you're trying to do. This is what you're trying to achieve. These are the results that you're looking for. These are the outcomes that you want at the end of the day, you know, having understood these problems, we so, so, so and so we can able to help you to achieve this.

You know, that's the way that you put together a proposal, you know, from the other person's point of view. So it's not just you just put together 1 document. This is me, This Is Us, this is our board of director, this is our specialty. These are the services that we provide. This is how much will charge you. Then you send no, no, no, you write the proposal from the other people's point of view, any other the put together proposal.

Now did the mathematics. You know, we need X number of people who need this, we need this, we need that. By the time they put together the proposal and I looked at the number at the bottom, I saw that this this number was sweet, as in millions big, big, big, big, big number. And I was thinking, oh, more this one, even if they say, you know, yes, we've agreed on your, your, your professional rate. But because, you know, out of gratitude, come and take 1%, at least my house looking like,

man, even 1% of this number is correct. At least 1% means that my house rent is sure, school fees is sure and maybe fuel for like 3-4 months. You sure? That's how sweet the deal was. So I was looking at the number. The number is very, very sweet. Then in my mind now, I was now calculating all the things I need done in my Life, OK, the car that I need to fix, you know, all these, all these things, they're my children. They don't like this DSTV

package, one that is 19 K. So in my mind, I'm not like, OK, I'll be paying the 19 K package. I was not calculating everything in my head. And then my mother is always warning me. She says that look, young man, stop counting money before the thing has arrived. And I say, yeah, mommy, I know, I know. But I'm always doing that counting money in my head even though the paper has not yet landed. So as I've been waiting for them to finish this thing now so that when Pepe rest, you know, do settle everybody and then I know that OK, some things are now clear from my own mind.

I was waiting for Pepe then that's how liaison office sent me a message to the liaison officer. I said how far now what happens? So the thing has scatter, scatter because of how said because they were asking us to provide a list of the residences. So we say no, you have to engage us first and then we ended the whole thing. Let me repeat, this is how the deal scattered the other people who are trying to engage the services of my client to go and secure residences.

They now told them give us a list of residences and then my client said no, we will not give you a list because the whole point of you engaging our services is for us to go and secure these accommodations. If we provide you a list ahead of time, you might as well just go ahead and you will now do it yourself and cut us out. So because of that, we're not giving you a list. And then that's all the whole deal scattered. So in that case, give us a list.

That seems like an objection because, you know, from my own point of view, it was looking as if they want us to do something that will end up, you know, cutting us out of the picture at the end of the day. So I'm not told, leisure officer, that no, now that's not how you do things. Calm down. People ask questions for any number of reasons. The problem is maybe because you know, body the hot economy is hard or all kinds of things.

We on the sales side, we now start assuming that we know exactly what is behind them asking. We just assume that they're trying to cut us out of the picture. Maybe it's not. There are some clients who are fraudulent, yes, who want to do things like that, but it might not be that might not be the case. So whenever you're faced with an objection, instead of assuming you know what the other person is thinking, then you now react like calm down, lean in,

acknowledge, ask a couple of questions, figure out what is going on, and then you'll be able to now resolve the matter. Before I tell you what I've asked my client, let me give you 1 practical example that some people have been doing business with for a very long time. And you know, when you do business with people, you will get comfort, comfortable with each other. You know, sometimes you know, see finish, you know, maybe they won't rate you highly.

So the time came now to drop a a proposal, a draft proposal. I sent them the figure. Then that's how the desk officer got back to me and she said please, we need a breakdown. I was now angry. I was now thinking, OK, because me tavish and I'm civil. I'm always available, I'm always helpful. So this is how you guys are looking at me now. I've given you invoice. You want me to break it down so that you can now start slashing my money and removing things.

So I now picked up the phone. By the way, we should always pick up the phone. It's easier to handle these things in person. And then I called the desk officer. Her name is Angel. She doesn't listen to this podcast so I can use her real name. So I said, Angel, how far? Like what's what's going on? I received this e-mail even want me to break down all my figures. I be so that you start negotiating things on my own behalf.

I told her, look, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to send you figures. You cannot keep pricing by something you know you like. You're not going to do that to me? But then she was like please that we need the figures. And so me angrily I said look, you know what, OK, to facilitate this thing, I need to send boys to Lagos. I need to send boys to Cano, I need to send boys to Anugu. This is how much will cost me. This is how much will cost me.

This is how much will cost me. After all this stress, I people saying that I should not at least have a few, you know something to put in my pocket while this is the breakdown, this is my profit margin. Why are you now tell me how much am I supposed to keep? And I left it like that in anger. And next thing Angel is like Tara Schumer is not like that. The thing is just that accounting said they cannot pay out anything unless they see the breakdown.

We're ready to pay. Accounting just needed breakdown. Once you give the breakdown, the payment will be in your account by next week Wednesday. That's why my man came down. I said, so that's all she said. Yes, that was just it. Accounting is just is a compliance issue. Accounting just needs some kind of breakdown. We are not, we're not criticizing anything now. And I started feeling like I'm a fool because I seriously provoke for Angel because I assumed that I knew what the question was about or what the objection was about.

I just assumed I didn't ask. If I had asked and I realized that was a compliance issue, I would have just gone ahead, prepared something, anything, and then sent it in. And then the next question, of course, would have been OK, when are we expecting payment? How soon can we go ahead? So of course, be feeling like a fool now. And that's how, Angel, I beg. No, Vex, you know, times are hard. You know how these things can be.

She laughed and said, yeah, I understand. That's the reason why I'm not married. I said, hi, Angel, calm down now. How can you say, you know, because of small, small financial difficulties. You know, you won't. You won't get married. Yeah, I told her you're a fine girl, like you suppose married. You can't just be staying like this. But anyway, we'll discuss all these things later. And then that's how we ended the phone call.

And then eventually I got paid. But I assumed that I knew what the objection was about. And I responded. So 1 moment. OK. I thought the phone call was coming in. So instead of always assuming when people object, so there's some objections that is kind of clear. If somebody says, are you mad? If I go next door, you could do give it to me for 50% off that one. Clearly the objection is about money, but there's some objections that we receive,

excuse me, that we really don't know what's at the back of the mind of the customer. Now when they say, let me think about it, let me get back to you. Sometimes they might be saying that because they don't have money, that's how they say let me get back to you. Sometimes they may be saying let me get back to you because the customer needs some more time to process. He wants to discuss with his wife, she wants to discuss with her husband, They want to talk to somebody else.

Let them understand. Sometimes they'll say, let me get back to you because maybe they don't have confidence in you that you can't deliver what it is that you're promising. So they need sometimes to process. So there are some objections where you really don't know where they're coming from. So you cannot address it until you ask where they are coming from. So back to my client now, the one that millions, 1,000,000 millions, everything has scattered and I have to now start looking for school fees and house rent for 2026 because this one has scattered.

So where was I? So I told her that look, people ask questions all the time for different reasons. You can't just assume and then react. So I told her you should have just answered. I said, oh, can you give us a list of housing? We have to say we are sure we can, you know, ask your question. Is there anything in particular that you are concerned about? You ask and the reply might just be as simple as, oh, we just want to know the quality or the standard of accommodation that you're going to provide for our guests.

Then in that case you say, oh, OK, that's not a problem. We are looking at so, so and so property on Lucky, so, so and so property on the mainland, So, so and so property on Banana Island. You give them like 5 or 6, you know, will this kind of things match the standard that you're looking for? And some people look and say, oh, OK, if we're looking at these kinds of things, that's absolutely fine. And then the conversation continues.

Now, it doesn't mean that the deal will close. But The thing is, you've gotten to the root of what their concern was. Then you can address it instead of assuming that they want a list of all the thousands of properties that were supposed to give them. And then you say, look, if you do that, you want to cut us out, you know, therefore the deal is off. So when dealing with objections, first of all, always try and empathize with the customer or the client.

You try and tap things down. Then you ask questions, you try and figure out what exactly is going on. You will now know how it is that you're supposed to respond. So in the situation where somebody says, are you mad that Chukudi can give it to me for 50% down, you know, empathize. You say, Oh yeah, I know that Chukudi can give it to you a 50% off, but the thing that you could is promising you exactly, you know like what is it?

So what you could promise the this this this model 2 and they say oh OK sure, no problem. I have the model 2IN store. But Bros, based on what you have told me, the model 2 is not going to be adequate for what it is that you want to achieve. Model 2 is best for this and best for this and best for that. That is the reason why me I recommended for you Model 5. So yes, you can go to Chukudi and get it at 50% cheaper, but it will not do.

You will not solve these particular problems that you want solved. In fact, OK, instead of going to Chukudi, I get need a 5050% off buy it from me and you know I'll give you a further 2% discount on what it is that he's arguing. So if it is a matter of model 2, the model 2 is here and take it at this price without even further discount. But just know that most of your problem, so you see how if you lean in, you ask a couple of questions, you're going to be able to on earth what the customer is thinking and then you will be able to address it.

So in this case that you could is selling it at 50% less by the time you ask questions, you now know that OK, you can now educate the customer about how this sort of thing is inadequate because you've asked some questions about what it is that he's going to receive when he goes next door to go and meet Chukudi. So that's always the approach. Just calm down. We get very emotional because times I had and body, they're hot and we all have concerns that we want to meet.

So you know something I'm really trying to learn because my mother tells me I should stop counting money in my head. Me, I'm always counting money in my head. So by the times she looks as if we're close to time for the money to drop and then some comma, some speed bump, some question, some queries, some something comes out of nowhere. Sometimes you think just destabilizes me because in my head I'm already seeing hundreds of thousands or millions in my bank account.

So when something just comes like that, my initial whatever is just like my client is for, you know, palpitation. But we should learn to be calm, empathize, ask questions, figure out what's going on. We'll be able to resolve the situation. If we can't resolve the situation, it's just one of those things, you know, become, be cool, you know, money comes, money goes. Blessed be the name of the Lord. That's just life. Some opportunities come, some opportunities go.

You lose this one today. Don't worry, next month, next week, next year, next two years, something will come up. Another elephant project will come up. So that's just what I wanted to say today about dealing with objections because since in the work that I'm doing with Shagging LLC and Rudolph, we've been talking about this particular objection, this particular objection. I just wanted to come here and then take the take the big view to show the philosophy about how we deal with objections.

Empathize first, acknowledge first, then ask a couple of questions. Figure out what the real issue is. When you address what the real issue is, you'll be able to get things back on track. So don't end up in a situation where, you know, like me, you pick up the phone and you say Angel, like what the hell is going on is that is easy finish. Everyone now wanting me to break down all my figures so that you guys will start determining what is the right profit margin for me.

You know, calm down. So it doesn't get to that situation where you're vomiting unnecessarily over the phone or we're like my client, you torpedo a deal that might be sweet for all of us just because you think they're trying to cut us out of the deal. You lean in first, you ask questions. When it is now clear that, oh, somebody's trying to cut us out of the deal, then you can be frank with them. Like, how can you be asking me this kind of thing?

If it's like that, no problem. Just go and do the job yourself. I'm not going to use my own hand and put me put me out of put me out of a deal. And then, you know, that kind of fun conversation, you know, of course, only will laugh now. And you know, yes, it has scattered, but at least it has scattered on the level of we're still mutual friends. We can still do business tomorrow. Not that we torpedo everything in bad faith.

So that's how we deal with objections. Again, acknowledge, empathize, make it look as if you're on their own side. Ask a couple of questions. So in this particular case was a matter of sure, no problem. We can provide you a list of properties. Is there anything you are concerned about? Question mark? You hear what it is that they have to say. Based on their response, you will now know the lay of the land and you don't know whether you have to go left or whether you have to go right.

So that's it. And that's all for today's episode. And remember, if you'd love to connect, then you can call. You can SMS or WhatsApp me on 08064662140. Thank you very much for your time and attention. I'll catch you next time. Same place in your headphones or in your speakers.