How to handle objections when pitching your data consultancy solutions
When pitching solutions as a data consultant or internal data leader – how do you deal with objections?
I've found that three little words work wonders.
But before we unpack them, you first need to be sure what you're hearing from across the table is a genuine objection.
Why don't you like me?
Before myDataBrand, I launched a data firm in the noughties that was told by several lead generation trainers to drive sales through cold calling.
When I gave it a try, I'd never experienced so many prospect objections in my life:
"Pah. Sounds exactly like what we've already got..."
"Hmmm...doubt we'd have a need for it..."
"How much!? Too expensive..."
It was soul-destroying.
And more importantly, it failed.
I dropped the pushy outbound tactics and switched to pull-marketing by leveraging Data Quality Pro and Data Migration Pro instead.
And the result?
Objections evaporated because everyone who approached me knew what they were getting:
They had consumed my articles, webinars and podcasts
They had seen my entire process laid out clearly
They were 'solution aware' and keen to talk
Yes, we would still chat through data tactics and strategy, but there were no real objections to moving forward.
As a bonus, my 'visible expertise' ensured my fees enjoyed a healthy increase to boot!
Such are the joys of pulling instead of pushing for the sale 😉
Objection Busting – Mind the Gap
To figure out if you're getting genuine objections, start with this objection response:
"Got it. Aside from that question, is there anything else I haven't fully explained?"
That phrase is vital because most objections are born from a lack of clarity around crucial messaging elements such as:
The problem and pain you're addressing
The process you intend to follow
The payoff the client can expect
The proof that it works
Without fully explaining 1-4, you create a confusion gap.
It's in the confusion gap that objections are born.
This is why when my clients (SME data consultancies) adopt pull-marketing (e.g. with their website, LinkedIn feed, articles, webinars and podcasts), they attract a different type of sales conversation:
Trust is pre-established (so you can stop showboating endless slides with dubious client logos and case studies)
Clients say things like 'you really get us' (because your data-focused content has spoken to their precise problems and pain)
You've already established 'social proof' (by weaving past case stories and detailed explanations of your process into your content)
But wait, there's more.....
Once you use the 'what have I not clarified' phrase, you'll often get a response about where they're confused about your pitch or proposal.
A rookie move is to resolve their first confusion gap and then steamroll into handling the earlier objection because you want to crack on and close the deal.
Instead, you should make sure ALL confusion gaps are removed by asking:
"Ok, is there anything else I've not fully explained?"
Only when all the gaps are closed can you move on to dealing with the earlier objection.
Tip #1: This is why insight marketing/pull-selling is so effective. Your new clients come to the discussion pre-educated, so you need less time in the sales process.
Tip #2: Where you're getting questions/objections about your proposition, the gaps in your sales material and messaging delivery must be fixed before future sales meetings.
Tackling the objection
Ok, you've removed the confusion gaps – one side benefit is you can expect your sales conversion rate to go up if you remove them in future meetings and marketing content 😉
But let's get back to that earlier objection (and the three magic words).
Imagine you get a cost objection (which you'll definitely get if you're selling data services!)
Here's a common one I would see when selling a data migration project the right way (i.e. with data quality management and a full impact assessment service at the outset):
Client: "You're pitching us for an extra £100k to deliver a data migration impact assessment and review of legacy data quality?
Are you serious? Our data really can't be that bad – I'm not sure we can justify this level of investment, not to mention the added time delay."
Consultant: "I completely understand how you feel.
You want to deliver the migration on time and under budget.
Other clients we've delivered migrations for felt the same when we recommended this approach.
But here's what they found when they experienced data migration projects delivered this way...
Firstly, the PMIA massively de-risks the project and shapes the forecasting, scope and plan before the project is even started.
Without it, you rely on guesswork to set your resourcing and budget forecast.
Think of it as an early prototype that makes your life as a program leader far easier because you will have actual data to make decisions.
Regarding data quality, the PMIA pinpoints data quality pitfalls early, giving the business plenty of time to ramp up and resolve them or help us target the DQ tools we need to lease that will automate most of the heavy lifting.
If we ignore data quality now, it bites you deeper into the project when the business is stretched, budgets are signed off, and the delivery team is at capacity.
Our experience, backed by research, shows that adopting this approach not only increases the quality of the outcome for the business (namely great quality data that doesn't break the ERP system and drive users crazy) but it also shaves weeks off delivery dates and cuts the overall cost dramatically.
We're asking for a small investment upfront to save a lot more cost, time and grief later.
I've got examples of where we adopted this approach successfully with other clients – would you like to understand the process and financial benefits in more detail?"
The three magic words – Feel, Felt, Found
See how the words Feel/Felt/Found weaved their way into the response?
First, don't take a combative stance with their objection by saying something that puts them on the back foot such as:
"no, no – YOU have not understood; the PMIA will save you money!!"
Instead, you start by demonstrating empathy and acknowledging their concern.
"I completely understand how you feel"
You make them understand that they're not being foolish or shortsighted – lots of people think like them:
"Other clients we've delivered migrations for felt the same"
And finally, you unpack their concerns by explaining the process and benefits in more detail:
"But here's what they found when they experienced a migration delivered this way..."
Feel. Felt. Found.
Three simple words that will defuse and overcome those common objections every data consultancy faces from time to time.
What next?
Want to attract more clients to your data consultancy?
Why not join the myDataBrand Inbound Accelerator Program (IAP).
The IAP system helps your data consultancy build a content-driven sales and marketing engine that consistently attracts and converts your ideal client profile so you can finally break your reliance on referrals and cold outreach.
The program is exclusively for data consultancies and we've worked with dozens of firms across every sphere of the data sector, such as data governance, data quality, data analytics, Machine Learning/AI, data engineering and many more.
The program typically takes 12-15 workshop sessions to implement every aspect of the following areas in your business:
Positioning / Packaging / Platform / Publishing / Promoting / Prospecting / Pull-Selling
The typical cost of the entire program is capped at £5,000 for an average firm and the outcome is a system that converts expert content into a predictable flow of clients who come to you eager to talk about their data challenges and explore where you can help.
Simple payment plans and shorter custom programs are available if required.
Many clients see a boost of 4-5 new sales calls per week to produce a steady, sustainable growth plan that breaks the reliance on referrals, partners and in-person events.
To find out more, book a free IAP discovery call or get an overview from the IAP services page.
The discovery call is a relaxed discussion about your goals and challenges for growing the consultancy with a deeper dive into every aspect of the IAP system (if we're both a fit).
Click a link to get started: