I am an improv actor and comedian. I have been studying improv since 1998. I have taken hours and hours of classes and done hundreds of shows on stages around the world. Improv is hard.
When people learn about this passion of mine, they typically respond in the following manner:
“I do not know how you do that. It sounds terrifying.”
“I could never do that. You’re crazy.”
“That is my literal nightmare!!!”
These are not unreasonable responses. Improv can be terrifying and requires a ton of vulnerability. So here is my question to all of you…
“WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO IMPROVISE SO MUCH IN YOUR ROLE?”
I have thousands of hours of improvisation under my belt and yet when it comes to a candidate interview, client meeting, prospecting phone call or even a drop-by to a customer site, I would NEVER lean 100% on improvisation. Yet, a lot of people would rather enter one of those situations unprepared instead of taking the time and doing the work to help them be more prepared. Not being prepared…that is my literal nightmare.
I believe one of the reasons we do not prepare is that we may not know how to get started so today I am going to help you get started by focusing on one of the trickiest interactions we can have with customers or candidates. OBJECTIONS!!
For this exercise, we are going to use the LAER approach to handling objections. LAER stands for Listen, Acknowledge, Explore, and Respond. Let me break these down for you in greater detail.
L – Listen – Actively listen to the objection. You must hear what they are saying if you hope to respond to it.
A – Acknowledge – When the objection arrives, DO NOT get defensive, push back, or immediately respond.
E – Explore – The goal here is to ask great questions so you can earn the right to finally respond.
R – Respond – Only respond once you truly understand the objection.
Now, here are the steps I would like for you to follow so you can start being more prepared
Step 1: Write down the objections you get most often. Write as many down as you can. Pick the top 3 you hear most often.
Step 2: Write out 3 open-ended questions you can ask when each objection arrives.
Step 3: Role Practice these conversations with either ChatGPT or a colleague.
Below are three examples I came up with.
Objection 1: We have a preferred supplier that we already work with.
Open-ended questions:
Thank you for sharing that with me. What do you like most about your current supplier?
That's great to hear that you have a preferred supplier. How would you rate that supplier on a scale of one to 10?
I totally understand. If I gave you a magic wand and you could change one thing about your preferred supplier that would help boost their performance in meeting your needs what would that one thing be?
Objection 2: I do not want to work onsite. I only want a remote job.
Open-ended questions:
Yes, and I hear that quite often. What does a remote job offer you that an on-site opportunity does not?
Thanks for sharing that with me. What do you love most about working remotely and what is one thing you miss about working onsite?
I understand. How does working remotely impact your potential for growth?
Objection 3: We handle everything internally and do not use outside vendors.
Open-ended questions:
Gotcha. Why is it that you do not use outside vendors?
Thank you for sharing. Where does your internal team excel in meeting your needs?
I understand. Where have previous vendors struggled to solve your problems?
Now, run these objections with ChatGPT or a colleague and practice how those conversations will go. If you prepare and practice you will be in such a better position than those who are choosing to just wing it! I’ll let you in on a little secret as I opened this blog - Improv actors study, plan and practice so they’re able to do what they do. They don’t just jump on stage and declare themselves improv actors.
Do you need help with the following?
Planning for QBRs
Building out a strong game plan for that next proposal meeting
Using AI to build out emails, voicemails, text messages, etc.
Prepping for an interview for that one “Purple Unicorn” candidate you have been seeking for months.
At Butler Street, we are big on planning, preparation, and practice. We’ve also dedicated thousands of hours to determine the most effective and efficient ways to utilize generate AI and created prompts and GPTs that help you achieve more and spend more time advancing relationships and revenue generating tasks. Whether in a leadership, sales, recruiting, or account manager role, we’ve got you covered. Contact us to get the conversation started!
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