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As a salesperson or member of a lead response team, it’s essential to know how to overcome consumer objections that come up as a normal part of the sales process. Consumers can come up with a wide variety of responses when they’re either surprised or caught off guard by your call, they don’t want to talk, or they don’t want to tell you “no.” You and your lead response team should be prepared for all types of scenarios so you can overcome the initial objection and move through the call to discuss the project at hand.

The ARM Strategy

An effective strategy to overcome common consumer objections when responding to a lead notification is to ARM the objection— – Acknowledge, Respond, and Move On. The purpose of the ARM strategy is to subtly redirect the conversation to the homeowner’s project.

Successfully overcoming consumer objections may require a little more creativity and persistence, and it’s okay to have a different strategy and approach to your responses in these situations. Scripting may be useful as you and your team are practicing and perfecting this skill.

Remember to control the conversation and go slowly when using the ARM strategy. Don’t rush. Keep the consumer engaged in the conversation. Most people don’t like to hang up on other people. If you control the pace, you’ll likely keep a homeowner on the phone longer, too.

Don’t spend too much time on why you’re contacting them, but more on the fact that the homeowner has a project and is looking for a pro to complete the work. The ARM strategy can help you do that.

The following are example ARM responses to common objections. Still, you should come up with all the various versions of objections you and your lead response team tend to hear; and script out replies to each – that take on the tone and style that work best for you and your response team.n

Scenario 1: Casually Shopping

Consumer Objection:

“I’m just shopping around” or “I’m just looking for an estimate”

Rep Response:

1. 1. Acknowledge the objection:

“Oh, that’s great to hear!”

1. 2. Respond to the objection:

“It’s good to shop around so you have enough information to make a good decision.”

1. 3. Move on and redirect the conversation to the project:

“Tell me a little bit more about the tow rooms you’re looking to get painted.”

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The remaining examples all contain the three parts to the ARM Strategy, as broken down in the first example.

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Scenario 2: Denies Submitting

Consumer Objection:

“I didn’t submit anything online.”

Rep Response:

“Hmm. I must have surprised you with the call then. Sorry about that. I have a note here that you’re looking at painting the exterior of your home. Tell me a little bit more about what you have in mind.”

Scenario 3: Hired someone else

Consumer Objection:

“I already hired someone else.”

Rep Response:

“Oh, I’m glad to know that you got your project taken care of. Is there anything specific you still had questions on or anything the professional you hired wasn’t able to do for you?”

Scenario 4: Didn’t Request A Call

Consumer Objection:

“I didn’t ask to be called.”

Rep Response:

“Whoops, I wonder if we misinterpreted your request. I’m sorry about that. Would you help me out a sec to make sure I have the right information? What kind of exterior structure were you looking to get painted?”

Scenario 5: Confused about Angi vs HomeAdvisor

Consumer Objection:

“I was on the Angi.com site, not the HomeAdvisor site.”

Rep Response:

“I can see how that might be confusing, but not to worry. The good news is that HomeAdvisor is part of the same company as Angi and based on the information you’ve provided about your project on the Angi site, we can help you out. Now you’d mentioned two rooms in your home need to be painted, correct?”

Scenario 6: General Confusion

Consumer Objection:

When a consumer is confused about how you got their information (perhaps because they found the site from an initial Google search; and hadn’t realized they’d used HomeAdvisor’s search engine to connect with pros.)

Rep Response:

“Oh, not to worry. There’s a variety of channels out there that can connect you with HomeAdvisor. I can help you out. You’d mentioned that you were considering repainting the exterior of your home. Tell me more about what you have in mind.”

Scenario 6: Changed Mind

Consumer Objection:

“I changed my mind.”

Rep Response:

“No worries. That happens sometimes. For when you’re ready to complete the project in the future, is there anything about the painting process you may need some additional clarification on?”

Or

“No worries. That happens sometimes. What changed your mind?”

Whether you win a job, or lose out on a lead — it’s important to end each conversation on a positive note. Staying courteous, amiable and professional in any situation is good business and could lead to positive reviews and recommendations down the road.

Angi leads helps service professionals generate customer demand and work smarter with comprehensive tools and resources, including providing expert marketing and sales consultations for your business. As a PCA member, you’re eligible for exclusive discounts and dedicated account support with Angi.  Learn more about becoming an Angi Leads member by viewing consumer demand for painting projects in your area today.