“Great salespeople take the time to understand why their prospects resist change.”
Good B2B salespeople demonstrate why their customers need to change. However, great salespeople take the time to understand why their B2B prospects resist change. When B2B salespeople use pure logical arguments alone, such as ‘the maths adds up’ on why the change should occur, they can find themselves baffled by the resistance they meet. As a B2B salesperson, it is crucial to understand why B2B customers resist change so that you may serve them better, win more B2B business, and know when it is time to put a B2B prospect on the back burner and focus your efforts elsewhere.
In this blog, I will delve into four common reasons B2B prospects are change-resistant and offer actionable insights to overcome them
Reason 1: Client commitments
“Navigating client commitments and contracts can lead to mutually beneficial solutions.”
Challenge: Some of your customers or prospective customers may have contractual obligations and promises to their clients. Many of these ties put your customers in a worse position, particularly regarding the prices they can charge. For example, you may find that a customer is without leverage and, therefore, unable to invest in their own business. This impediment will eventually lead to them falling behind competitors who were better at selling and raising pricing. The more behind these businesses get, the worse their outcomes and the fewer resources they have available to facilitate change.
Solution: To overcome this resistance, salespeople can explore renegotiating contracts or finding innovative ways to work within existing commitments. Successful businesses have demonstrated that open communication and client transparency can lead to mutually beneficial solutions.
Reason 2: Fear of clients
“Addressing client fears head-on by sharing success stories can provide reassurance.”
Challenge: Some customers and prospects fear change because they are concerned that implementing the required changes may cause their clients to choose not to deal with them. The sales team may have tailored the product or service to the client’s preferences, making them hesitant to initiate discussions about necessary adjustments.
Solution: Salespeople can tackle this fear by engaging in honest conversations with clients. Sharing success stories where businesses navigated change while maintaining client relationships can provide reassurance. Building trust and highlighting the positive impact of change on clients can help mitigate this resistance.
Reason 3: Incentives
“Aligning incentives with change goals can motivate team members to embrace change.”
Challenge: Certain high-ranking team members may have incentives that discourage them from accepting change. Personal incentives might take precedence over overall business growth objectives, leading to reluctance to embrace change.
Solution: Salespeople can work towards aligning individual incentives with organisational change objectives. Examining compensation structures and finding ways to tie personal goals to broader business goals can motivate team members to embrace change as a positive force.
Reason 4: Fear of failure
“Cultivating a culture of learning from failure can help individuals overcome their fear and embrace change.”
Challenge: Past failed attempts at change can lead to hesitancy in trying again, especially in businesses with punitive cultures. Overcoming this fear involves fostering a culture that views failure as a stepping stone to success
Solution: Companies can create an environment where experimentation is valued, encouraging employees to view failure as an opportunity for growth. Highlighting the learning and growth that can result from failure can help individuals overcome their fear and embrace change.
Conclusion
In conclusion, customer resistance to change is a natural hurdle; however, salespeople can overcome this challenge through open communication, transparency, and a focus on alignment and learning from failures. Businesses that embrace change as a long-term strategy position themselves for growth and success in an ever-evolving market.
Overcome customer resistance with Resonate’s sales expertise
At Resonate, we are dedicated to empowering B2B organisations with the tools and strategies needed to overcome challenges in the sales cycle. Our comprehensive resources and guidance can help your sales team navigate client commitments, overcome client fears, align incentives, and foster a culture of embracing change. By leveraging Resonate, you are equipping your organisation with the knowledge and support to turn customer resistance into a catalyst for success. Visit our Sales Services page to learn how we can help your sales team succeed.
