When I was a student at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition I took their challenge of practicing how to conduct a ‘health history’ very seriously.
In the beginning, I practiced with other soon-to-be coaches. They would run through the health history with me and then it was my turn to take control of the conversation to walk them through my version of the health history.
I soon realized how much these practice sessions were actually preparing me to be a great coach. At the end of every call I shared my recommendations AND inevitably followed up with them through email with homework action items. YES! I even followed up with the people I practiced with to reinforce what we discussed.
After conducting two discovery calls per week, (previously known as health histories), for 6 months straight, I honed my skills quite a bit and really started to find my groove.
What I didn’t realize at the time was even those practice sessions were teaching me how to overcome client objections. Even though I wasn’t having a sales conversation, each call presented some of the most common objections I would more than likely hear from potential clients so it gave me practice with addressing them.
Things like…
… I don’t have enough time
… I’ve already tried everything so I don’t this will work for me
… How is what you’re telling me any different from what I already tried
And the list of limiting beliefs goes on.
I quickly learned to listen for clues that my potential client was feeling like this so I could address it head on.
3 COMMON POTENTIAL CLIENT ENROLLMENT OBJECTIONS
1) “I don’t have enough money…”
One of the most common objections you will need to help your potential client overcome will be money.
If you’re on a discovery call and you mention the price of your coaching program, and your prospect isn’t sure they can afford it, you have a couple of options.
First, be sure to let them know you have a monthly installment plan for your 3-6 month programs, so they can break the investment up into 3 or 6 payments if they want.
If that doesn’t work for them, you can share a “Plan B” program with a lower cost that you have such as an online group program, DIY program or other option. This way, it’s still a win-win for both of you.
To address this on your sales page and promotional emails, you can mention how your program can actually save them money – if that’s the case and it’s something you cover with clients.
For example: Maybe you help them prepare more meals at home which can save a lot of money each month if they’re eating out a lot. Perhaps you provide at-home workouts that saves them from paying for a personal trainer or gym membership. Chances are, what you cover in your program can save people money, so if that’s the case, point it out, so they understand.
You can also point out on your sales page something such as “For less than what you may be spending on eating out each week, you can have a comprehensive solution plus my support to guide you toward reaching your goals of XYZ.”
If your program is less expensive than something else, you can say “For less than what you spend on a typical cup of coffee per day…”
This way, you are making a comparison of what they may already be spending money on to put your coaching into perspective.
2) “I don’t have the time…”
The second most common objection is time.
Everyone is busy, right? Some people will be thinking “This sounds great but I’m not sure I have the time for it right now.”
You can address this by showcasing how your program can actually end up saving them time.
Here’s one example of how to address this:
“Rather than spending time doing the research and trying to figure this out on your own, I guide you through my step-by-step process, so you aren’t wasting time on things that don’t work. Most of my clients find that they actually save time because I share time-saving strategies to help them get results quicker.”
Look at what you cover in your program that can save your clients time, so you can highlight that in places like your sales page and emails.
A great place to include this on your sales page is in the FAQ section where it can say “What if I’m not sure I have time for this right now?”
Another way to address this is to convey something like: The next 3 months are going to pass by anyway – how great would it be in _____ months (length of your program) from now to look back at all the progress you made towards ______________ (their main goal reached, or problem solved)?
3) “Will this work for me?…”
The third most common objection is doubt.
This is a big one, especially in the health and wellness space where people may have tried things before that didn’t work. They may feel like they have already failed, so they are hesitant and skeptical to try something else that may not work either.
One of the most powerful ways to address this objection is through client stories and testimonials. You won’t have these when you first start out and that’s okay – you can add them as you get them.
When you can share stories such as “When my client, (client name) came to me, she was experiencing (problem/struggle) and she didn’t think she’d be able to (desired outcome). After we worked together for a few short weeks, she was thrilled to be able to (problem solved or progress made).”
In this example, it points out that this client had some doubts too, but they stuck with your program and saw results.
You can also point out reasons why other approaches don’t work and set people up to fail and it’s not their fault. Explain how your program and approach is different and how it sets them up to succeed, even if they’ve tried other things that didn’t work before.
You can add this information and testimonials to your sales page, you can sprinkle them in your emails, and you can even share stories about it on social media through video, too.
OVERCOMING CLIENT ENROLLMENT OBJECTIONS
Take some time to write down the objections that come to mind for your audience and think about how you can help that client work through them.
Then, you can use them to your advantage in places like your sales page and emails.
It’s worth it when you can dismantle reasons people have for not enrolling in your program so they can get the results they are looking for.
In episode 332 of The Wellness Business Podcast you’ll discover:
- The 3 most common objections people have and how you can address them head-on so they will no longer be a barrier to enrolling in your coaching program
- How and where to address objections for maximum impact, helping your future client realize that past experiences do not predict future outcomes
- Why addressing objections head on leads to higher client enrollment even in the most stubborn potential clients
To learn how to change your mindset in 3 critical ways for your business, listen to episode 332 of the Wellness Business Podcast!
Links/Resources mentioned on the show:
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