It happens: something about you or your product raises eyebrows, turns noses, or raises other objections. There are a number of ways to overcome objections (interestingly, online articles on overcoming objections typically relate to network marketing). I believe the best way to overcoming objections to your self, your product, or your company is to play right into them. In other words, If you can’t change it, promote it.
Put tongue in cheek
Poke fun at yourself. Self-deprecation and hyperbole work well in many situations.
Providers of portable toilets Honey Bucket and A Royal Flush play by this rule to compensate for the unpleasant experience their service entails. You enter with a smile, or at least an amused smirk.
A Simpsons episode featured Homer going to a truck stop called The Gassy Knoll (though the reference is mainly political).
Emphasize the negatives
Explicitly highlight the bad aspects of your product to lower the expectations or to spark curiosity.
A Bradford-upon-Avon pub The Plough advertises on its sign that it has “No food, crap beer, bad hospitality”. You really just want to go in and see for yourself.
Amsterdam’s Hans Brinker Budget Hotel calls itself “the worst hotel in the world” and uses its seediness in its marketing with slogans like “Now a door in every room” or “Now even more dogshit in the main entrance”. It works: word of mouth and increased occupancy rate resulted.
Put it in perspective
I recall the story of the realtor who sold a house next to the train tracks by turning on a TV during showings to demonstrate that the sound level of the TV was louder than that of passing trains.
Is your service expensive? Put the price into a bigger context, as the graphic design studio Waterknot did to communicate new rates.
Fold
If your product is harmful to the environment or the community, file for dissolution.
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Image credit: kejadlen
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Great ideas, never thought about just playing them up!
Dr. Wright
http://www.wrightplacetv.com
I could whinge about how playing into objections is just an excuse to avoid improving one’s business / product / service, but the truth is, if everyone’s business / product / service were improved, they’d all be uniformly efficient — and bland.
Sometimes what’s missing is what makes something worth remembering.
@Justin: Some things about your product or service you just can’t change that easily or at all. That’s when highlighting the difference can be advantageous. You bet people remember and talk about staying at the worst hotel in the world…
Hi Peter,
I love it. People are so used to sales people sprouting off a rote learned speel this would be really interesting to them. During my many years in B2B selling I would start out asking questions about a product/need and that alone was enough to turn a cold phone call into a warm one and often get me a meeting. Your idea is positively refreshing. Getting people to laugh is an underused way of getting people involved and changing their thinking.
Thanks for the idea.
Greg
@Greg: My pleasure. Laughter helps set the tone of a conversation and motivates liking. So underused, I agree!