This presentation will introduce you to nine rebuttals to consider using when stakeholders (customers, partners, employees, media, investors, vendors, etc.) tell you NO.

1. NINE
COMMUNICATION
STRATEGIES
…For dealing with
stakeholder concerns…

2. First, why do stakeholders tell you “no”?
Stakeholders = anyone
who may have a vested
interested in your brand.
To name a few:
 Customers
 Prospects
 Partners
 Vendors
 Investors
 Media
 Prospective/ current
employees

3. They…
1. don’t trust you.
2. don’t know you.
3. are loyal to someone else.
4. need more time.
5. don’t see the value in your offer.
Common reasons they
say “no”…

5. 1. Question
• Turn the concern into a question and
refocus on one or more strengths of your
value proposition.
• Get the stakeholder thinking in a new way
and contrast his/her concern against an
advantage.
Focus on yourAsk a

6. Example…
Buyer – “Your product is 10% more than your
competitor‟s. That‟s too much.”
Seller – “Yes it is slightly more expensive.
However, do you agree that the higher quality of
the product means higher customer satisfaction
and lower costs for your company (due to less
product defects and returns)?”
Note: The examples that follow each strategy pertain to responding to customer
objections but could very well be applied to the concerns of other stakeholders too.

7. 2. Direct Denial
• Use this strategy when the stakeholder states a
clearly false and damaging statement about
you or the company.
• Confrontational strategy for dealing with
objections.
• Stakeholder may react negatively.
• Avoid being offensive, insulting, or
condescending.

8. Example…
Buyer – “I was told that your products
contain chemicals that are harmful to
children.”
Seller – “I am not sure where you heard
that and it’s certainly not true. Our
products are approved by the FDA. They
are specifically approved for children and I
can provide you with the data for that.”

9. 3. Indirect Denial
• Express appreciation for the
stakeholder’s concern, validate the
concern, then explain why it is untrue or
misdirected.
• Less threatening than direct denial.

10. Example…
Buyer – “Demand for your products is
strong. I‟m not convinced you will be able
to meet my order in time.”
Seller – “You are correct. My company
has enjoyed tremendous success and we
are thankful…However, we pride ourselves
on not missing order deadlines, and our
customers will verify that.”

11. 4. Compensating for Deficiencies
• Move the stakeholder from focusing on a
negative aspect of your company to a
favorable one.
• The new aspect must be important to the
stakeholder.

12. Example…
Buyer – “The response time on your
product is too slow. Your competition‟s
response time is two-tenths of a second
faster.”
Seller – “I agree with you. My product is
two-tenths of a second slower. However,
please note that it also costs 25% less per
unit…and has 10% fewer returns.”

13. 5. Feel-Felt-Found
• Acknowledge the stakeholder’s feelings.
• Extend the same feelings to a larger
audience.
• Counter with a legitimate argument.

14. Example…
Buyer – “In my opinion, your products are
overpriced and not worth the extra cost.”
Seller – “Our products are slightly more than
the competitor‟s and I can certainly see why
you feel that way. Other customers have felt
that way at first. However, when they take the
time to examine the product quality, they have
found the overall value to be worth the
investment.”

15. 6. Third-Party Endorsements
• Use of outside parties to bolster your
arguments and increase persuasiveness.
• Adds credibility.

16. Example…
Buyer – “Your customer service has been
questionable, and it is important that I have tech
support 24/7.”
Seller – “I agree with you that our customer service
was not what it should be several years ago.
However, we made the investment to improve
customer service and now it is among the best in
the industry. Gracie Electronics felt as you did but
was willing to try us and is now one of our best
customers.”

17. 7. Bounce-Back
• More aggressive than some other
strategies; gives a sense of urgency
• Turns a concern into a reason for action.
• Often very effective with objections about
needing more time or a better deal.

18. Example…
Buyer – “I‟ve listened to your presentation
but need more time to consider your
proposal.”
Seller – “I can appreciate that this is a big
decision for your company. However,
delaying this commitment only costs your
company money. As we agreed earlier, my
products will save nearly 40%.”

19. 8. Defer
• Most common when the stakeholder
raises a concern about
(price/compensation/benefits) early in the
discussion, before the value proposition
has been defined.

20. Example…
Buyer - (Before the full value of the product has been
explained): “What is the cost of your product? I just need
to know the cost.”
Seller – “I can appreciate your interest in knowing the
price of the product, and the answer is „it depends‟…I
would ask you to hold off just a minute until I know a little
more about your product requirements so that my
estimate will be tailored more to your needs.”
Important! The best course of action for persistent buyers who insist on a
price right now is to provide the price (or a price range) immediately. Don’t
make them mad or skeptical. Give them the information.

21. 9. Trial Offer
• Clearly define the terms of the trial offer
beforehand.
• Potentially costly
– Last resort strategy
– Make sure the stakeholder will not budge on their
position before offering a trial.

22. Example…
Buyer – “I‟m definitely not willing to make a
commitment to your copier today. It seems
complicated and hard to use.”
Seller – “I can appreciate your concerns. How
about I have our service department install one
for you and let you try it for one week. I will come
by and demonstrate it.”
Remember, this can be a costly negotiation strategy (use it sparingly if it is).

23. Final thoughts…
Practice these so they don’t sound mechanical.
For your particular stakeholders:
– Write down a few anticipated objections.
– Write out a script for how you might respond using
one of the nine negotiation strategies.
– Practice!
Negotiate for win-win solutions!

24. Thanks for
reading!

What I do: Full time marketing and sales professor; marketing and sales training/development for
small businesses and personal branding coaching for individuals.