You're facing a risk-averse client in a sales meeting. How can you provide the reassurance they seek?

Ask questions, get a full understanding of what they consider the risks, the impact of those risks on them and their organisation. Have they ever chosen something before and been burnt by the risks? This could be the cause of their concern. If so what happened, what would they have done differently ? Asking questions often builds trust in showing you want to truly understand and not defend for sake of your sale.

Aside guarantees and warranties, offering free trial or product samples for use encourages commitment. Relying on client testimonials/reviews help mitigate the risk.

Based on what you know about the customer's concerns, offer them specific solutions that fit their unique situation. If he's worried about scalability, show him how your product or service can adapt to risks Focus on how your solutions will protect the client's business and reduce risk. Point out the safeguards and policies in place to protect his investment. Show the client that you understand their concerns and that you are willing to adapt to meet their needs. Be patient and interactive in listening to him and answering his questions. Help the client see how the solutions will work in reality by providing examples and case studies of other clients in a similar situation.

Start by setting clear expectations for follow-up actions and timelines during the meeting. Ensure the client agrees and understands the importance of these steps. After the meeting, email a concise summary highlighting the agreed actions and deadlines.Arrange regular check-ins to provide progress reports and address any concerns promptly. Use a CRM system to track and document follow-up activities, maintaining transparency.To solidify the plan, schedule the first follow-up meeting before ending the initial discussion, ensuring a smooth and reassuring process. Always be proactive in addressing any emerging concerns, showing commitment to their satisfaction.

Here's what else to consider: Transparency: Be open and transparent about your processes, pricing, and terms of service. Clearly communicate any potential risks and how you mitigate them. Transparency builds trust and helps the client feel more comfortable about working with you. Flexibility: Offer flexible options and solutions that can accommodate the client's risk tolerance. This could include phased implementation, payment plans, or performance-based pricing. Collaboration: Show that you are willing to work closely with the client as a trusted partner. Involve them in the decision-making process, seek their input, and collaborate on finding the best solutions for their specific needs.

There will be clients that are risk-averse for good reasons; 1. Your offer surprises them. Perhaps your product or service is cutting edge technology and state of the art that the client is unfamiliar with. Educate the client. Make your offer surprisingly familiar. 2. Your terms of payment is not acceptable to them. Perhaps you require 50% or 40% down payment upon order. The client will view this as too much a risk to take for a first venture with your company. Make your offer with easy payment terms by lowering the downpayment or extending the warranty period or a money back guarantee if possible.

You must separate yourself from the competition: The list above is an archaic approach to sales. This is a simple and concise explanation of how to be different from every other would be salesperson. You must differentiate yourself by explaining that the customer must qualify , or be worthy of your offer. In short you need to be in the driver seat. In your dog and pony show you will check off the boxes above (like every other sales person ) ,but you can stand out using your actions and tonal articulation.