In membership sales, what's really behind the objection: "Let me think about it."
As a spa owner or manager you and your team have likely faced numerous objections when trying to close a membership sale. Among these, the phrase "Let me think about it" is one of the most common and challenging to overcome. Understanding the underlying reasons behind this objection can significantly enhance your ability to convert hesitant prospects into loyal members. In this post, let's explore the top four reasons why potential members ask for more time and provide strategies to address these concerns effectively.
Can you relate to this objection when trying to close a membership sale for your membership program?
Did you know that coming in at a close second after "Let me ask my spouse," "Let me think about it" is the most common objection given when trying to sign someone up for a membership? This phrase can be a significant hurdle in your sales process, but it also offers an opportunity to dig deeper and address your prospects' real concerns. By understanding these reasons, you can better prepare your sales team to handle objections with confidence and finesse.
Top 4 Reasons for the "Let Me Think About It" Objection
1. Financial Constraints
One of the primary reasons prospects hesitate is financial concern. They might not have the money and are unlikely to admit it because it's a personal matter. If you sense they really do want to take advantage of the perks your membership offers, instead of making them feel uncomfortable with going into detail about possible financial issues, offering special promotions that make your membership more accessible may be helpful. This approach can make the financial commitment seem more manageable and appealing.
But this is why you NEVER offer to drop the enrollment fee or offer a friends and family discount during the pitch!! If you give this away right out of the gate, you give away valuable leverage that may have swayed them later when they were on the verge of actually saying Yes. Whenever I've operated from fear of losing the sale by dropping the enrollment fee or talking about special membership perks too early, I always kicked myself after the customer walked out the door, because I realized I could've most likely closed the sale if I had been more patient about revealing special promotions later in the conversation. Once you give away your leverage, there's not left to fall back on to try to pull them back into the sale.
2. Different Priorities
Another common reason is that your offerings are not a top priority for them AT THE MOMENT. They may have enjoyed their visit and appreciated your services, but other time and financial commitments take precedence. If they disclose as much, make sure they still feel valued as a customer despite having to turn you down for now. When they're priorities change or they decide that you are a priority after all, you'll be the business they decide to give their money to because of how you treated them even when they "disappointed" by saying No the first time.
On the other hand, sometimes they just need to be shown how often they need to come in to enjoy your services in order to make the time and money sacrifice worth their while. I did this when I worked as a Spa Consultant for a Tanning Salon that not only offered sunless tanning and spray tans, but a whole array of other services - from Red Light Therapy to weight loss Slim Pods, and more. When I showed them that even though their membership was unlimited and could be used every day of the week and month if the wanted, once I shared with them that if they just came in once a month they would still be paying way less with their membership than coming in once a month and paying full price (as a non-member), they were on board. When I showed them they could benefit from their membership with as little as just one visit a month vs. coming in several times a month, they were sold. It was a "no-brainer" for them! They couldn't see themselves having the time to get in several times a month, due to their hectic work and family schedule, but they could see themselves getting in at least once or maybe even twice a month and for them that's all they needed at that point in their life, and they were delighted with that scenario.
3. An Underwhelming Service
Sometimes, a less-than-stellar experience can lead to hesitation. If the service provider didn't ask enough questions, listen attentively, or tailor their approach to the customer's needs, it can leave a negative impression. Ensure your staff is trained to engage with clients effectively, understand their preferences, and deliver personalized services, where they're actually changing up their routine to match the requests of customers, vs. thinking they know what the customer needs and what's best for them.
Regular feedback sessions and continuous training can help maintain high service standards and improve customer satisfaction. This is where I would have to do the painful task of showing a service provider a negative Google review about their service, and explain how it impacted being able to close that membership sale. Sometimes the service provider did the very best they could with an extra "needy" client who was hard to please; other times, it was a failure on the part of the service provider to really listen and continually check-in with the customer to make sure they were getting the type of service they expected.
4. Mediocre Front Desk Interaction
The most likely culprit is often the front desk staff’s interaction with the customer. If they fail to make clients feel welcomed, valued, and important, it can significantly impact their decision. It's simply a "failure to launch" as far as connecting with a prospect. And when prospects don't feel valued, they cannot see themselves buying into what you're selling!
This should start from the very first phone call when a client calls to book an appointment, to when they enter your business for the first time, and when they're filling out any necessary paperwork. At all three of these stages in the customer's journey, through warm and engaging interactions with the front desk, there is room to make them feel like this is a place where they want to spend more time and can see themselves spending more money!
Train your front desk/sales team to not only go out of their way to be friendly and welcoming but also to ask the right questions to uncover customers' needs and desires. Show them how to personalize their pitch for each prospect based on what they learn from having meaningful conversations with them to demonstrate how your membership can meet and exceed their expectations.
Overcoming the "Let me think about it" objection requires a nuanced understanding of your prospects' concerns - all of which can be solved by taking a genuine, personable approach to your prospects' needs and making sure they feel seen and heard. Sometimes even when you do everything right, they'll still say No, despite trying to gently probe them for more info, but when there is a true connection with your front desk staff AND your service providers, and you're all working together for the good of the customer, you can become a well-oiled "Dream" machine, that can alleviate the above objection before it even enters your prospects mind!
Want more tips, suggestions, and advice for how to grow your appointments and memberships numbers? Remember, I have a whole training program to help with that! And when you invest in the training program, you get 2 hours of in-person or Zoom training (depending on your location) as my FREE gift to you!
