Small business owners know the value of fostering a relationship with clients.  However conversational roadblocks and objections can challenge those very important relationships.  You know your product and the value it will bring to your client but past experiences, prejudices and misinformation may be keeping your clients from enjoying the full range of your products and services. 

Small business owners know the value of fostering a relationship with clients. However conversational roadblocks and objections can challenge those very important relationships. You know your product and the value it will bring to your client but past experiences, prejudices and misinformation may be keeping your clients from enjoying the full range of your products and services. 

How do you, as a business owner, overcome these challenges? 

Like any relationship, both parties must be able to hear and understand each other. While this seems like a simple and straightforward concept, it is not. Humans are programmed to filter information based on our perceptions, knowledge and opinions.  That is why two people can hear the same information but form two separate and contrasting opinions.

Humans process information in three basic ways: auditory, tacitly and visually.  Auditory learners are most receptive when hearing information (videos, conversation, etc). Tactile learners learn best through touch. Visual learners use their sight to take in information. Knowing which way your client learns is a very big step in overcoming conversational roadblocks.

For example, dentists constantly see people that need to have serious work done on their teeth. Their problem is causing them pain and discomfort. However, due to misinformation from others, past experiences, or just a general distrust of those tools that look like they can hurt soft gum tissue, they refuse or defer treatment.  It is difficult to watch someone suffer when you have the means and ability to help them.  Their misinformation and distrust is a huge roadblock to the business as well as their oral health. 

For the auditory client, booking an extra half an hour for the appointment and taking the time to have a face-to-face conversation about his or her fears may be all that is needed to move forward. The tactile client, however, would benefit more from being able to see the tools the dentist will use and have the opportunity to touch them. The tactile learner also benefits from being given tasks he or she can do at home; being given an interdental toothbrush with instructions on how to use it or being sent to the store to purchase a certain type of floss work wonders for the tactile learner. The visual learner should have the opportunity to tour the facility and see happy patients having work done. They need to see how clean the workspaces are, how gentle the staff is and which tools will be used prior to being seated in the dentist chair.

You can determine which type of learner your client is by observation. In the waiting room the visual and auditory learners gravitate to watching the TV or videos on their mobile devices. In a store they may ask if you have a YouTube channel that describes your products/services. The tactile learners reach for samples that they can feel or manipulate.  A tactile learner is drawn to the testers in the beauty shop while the visual learner first notices the unique packaging. The auditory learner is the one listening to the salesperson describe the product.

To overcome conversational roadblock and objections, have options for each type of learner. If selling a service, have demonstrations, tours, or a set of your commonly used products (acupuncture needles, dental equipment, etc) set aside so it can be handled, touched, and explored. If selling a product, have information sheets handy, video information on your website or YouTube channel and samples that can be touched, tasted, smelled or otherwise handled. 

When we were young we watched our dentist brush the teeth of a stuffed toy or our doctor give a doll an injection.  We were able to see, hear and in some cases even mimic their actions before those same actions were done on us. As adults, we are no different.  We still need to see, hear or touch to understand. In order to reach your clients, understand how they process information. Then present it to them in the way they will be most open to it.  In doing this you are opening the door to the vital communication that allows them to fully enjoy what you have to offer. 

This article has been provided by the Atlanta Dental Spa, the premiere place in Atlanta, Georgia for General and Cosmetic Dentistry. Their doctors are world-class, award-winning dentists who apply their industry-leading expertise in a relaxing spa like environment. 3189 Maple Dr NE Atlanta, GA 30305 | 404-816-2230.

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Images: business man with road block/ detour signs, needle provided by Atlanta Dental Spa.