How often do you respond to a prospect’s objection with “Yes, but…” and turn an intelligent conversation into a defensive debate? 

Prospect:  “We’re not sure your software will scale to our needs.”

Salesperson: “Yes, but didn’t you read the report we provided?”

Immediately the prospect is put on the defensive.  What happens to the tone of the conversation if you replace “Yes, but…” with “Yes and…” instead?

Prospect:  “We’re not sure your software will scale to our needs.”

Salesperson:  “Yes and that’s a valid concern.  Would it be helpful to look at some data that would allow us take a closer look at this issue?”

Replacing one little word can make all the difference.  By saying “Yes and…” instead of “Yes, but…” you come around to the prospect’s side of the table and you are working with them instead of against them.  This may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how often we see this scenario comes up when we work with sales organizations. 

Salespeople with a high need for approval, difficulty controlling their emotions, or have a tendency to present features and benefits rather than ask questions that uncover problems and help them understand how and why a prospect will buy are particularly vulnerable.  So the next time you get a tough sales objection from a challenging prospect, remember to say “Yes and…” to keep the conversation going in a positive direction.