First things first.  We deal with 2 different kinds of skeptics on a regular basis and we deal with both the same way – Ignore and Pivot.

How do you deal with all the SKEPTICS?

We all have to deal with skeptics. Either the friends and family that say we can’t do what we want to do or the customer who doesn’t think you can deliver what you know you can deliver. It’s basically the same issue, but for most people, the doubt from friends and family bites especially hard. Here is my tried and true method to handle this – I ignore them and I pivot the conversation to whatever action actually leads to the desired result.

What? You can’t just ignore objections like this and get away with it right? 

Actually, you can and you should.

STEP #1 – SELL YOURSELF FIRST EVERY SINGLE DAY. 

You have to be absolutely sure that you are doing the right thing for the right reasons on a daily basis. If you falter then doubt will creep in and you’ll start to wonder if someone else knows more than you. You can’t be oblivious to your surrounding, but you need to be absolutely sure that you will do what you say. I write a message on my mirror in the morning and give myself a little pep talk. I’m not making this up, I don’t think the pep talk either. I say the words out loud and tell myself I’m doing the right things for my clients and my family. If you have to look at yourself in the morning and say you are going to do the right things then your subconscious will help you make the right choices and keep you on the right path.

STEP #2 – RECOGNIZE THE SKEPTIC.

This is easy, listen to the person that questions everything for no reason. Some people were let down as children and expect the worse to happen and for people to let them down again. I get it, but I don’t get it and I just try to deal with it. This person will expect you to fail so that they don’t get their hopes up, or will subconsciously hope you fail because then it means that they aren’t all that bad. It’s rough, but it’s not your problem. Some people are more cautious and build up a wall to protect against hope.

STEP #3 – IGNORE.

Your instinct will be to try to convince someone that you are awesome. We all want to be liked, trusted and respected so it hurts when someone actually tells you to your face that you can’t do something you know with absolute certainty that you can. You’ll want to argue, convince and rebuttal your way into their head so that they know what you know. This is pointless because 9 times out of 10 it isn’t logic that’s driving your skeptic, it’s emotion. Ignore the negative comments, the backhanded compliments, the veiled jibes and snide remarks. It’s pointless and will take more energy to address than it’s worth. It’s not about you, those comments are about them and they are their problems and emotions to deal with. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

STEP #4 – PIVOT.

It’s good to stand up for yourself and be confident. It’s better to actually let your actions lead you to places where the skeptic can’t go. If this is a customer just ignore the comment and be assumptive in your statements.

I/We/Our Team will show you what it’s like to have faith in a company, sign here. 

Let’s put our service to the test. We are up for the challenge of making you love our service, let’s start the contract on the first of the month, ok?

We will be happy to overachieve. I think it’s safe to say you doubt we can get this project done in 30 days. If we can do this will you be a believer and write us a testimonial?

If this is a friend or family member you Ignore their comment and pivot to something entirely different. They usually want to talk about themselves anyway.

I know I’ve got lofty goals, right!? It will be a long road for me and I have miles to go. On a side note, why don’t you go back to waiting tables like you did in college? It was a simpler time and I think you really enjoyed it! (Then let them flounder around your odd question and let them tell you how much more awesome they are now that they don’t wait tables or work at that retail spot. Then pat yourself on the back because you made this person feel better and they didn’t even need to put someone else down to get it done.)

I get way more done with misdirection and conversation control than I do by debate. The people or clients that talk about themselves are more likely to buy from me than the ones I tried to argue with and they probably feel better about themselves too. Everyone wins and I already knew I was doing the right things because I told myself so at 6am.