Objection handling
How to answer “We tried something like this before and it did not work”
The customer carries a negative result and expects the same again.
Why customers say it
A previous project, supplier or training did not deliver, and they do not want to repeat it.
Three ways to respond
One approach for each setting. Adapt the words to the customer and to your company’s rules.
- In sales
- Ask what happened. “What did you try, and what went wrong? I want to be sure we do not repeat it.” Learn the cause before you suggest anything.
- In insurance
- Acknowledge and separate it from today. “I am sorry it did not work out. What would need to be different this time for you to feel comfortable?”
- In a contact centre
- Listen and note the reasons. “Thank you for telling me. Could you describe what happened? It helps me explain how this would be handled differently.”
A common mistake
“That was a bad provider, we are different.” Claiming difference without understanding the failure.
Educational conversation training. It is not legal or financial advice and it promises no results. Always follow your company’s rules and the terms of the product.
Practise it out loud
Talk to an AI customer who raises this objection and read in the report which sentence helped.
Questions about this objection
What does “We tried something like this before and it did not work” mean?
The customer carries a negative result and expects the same again.
Why do customers say “We tried something like this before and it did not work”?
A previous project, supplier or training did not deliver, and they do not want to repeat it.
How do you answer “We tried something like this before and it did not work”?
In sales: Ask what happened. “What did you try, and what went wrong? I want to be sure we do not repeat it.” Learn the cause before you suggest anything. In insurance: Acknowledge and separate it from today. “I am sorry it did not work out. What would need to be different this time for you to feel comfortable?” In a contact centre: Listen and note the reasons. “Thank you for telling me. Could you describe what happened? It helps me explain how this would be handled differently.”
What is a common mistake when a customer says “We tried something like this before and it did not work”?
“That was a bad provider, we are different.” Claiming difference without understanding the failure.