“I've never heard of you”
Marketing Director · Challenger vendor
When a buyer says they've never heard of you, they're telling you that you haven't earned their attention yet, not that they've ruled you out. Don't recite your company history. Earn the next ten minutes: ask what made them take the call, and talk about that problem, not about you.
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.
What the buyer says
I've never heard of you. Why should I give you the next twenty minutes?
How to handle it
Listen
Hear "why should I give you". The question is about the value of their time, more than about your brand.
Acknowledge
Accept it without defending. Most buyers haven't heard of most suppliers, and that's fine.
Explore
Ask what made them agree to the call, what's on their list this quarter, and what they've already tried for that problem.
Respond
Talk about their problem first, and only then about how you solve it. Offer something concrete and quick, such as an example from a similar company, rather than a full company overview.
Say this
“That's completely fair. Most people haven't heard of us yet.”
Say this
“What made you agree to take the call?”
Say this
“What's the problem you'd most like to solve this quarter?”
Variations
- Head of Marketing: “Who are you, and why should I care?”
- VP Sales: “I get ten of these calls a week. Make it quick.”
Questions people ask
How do you respond when a buyer says they've never heard of you?
Don't defend or recite your history. Ask what made them take the call and what they're trying to solve, then talk about their problem first, and offer a quick, relevant example rather than a company overview.
Does it matter if a buyer hasn't heard of your company?
Less than it feels. Buyers care more about whether you understand their problem. Earning attention in the first few minutes matters more than brand recognition.
More objections in Challenger vendor
- “What if you go out of business?”
- “You're too small for a company our size”
- “Nobody gets fired for choosing the big name”
- “Nobody in our industry uses you”
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.