“Nobody in our industry uses you”
Head of Operations · Challenger vendor
A Head of Operations who doesn't want to be the first in their industry is worried that their industry is different, and that they'll be the one finding out the hard way. Don't claim industry doesn't matter. Find the nearest neighbour: ask what makes their industry different, and show a customer with the same problem, even in another sector.
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.
What the buyer says
Nobody in our industry uses you yet. We don't want to be the first.
How to handle it
Listen
Hear "we don't want to be the first". The fear is being the test case, especially in a regulated industry.
Acknowledge
Agree that every industry has its own demands, and that nobody wants to be a supplier's experiment.
Explore
Ask what makes their industry different: regulation, data, processes or language. Ask which of those differences actually affect how they'd use your product.
Respond
Show a customer who faces the same problem or constraint, even in another sector, and be specific about how you'd handle what's unique to theirs. Offer a contained first step that limits the risk of going first.
Say this
“That makes sense. Nobody wants to be the test case.”
Say this
“What makes your industry different from the others we work with?”
Say this
“Would it help to speak to a customer who had the same problem, even in another sector?”
Variations
- Head of Compliance: “You don't understand our regulators.”
- CIO: “Show me three companies like us using you, and we'll talk.”
Questions people ask
How do you respond when a buyer says nobody in their industry uses you?
Agree that their industry has its own demands. Ask what makes it different and which differences matter, then show a customer with the same problem, even in another sector, and offer a contained first step.
How do you sell into a new industry without references?
Find customers who share the buyer's problem or constraints, even in other sectors, be specific about how you'd handle what's unique to the new industry, and reduce the risk of going first with a contained start.
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”
- “I've never heard of you”
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.