1

How to Overcome Staff Objections

Develop incentive program

1. $3-$7 for each ad you assumptivlly sell into the program for the first 30-days

2. Special top seller bonus, 2 & 3 place prizes

Common objections

It costs too much

• Doesn’t everything. Things are expensive everyone is trying to provide a good service at a fair price but things are expensive.

• If for a few dollars more we can help a business fill a position and the boss doesn’t have to work extra hours, leave important work undone or worse yet lose money because a position isn’t filled do you think it’s worth a few extra dollars to the company.

• We are priced much less than the other online job boards and provide better response and service than they do.

• If that’s true than no one will buy it. Would you be willing to stake your job on the fact that no one can sell it? It is unconfortable asking for more money because it’s a lot to you and me but remember it’s a very fair price based on what others charge and the results we produce.

2

•What would make paying extra for our new service worth the extra money to an employer? – help the staff think it through

•Hundreds of other newspapers have done this and have no problem selling it many at rates much higher than we are charging

•Radio stations are the worst media for promoting employment yet they are getting anywhere from $50 - $200 for just one online only job posting

It costs too much

My little mom & pop local business can’t afford it & it won’t benefit them

•More people look online for jobs today than ever and it continues to grow. Young people often only look online and not in the paper so if the job is not there they won’t say gee I didn’t see it on the newspaper Web site so I will look in the print edition…they just go somewhere else.

•Even they will benefit and save time because applicants are graded and ranked to present them with the top candidates

•People afford what they want and buy what they think is valuable. It is our job to be able to show them the value of both our print and our online offerings.

3

•Roll Play until your staff is comfortable answering objections

•Make a big fuss when people sell it

•Provide positive feedback

•Encourage innovation

•Provide cash incentives

•Run contests

•Provide time off

•Hold internal games

•Free Lunch

•Discuss it at weekly meetings

•You don’t need to understand it – Do you understand how the printing press works? – It’s all about readership and response both in print and online - More eyeballs is worth more money

•Give cash prized for customer testimonials and use them in print promotion