SOP 105 — Handle time and resourcefulness objections

1. Where the circumstance closes come in

The general closes come first; they are SOP 100 — Run the reason close and SOP 101 — Run the general closes. By the end of them, the aim is a person in complete power, able to decide for themselves. Concerns about circumstances have been cleared, as many decision-maker roadblocks as possible have been worked around, and every reason not to decide today has been knocked down. Now you can get them to decide.

If they bring up another source of blame again, isolate it and close it. This page starts with some of the most common things people blame: circumstances.

The belief underneath. I avoid buying your thing because of things outside my control.

What you do about it. Help them see that they are choosing to let circumstances decide for them. That is good news, because it means they also have the power to change it. It moves the power to decide from the circumstances back to them.

A wedding shows how it works. Saying "I can't make the wedding because something outside my control came up" lets a person off the hook. They avoid saying no, and get away with it, by blaming something else. The goal is for them to say they are not coming to the wedding because they are choosing something that matters more to them. There is nothing wrong with making a genuine decision in your own best interest. The prospect should understand that.

Reminders, repeated for emphasis.

Assume every reply on this page opens with "totally understand" or something like it: totally get it, heard, that's a great point, I'm right there with you. That is the rule on SOP 100, section 2.
You sit on the same side of the table. You are not competing with them. Validate what they say before you answer it. You can only guide them, through a series of questions and statements, to convince themselves.

Here are some of the favored ways to answer each circumstance.

2. Time: what it is

People get busy. Then they get less busy. Then they get busy again. That is how life works. But people make time for things either way. So when someone points at time, there are two things to address:

Help them see where their hours go.
Talk about how they could use those hours better.

When your offer wins on time. The conditions, each an "if":

if your thing saves them time compared with what they do now;
if it makes their life easier than it is now;
if you support them so they get the most value from it.

Then, compared with the other things, your thing really is a better use of their time. Everyone wins. And because you are there to help, starting while busy is actually the best time to start.

3. The time closes

What it sounds like. "I'm too busy right now." "I don't have the time." And, for the last close in this section, "I'll start when I have the time."

Better to start when you're busy. Totally understand. Here's some good news: the busier you are, the better the time it is to start. Life will always have busy seasons. If you can't work out how to do this in a busy season, it won't last. And you want this to last, right? So what better time to do it than when you need it most?

You're going to get busy again. Totally understand. Even if you waited until things calmed down, you'd get busy again, right? So even if you started when you had time, you'd stop the moment you got busy. If you learn to make this work while you're busy, you'll stick with it whatever life throws at you. And you want this to be permanent, right? Wait for the "right".

Then the nudge over the edge: Besides, this is set up to give you time back, not cost you time. The first thing we'll do is get you to stop doing everything that isn't working.

It's not about timing, it's about priorities.

Totally understand it's a busy time. Can I ask you a real question? What are you doing right now that matters more than this? Let them answer.
Okay. Either you'll never have time, or something needs to matter less so this can matter more. It sounds like a question of priorities more than timing.
Let's face it, things will always come up. Either [goal] matters more than these interruptions, or it doesn't. If it doesn't, that's totally fine. I'd rather you left knowing you'll never reach [goal] than suffered all the time hoping it will happen.
It's either important enough to change your schedule for, or it isn't. And if it is, let's do it.

The smartphone close. Tell it as your own story. Why a story works better than saying it to them is SOP 97 — Get permission before getting real, section 3.

Totally understand. Then say you honestly thought the same thing, and tell the story.
The story: you told your partner you had no time. Your partner had had enough of your complaining and said, "Give me your phone." The time usage on it showed 20 hours a week on social media.
The turn: At the end of the day, you, me and any billionaire all started with the same 24 hours. It's about how we spend them.
The question: up to now, do they think they have spent their time well to get where they want? If not, that is exactly what you will show them how to do.
The extra nudge: And the first thing we'll do is cut 90% of the things you're doing that aren't working, to make room for what does.

The when/then close. For "I'll start when I have the time." Totally understand. This is a classic when/then problem. I used to do it all the time. Can I tell you why that thought kept me stuck for almost a decade? It's a false premise. Saying "I'll do it when I have more time" is like "When I'm healthy, I'll see the doctor," or "When I'm rich, I'll start saving." It flips the order.

Nudges. Some of these closes end with a nudge, a one-liner for someone right on the edge. What a nudge is, and when to use one, is SOP 100, section 5.

4. Resourcefulness: when the money really is short

This is the second of the four money objections: they see the value, but it really does cost more than they have. SOP 96, section 2, lists all four and calls this the far rarer case. When the price is too much for what they get, use SOP 103 — Handle the it's-too-much objection instead.

These are otherwise qualified customers who object to the price because it really does sit just beyond their current means. You answer by appealing to their resourcefulness, and to how having goals just out of reach actually gives them an advantage.

What it sounds like. "I can't afford it." "It's not in my budget."

5. The resourcefulness closes

Resourcefulness, not resources.

So the money isn't there? You mean the resources to get started, right?
Can I tell you something that blew my mind when I heard it? What's the difference between a self-made millionaire back when they had nothing, and someone who has nothing? Financially, nothing. The only difference proves that their success wasn't about the resources they had. It was about how resourceful they were.
Optional, for when they look like they don't get it, add a story. The founder of a famous sportswear company was about to lose everything, more than once. He needed a huge sum he didn't have, and his staff were already working unpaid. He asked his vendors to cover his payroll. He used his resourcefulness, not his resources.
Having nothing is the easiest excuse there is: "I have nothing, that's why I can't." But every self-made millionaire and billionaire started with nothing. That puts them in exactly your seat. So ask yourself how much control you want over your own life. With power, you put your attention on what you can control: how resourceful you are, not what resources you have.

Had it worse and done better. It is told as a story from your own past. Can I tell you something my dad said when I told him I couldn't make ends meet to move out here for this job? Before the story comes a warning that the father was being a little harsh. Then: He asked me, do you think anyone else has been in your situation and achieved this? If the answer is yes, what's the difference between them and you?

Everyone starts at zero.

Mind if I share something that blew my mind when I heard it? It's a fact: all self-made millionaires have one thing in common. They all started at zero.
So where you are right now is where many self-made millionaires started. Where they lacked resources, they had resourcefulness instead. So if you want more wealth, would you want more or less resourcefulness?
Let today be the first day your resourcefulness is stronger than your excuses, and your resourcefulness turns into resources.
The nudge: Let me prove it now. If you needed surgery to save your life, would you find the money? Of course. So is saving yourself from the life you're living now worth it?

6. After the circumstance closes

Beating the time and money objections does not mean they will not blame something else. That is good. When someone changes what they blame, you are getting close to a buyer in power. Why a swap of objections is a good sign is SOP 99 — Classify an objection, section 4. The next kind of blame is other people: SOP 104 — Handle the spouse or partner.

7. What this page does not decide for you

The first time close to try. Not established on this page. Stacking closes is covered on SOP 100, section 5.
Whether a prospect who cannot afford it is qualified. The test for resources is SOP 98 — Qualify with the four-letter test.

8. The checklist

Moment	What you do
Before any close	Assume a "totally understand" first; same side of the table
Circumstance blamed	Show them they are letting circumstances decide; they can choose
Time	Show where their hours go; talk about using them better
"I'm too busy"	Better to start when you're busy; you'll get busy again
It's not about timing, it's about priorities	What matters more than this right now?
The smartphone close	Told as a story about yourself
"I'll start when I have time"	When/then: it flips the order
"I can't afford it"	Resourcefulness, not resources
The other resourcefulness closes	Had it worse and done better; everyone starts at zero
They blame something new	Good sign; close the new objection

9. What this page does not cover

Discount requests and a price that is too much for the value are not covered on this page; they are SOP 96 and SOP 103. Someone else being cheaper is SOP 102 — Handle the competitor-price objection.