Overcommimg Sales Objections | Persuasion Techniques

This will also give the prospect a new level of confidence in you because you were not avoiding any of his concerns. Whenever it appears that the prospect has an unvoiced objection, it is the time to probe for information. For example, " Mr.Saeed, it appears that you have a question about what I just said; am I right in my understanding?"

How to Handle Objections

The best way to handle objections is to anticipate them and to answer them before they are asked. However, for those objections that arise abruptly or instantly during the sales interview, there is a list of do's and don'ts that you should consider.

These are common sense Do's :

Always maintain a positive attitude and be enthusiastic.
Always remember that objections are a natural and integral part of the sales process and should not be considered as a personal insult.
Always maintain good eye contact, even when under pressure.
Always listen attentively to an objection.
Always acknowledge the objection and then express your thoughts.
Always justify your viewpoints with testimonials, documentation and references.

And now, some very important don'ts

Never knock down or degrade your competition. That takes the focus off of you and your company and you never want to do that.
Never say anything negative about your organisation.
Never say anything negative about your product or service.
Never tell the customer that they are wrong.
Never tell the customer that you don't understand.
Never argue with any buyer.
Never lie to a customer. Long term relationships are built on trust and honesty. It is far better to say, I don't know, but I will find out the right answer and get back to you as soon as possible.
Never be defensive; it is a negative approach to an objection.
Never lose your temperament with the customer.
Never let an objection go without an answer.

Below are samples of the hundreds of objections and answers that are free with your membership

Following is a list of some of the common objections. One simple exercise to try is, take three index cards and on each card write a common objection that you have received from prospects. For each objection, list several responses. Commit these to memory and practice your presentation.

1. Your price is too high. This is by far the most common objection and perhaps the most difficult to handle. Prices are determined diligently, and are not easily changed. You must go to a benefit-oriented solution to the objection or offer some add-on service to offset the difference in price.

When the prospect says: Your price is too high, you may use any of the following answers (customize them according to the situation)

Compared to what? How much do you think it should cost?

Mr. Prospect, our quality / service is the best you can find in the market, and it means that you pay much less over the life of the product.

Mr. Ahmed, our price is a bit higher than what other companies charge. However, we sell over 1 million units a year at the same price. We can't sell so much if our buyers were not convinced that this is the best price.

2. I am not interested.

Obviously you should not be interested until I show how our product can save you money and increase your profit.

Mr. Niazi, 25 organizations have purchased this product during the last two weeks, and they all began by saying that they were not interested. But they bought because they found that our product would increase their productivity, save them money and solve some of their problems.

3. I will think it over.

Mr. Sami, as a smart businessman you have made bigger decisions than this. What not make the decision right now and free your mind to think about the really big issues in your business?

What exactly do you want to think about? Let us both think it over; sometimes two heads are better than one.

4. I don't have the time to discuss that right now. This may be true, but only up to a certain point. It is a courtesy to respect your prospect's busy schedule, however, it is reasonable to ask when he will have time to discuss the situation.

5. We don't have the need right now. The obvious answer is: May I leave some literature with you and contact you later on?

6. My manager has to approve this. One way to avoid this objection is to be sure you are dealing with the right person, the decision maker. Not having done this, the natural response could be: All right; when will you be talking to your manager, please?

7. I already have a supplier for that product / service. Your job here is to convince the prospect that even though he has a supplier, you think you can do a better job and make him hear your presentation.

8. Your product doesn't meet our specifications. Ask the prospect where you are lacking. Once you have that information, you can then customize your presentation and address the objection accordingly.

9. How long has your company been in business?. If your company has a proven track record, present it for the prospect’s review. Show him testimonials, brochures and printed material in the form of articles or press releases. It will establish your credibility.

See how many other answers you can develop to handle these common objections. Chances are that, as a salesperson, you will not close every deal. Some will fall by the wayside. You have no real control over that. However, you can minimize those situations by preparing yourself in advance. Develop a persuasive presentation; know it very well; practice it in front of others; be open-minded in identifying the potential objections and then go out in front of the prospect and give it your best shot.

Courtesy of dirjournal.com

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Sales objections scare new sales people because they are not sure they can find convincing arguments to overcome them. However, sales professionals have learned how to take the prospect’s objection and turn it around in order to close the sale.

The term objection has an additional meaning. As used here, an refers to The Inner Working of a Sales Objection

- Mr. Ahmed, I understand what you're saying. Another client asked me the same question. Here is how I worked with him to satisfy his concern

Or

- I am glad you mentioned that because it gives me the chance to show you how our product will solve that problem.

Objections that face salespeople the most are:

The best way to handle objections is to appear as a knowledgeable, interested salesperson whose mission is to help the prospect achieve his objectives. Respond to objectives positively and respect the prospect’s actions as legitimate concerns. Let us discuss all these factors in details:

1. Skepticism

If the prospect seems skeptical about your presentation, your product / services or your ability to deliver, it could come from one of the following situations:

a. Promising too much. If you promise too much too soon or trivialize the uniqueness of the prospect’s situation you will surely lose him.

b. Failing to establish a rapport. You must listen and respond effectively. If the prospect thinks you are talking only in your terms, his interest in you will diminish rapidly. Learn to listen and respond effectively.

c. Not asking the right questions. Know enough about the prospect’s needs to be able to ask probing questions. Asking good questions is just as important as giving good answers.

d. Not fully answering questions. The prospect's questions are real; do not think that they are "dumb questions", and do not avoid a question because you think it is trivial. By not answering all questions, the prospect could think you are trying to conceal something.

e. Becoming defensive. If you appear to be defensive to an objection, you might antagonise the prospect. Always be open-minded, responsive and reply enthusiastically, not defensively.

f. Not Client-Centered. If you speak in general terms and do not address the specifics of the prospect’s objection, you have not given him the answer he is looking for.

g. Never be hasty. If you rush through your presentation or do not give enough consideration to the prospect’s concerns, you could make the prospect feel uneasy. Never linger on any one point, but do not give any quick answers either.

2. Misunderstanding

These objections fall into three categories:

b. Inadequate goal definition. You have to know what the prospect’s goal is before you try to suggest a solution. If his main concern is to maximize monthly production and your product is a critical part in the production, speak in terms of providing the solution and help him to reach his goal.

c. Discuss benefits and not features. Provide specific examples of how the prospect will gain benefit from your product/service and your proposed solution to his objections. Do not give generalized answers to specific problems

3. Stalling

If the prospect seems to be stalling, the reason might be one of these:

b. He is not sold on your product. Ask probing questions to determine what the problem is. "Are you not sure about our pricing? "Are you concerned about our ability to deliver?" or "What it is that bothering you in making your decision?"

c. He wants to get other proposals. Find out what his criteria is in the proposals. Also, see if you can determine what kind of information he is looking for. Ask if the project is going to be awarded on a competitive bid basis only. Try to be the last bidder to present.

d. He is too busy to talk to you right now. Ask him what his schedule is and when you can return or call him back. Also, it might be good to find out if the project is a reality and not just a fire drill.

An obvious question you might ask is: "How can I handle those objections that have not been raised."

If you anticipate concerns based on the information you have gathered about the prospect and have spent enough time on your sales presentation analyzing problem areas, you can get clues on this and develop strategies to handle these unvoiced objections.

Start a discussion when you feel these objections are present. You can start by asking the question, "Is there anything else you would like to ask me?" or, "Are there any other questions I can answer for you?" A professional salesman will keep on probing until all of such questions become clear.