Sales Training – Objections are never a Bad Thing

Have you explained your value proposition?
Any sales professional, who views objections as bad things, is missing the point. Objections are just your customer or prospects way of telling you that they do not completely understand and appreciate the value both you and your product or service offer them. When your customer or prospect raises an objection, it’s always a good sign. They are expressing their concerns and lack of understanding, giving you the opportunity to either allay their fears or better explain your value proposition.

As long as people are raising objections and telling you they don’t understand or they cannot see the value in what you offer, they are still interested. It is only when someone is sitting glaring at you with folded arms that they are completely disinterested and will not buy your product or service, unless you completely revisit your approach and better explain the value you bring. When people are not bothering to object they are actually telling you something crucial. They are not interested and do not have any interest in what you are selling. This is your cue to stop presenting, ask if there is something you have missed or is there something you can clarify for them.

Do you Really Know your Customers needs?
You should have assessed your clients’ needs thoroughly before even making the first call to them in the first place and should have used open ended questions to establish your prospects or customer’s needs, all the way through the sales process. So if you get to a point where someone is staring blankly at you with folded arms, try asking a few leading questions to find out what they are thinking?

Tips for Handling Objections

1. Listen intently and allow the prospect to finish speaking, before answering. Never assume you have understood and start speaking over your prospect. Allow the prospect to completely explain their concerns and explain what is bothering him or her. Be very attentive and make sure that you listen intently to what they are saying. Listen and try to identify any valuable clues, which will emerge from their tone of voice or body language.

2. Ensure that your prospect has completely finished talking – Repeat your understanding of the objection back to them for clarity. If you burst straight into an explanation, without getting clarity, your misunderstanding may compound the objection and the prospect may dig their heels in even further, as the misunderstanding compounds. By repeating your understanding back to the prospect, they have a chance to better explain their objection, if you do not describe it the way they see it and they can see that you are really listening to them and their concerns.

3. Explore and try to uncover the real objection. Prospects don’t always express their true concerns up front. The first objections expressed by your prospect are not always a true reflection of what their true concern may be. The best way to uncover your prospects true objection is to ask leading exploratory questions like “Is product downtime a particular concern” or Have you experienced challenges like this before” “What was the result of managing those challenges” These type of questions will help draw the prospect out a little and will give you an opportunity to better understand their true concern or objection.

4. Answer the objection. Only once you have completely understood the objection explored and discovered the prospects true concern, by asking exploratory questions, should you begin to answer it. Start by explaining how your value proposition will satisfy their needs or solve their challenges. Objections, which are raised by your prospects, are just a way for them to verbalise their fears. Your role when handling objections is to always remain honest and upfront with them. Be authentic and offer them your best explanation, providing them with the right information, to show them the true value you bring. This will help them to allay their fears and will address their concerns in a honest environment. Never tell your prospect anything you think they want to hear, unless it is 100 % true and which you can back-up with proof. It is always best to have specific stories prepared, from satisfied customers, who experienced similar concerns or challenges. Hard facts, which can be backed up by testimonials are always the best.

5. Check back with the prospect and see if they have understood your explanation and if you have answered their objection. After your explanation, check in with the prospect and make sure that you have completely answered their concerns. This can be done by simply saying “Does this make sense” or “have I addressed your concerns”.

6. Redirect the conversation. Once you are certain that you have completely understood and answered the prospects objections, bring the prospect back into the flow of the appointment. If you were in the middle of your presentation, when the prospect raises their concern or objection. Then once it is answered, quickly summarise what you have said and move on smoothly with your description of your value proposition. Before closing the sale, check to see if your prospect has any further objections.