Getting Past "But..."

A successful career in sales requires not just a tough skin or ability to withstand rejection. The most successful sales reps are able to not just withstand rejection, but also to examine rejections and objections to identify customers' very real needs and concerns. Initial objections from customers aren't simply "no," but a jumping-off point, the beginning of the conversation. Any information the customer offers is a means to discovering and understanding their needs, priorities, and anything in your company's performance with room for improvement.

When are Objections Beneficial? Always!

Objections are a natural part of the buying process. Appreciate them! They show that the customer is actively interested, or he/she wouldn't be wasting their time talking about it. Objections allow dialogue about questions and doubts, give information for strategic moves in the future and the direction of your company's product and service development. They provide an ideal starting point to educate the customer about your products, your service, and your willingness to go the extra mile. Objections reveal the customer’s concerns. When objections are handled well, the result is a good relationship and enhanced trust between customer and sales rep.

Process for Handling Objections:

Step 1 - Encouraging

Draw out the objection. Listen. Don’t try to answer right away. Acknowledge it without interrupting and let the customer express his or her reservations completely. Show empathy and put yourself in their shoes. Empathy defuses antagonism and resistance, transforming confrontation into mutual problem-solving. (Seven habits -- seek first to understand, then to be understood.) Be patient. Your turn comes when the customer feels heard and understood. “I can see how you would be concerned about that.” “I’d feel the same way if I had your responsibility.” “Can you tell me more about that?”

Step 2 - Questioning

Ask questions to clarify the objections and draw out the underlying reservations. Frequently, the real objection is different from what the customer first expressed. (Just as in your personal life -- someone may seem angry about the dishes, but it may go back a few days to when you forgot to make an important call... all anger is not caused by the immediate stressor. ) Don’t interrupt and assume you have it all wrapped up, launching immediately into a "counter." “And then what?” “What are your biggest reservations”? "What other concerns do you have?"

Ask open-ended questions that lead to an informative response, rather than yes/no questions.

If you've ever worked as a telephone market researcher, you may recognize the direction,

"Ask until unproductive."

That's when the agent waits for you to finish, recording all that you say, and then asks, "What other words would you use to describe the dishwashing detergent...?" And they continue to ask until you say, "Can't think of anything else!" Ask those questions again and again until they are unproductive (but not annoying), to be sure you get to the source of any objections, reservations, or negative feelings. You may even see a physical relief of tension in the shoulders of your customer. Who among us isn't less stressed when we feel truly heard, listened to, and understood?

Step 3 - Confirming (Mirroring)

Check your understanding of the objection/problem before responding. Repeat to the customer, using his or her own words in a summary, the concerns that were expressed, demonstrating that you truly understand any problems before you try to provide a solution. Responding too quickly, with incomplete understanding, will undermine your customer's trust.

Step 4 - Providing

Respond to the objection/problem. Answer the objection as specifically, completely, and informatively as possible. Objections and their appropriate responses usually fall into the following categories: Misconception, Skepticism, Real Drawback and Real Complaint.

Misconception

- The customer does not understand the product or service or is misinformed (often with complex products). The customer needs more information, targeted directly to his or her level of expertise, to help them make a purchasing decision, and you are the educator. Approach: Clarify, teach, explain, and resolve. Example: “If I understand correctly, your concern is that our product won’t handle X… and it’s important for you to have a machine/service that handles X… As you can see from our proposal, we can handle X, because our product/service does the following, in this way...”

Skepticism

The customer is not convinced your product will do what you claim. He or she is being cautious or probing for more information. Approach: Prove it. Give solid evidence such as examples, statistics, references, and trials. If needed, ask for sample situations in which the customer will need your product or service and demonstrate how it will function. Generic info may not provide all the information your customer needs, and your creativity and genuineness -- or lack thereof -- will make or break this sale. Customers who are extremely satisfied will be good, objective references for difficult circumstances. Example: “If I understand you correctly, you aren’t sure our people will be available when you need them. We realize that it’s important for you to have weekend service, and others may have promised it but not provided it. Our techs are on call 24x7, and are highly trained reps, not third tier. You know, if it would help to speak with a customer who uses this service, we've been providing that sort of service for Bill Smith over at Acme Industries for 3 years now. Please feel free to call Bill. It might really ease your mind to talk to him about the arrangements we made for them.”

Real Drawback

- Customer has a valid point about some disadvantage, such as price, delivery, or operating specs. Approach: Don't be blindly defensive and make vague references to quality. Show the big picture, then get specific on how certain advantages your product or service provides will outweigh those disadvantages. Lower prices often come at the cost of lower quality or reduced service. You can elicit information about costs that come with the lower price, and demonstrate how those costs are greater than the additional cost of a higher-price, higher-quality product. Try to find out very specifically how any drawback affects the customer, and reason through the benefits that may outweigh those drawbacks. Example: “Yes, our price is higher. I can see why you would be concerned about that. We have had other customers who were also concerned. But they found that the savings both in time and total dollars (combined with the knowledge that they had a reliable resource on hand) far outweigh their initial concerns about price.”

Real Complaint

The customer has had an experience that created an unfavorable impression. That impression stands in the way of moving forward with this account or a purchase. Approach: Show immediate empathy, action and responsiveness. Example: “I'm so sorry that happened. So you felt the last representative wasn’t clear about the service policy, and that you got stuck? That's no good for you or for us, and we will work to make there are no repeats. One idea to make sure nothing like that happens again... let's go over this written scope of work together, to make sure we're on the same page about terms and expectations before you buy. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them."

Step 5 - Checking

Confirm that the objection has been resolved. Ask outright if your response was satisfactory. If not, go back to encouraging the customer, and asking questions to draw out the more objections or unaddressed concerns. Continue working with the customer until the objections are addressed to the 100% satisfaction of the customer. Sales aren't just about products or services, but about relationships with customers. The steps above are all about maintaining that relationship, and responding positively to the fact that the customer is talking to you, sharing concerns with you, and moving toward the customer allowing you to resolve those concerns through a SALE.

Objections are opportunities -- seize them!

Great sales techniques often require real-life practice, roleplaying, and follow-through for long-term results. Krissi Barr of Barr Corporate Success teaches several energizing, invigorating programs that teach concrete and actionable sales techniques, generating Amazing Performance(TM) from your sales program. For more information, please feel free to call Krissi at 513-470-8980 or e-mail krissi@barrcorporatesuccess.com! Return to Barr Corporate Success