Sales Objections? How to Overcome them and Close the Deal
It is rare to jump in a sales process without facing objections, but maybe you did such a great job presenting that you made the sale with no questions asked. If you did, good for you.
Most of the time, the prospect raised some objections. So how did you deal with them? First, when it comes to objections, you should anticipate them. If you've been in sales for any length of time, you should be familiar with the typical objections that will come your way. They could be related to you, your product, or service, or they might be directed at your company.
“...you should anticipate them.”
If you know what they are, you should always be practicing how to address them in an easygoing, friendly manner. Dealing with objections quickly enhances your authority in the eyes of your prospect. Why is this the case? Being viewed as an authority is based on having expertise and being trustworthy. Hopefully, you've been displaying your expertise along the way by asking questions, the solutions you present, and your experience. If you know there are common concerns and simply avoid or ignore them; you're probably going to lose credibility.
Your trustworthiness is enhanced by raising potential concerns before the prospect does because you'll be viewed as more honest.
Let me give you a few examples. Perhaps there is a common concern about your product or service. Here's a way you could anticipate that objection. "Mr Tim, other customers have raised the same question about our delivery times, that we're not up to our expectations last quarter, but we feel that's behind us now. And I'd like to tell you what we've done to address the issue."
Other times, the issue might be about your company. "Susan, there's a rumor floating around that we're up for sale. Of course, that makes we were not comfortable entering into a business partnership, so I'd like to put that on the table right now before we go on to anything else."
Not only does addressing concerns help your authority, but it also helps in two other ways. First, you're in control of the conversation. When you address problems early, you have an opportunity to bring up points that will best support your position. And second, you're better off leading with a perceived weakness and ending with strengths.
“...you’re better off leading with a perceived weakness and ending with strengths.”
People's memory is usually focused on the last thing they hear, so you want them to think about the most favorable reasons to do business with you. Here are the key points to remember.
First, anticipate the objections you'll face. Second, practice dealing with those objections, so you're comfortable and confident. And third, address objections early to enhance your authority.
Do these three things, and you'll be handling objections like a pro in no time.
It is also true that not all objections can be anticipated, and not all are brought up early in the sales process. So what happens when you find yourself in a situation where an objection comes that you might not have anticipated? There is one thing that you can do, and it's called "Yes."
It's about embracing what comes your way rather than opposing it to develop a scene. Here's what you need to do.
First, maintain the right mindset. If your self-talk dreads objections, you won't be in a positive frame of mind to deal with them. Train yourself to appreciate objections. One way to do this is to look at complaints as involvement. The prospect is involved enough to have considered reasons not to go with your proposal, but the good news is, they're thinking about your proposal. If you can answer their objections to their satisfaction, you're that much closer to making the sale.
Second, embrace it. Although it might seem natural to meet resistance with resistance, don't. When you confront someone who raises an objection, it only strengthens his or her reasoning and resolves. When it comes to resisting objections, the prospect will only look for more reasons to justify their position because nobody likes to feel like they're wrong. So again, embrace that resistance. Think about the principle of consensus. People feel naturally inclined to follow others' lead and more-so when others are just like them. You're better off disarming the prospect by acknowledging you understand how they feel because other customers have felt the same way. This causes their resistance to go down, but you don't want to leave someone in a state where they feel justified or correct in their objection. The next step is to transition with words like but or however, just before addressing the objection.
Studies show people tend to forget what comes before but, and they remember what comes after.
“Studies show people tend to forget what comes before but, and they remember what comes after. ”
The final step is to share your perspective on the situation. This will be different based on your product or service, your company, or you. For all the typical objections you face, you'll need to know how you'll answer them. In some circles, these steps to dealing with objections are known as the feel, felt, and found approach.
“...you’ll need to know how you’ll answer them. In some circles, these steps to dealing with objections are known as the feel, felt, and found approach. ”
Remember, facing objections is like being on stage doing improv. You won't always know what will come your way, but if you embrace it, you'll continue the conversation and have a better opportunity to make a sale.
If you want to know more about how to improve your sales games Schedule a discussion with our expert.
