If you’re in business, then you need to effectively handle objections.
Do you like objections? An objection can actually be a good thing. It’s not a “no” it’s a “maybe” and really, it’s the other person saying “I’m not convinced yet – but maybe I want to be – you’ve got another chance – convince me to use you”.
A point blank “no” is just that. They are convinced and don’t want to hear more, or be ‘sold’ to or convinced or cajoled. Yes, a “no” is not no forever, but at least for now. If you get a “no”, don’t wipe that person or business off forever.
Need a business coach to teach you how to effectively handle objections.
So you’ve got an objection. Here are 9 tips on how to handle that objection:
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Understand that often someone doesn’t say “yes” immediately because they don’t have enough information or have a lack of knowledge on the subject or what you are selling.
Do they clearly know what you do, and how you will help them and how it will change their life/business/situation? Selling is often about teaching and educating; so if you don’t do enough of that (but don’t go overboard) then they don’t have enough information to make an informed decision.
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Thank them. Yes, thank them for objecting.
As I said above, they are giving you a second chance, an opportunity, to convince them. They could have given you a flat out “no!” but they have left the door open. Now, you can close that door and pass by it, or step through. If you have an inclination to pass up on this opportunity, then you yourself have a challenge. Are you lacking confidence about you or your service? If you have a great service or product, then why are you uncomfortable handling an objection? On the other side, please don’t go into full on ‘sales’ mode and bombard them. People these days don’t like being ‘sold’ to, they want to be educated; so show them the benefits without the hard sell.
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Discover the real why.
Often people will say “it’s expensive” but what they are really saying is that they can’t see the value to justify the price. If you haven’t portrayed the value, then you haven’t done your job right. Ask questions and delve a little deeper, the initial reason can sometimes not be the real one.
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Empathize with them.
Try to see their perspective and why they are objecting. Responses like “Yes I know our tyres aren’t’ the cheapest, but when it comes to the safety of your family, would you trust nothing but the best to keep them safe?” “Yes I know this product isn’t the cheapest, but because it lasts 45% longer than the other brand, when you work it out, it’s actually more economical in the long run”. Hand in hand with the empathy comes the reasoning.
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Ask questions.
All throughout your sales process you should be asking questions and engaging with them to understand more about what they are wanting; as you do that you will understand better what they are requiring, so when/if an objection is raised, you will be in a better position to address it.
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Perception can be another objection.
People often reject cloud based accounting because they believe the cloud is unsafe, or it can be easily hacked. That is a perception that you first need to combat. Don’t simply declare they are wrong and move on, you’ll need to demonstrate to them why the cloud is safe.
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Back up what you are saying.
If there is a common objection in your business (ie the cloud is unsafe), have documented information which you can give to them to read, or give them some online articles which state your case for you. Some people are set in their ways, but others can be convinced; particularly if you have stats on how more desktop computers are hacked than secure online sites. Remember also to have testimonials about your services as these will allay doubts as well.
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Preempt the objections.
Set yourself up to avoid objections, by actually dealing with them as part of your sales process, before you actually meet with them. For example, you might send them a FAQ information sheet, or an introduction about yourself with some fantastic and strong testimonials. By freely educating and dealing with the common objections straight up in advance, you are setting up the sale to succeed. The work you do before you meet or quote is as important as the meeting/quote. Don’t under action that part of the sales process and be sure that you address the common objections at that time.
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Practice makes perfect and if you are uncomfortable handling objections, then practice your responses.
Get a friend or associate to ‘role play’ with you, or simply practice in the car whilst driving, how you will respond to the common objections you get. If you have a team, write down the common objections and the responses and train your staff how to deal with them. The more you handle them, the better you will get at dealing with them effectively and closing the sale.
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Objections are an important part of the sales process. If you need assistance with them, or with having a clearly defined (and ideally documented) sales process, talk to me. I work with individuals, business owners and teams to get the sales process working well and effectively. So often businesses focus on more leads, but we should all also focus on improving our conversions so that the leads we do have more often become paying customers or clients. If you need help, call me today on 0411 622 666.
