Objections

“Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them” – Albert Einstein

listen_clip_art How often have you worked through a sales discussion, building in questions, getting clarification and buy-in from the prospective customer along the way, only to face hesitation when you ask for a commitment?

Even if the prospect understands the value of your product and recognizes the benefit, sometimes he or she won’t be willing to commit. Why does this happen? There are many possible reasons. The prospect might be the type of personality who needs to investigate every option before coming to a decision, or be someone who fears making a mistake. She might simply be gun-shy after a recent poor decision. It’s your job to find out long before you ask for a commitment.

It is far too common for someone in a sales situation to create problems and concerns by focusing on issues that don’t interest the prospect – ever seen someone prattle on about what he thinks you want to hear without using standard illustrations that don’t apply to your specific needs and interests.

To prevent objections you must first question and then listen so you can later be heard. Seek to know your potential customer, his specific concerns (those that keep him up at night), and what he actually wants. Remember they don’t always make this easy. You have to work for this level of detail. Use “open-ended” questions to gain as much information and insight as possible. Look for personal needs or wants – those issues that have personal meaning, and therefore will have personal value (not just organizational value). Also, look for clear measures like time savings or cost savings. If you’re using your “open-ended” questions, properly, you should have a good understanding of what they need versus want. And you’ll recognize what is organizationally motivated and what is personally motivated.

Once you begin to understand, think before you speak. First, pick out the key items that have value to the customer and confirm you picked the right ones. Her feedback loop often surfaces latent needs.

Next, mentally map out how your offering addresses the issues she values the most. Structure your dialog to discuss how your capabilities address the most important issues. Now, test your theories through possible outcomes. “So, if growing the topline by 25% is your key goal, would it benefit you by having access to [fill-in-the-blank]?” What happens if you’re not able to get access to good, quality [fill-in-the-blank]?”

This is how to prevent objections. Think about it. If you don’t fully understand the prospect’s issues and the value of resolving them, then you haven’t asked enough questions and you become just another vendor. The customer probably doesn’t believe you’re hearing him, and therefore concludes you can’t help him – like everyone else who doesn’t understand his needs. That’s why cusotmers raise objections or create pushback. They make you work for it.

Following our approach not only removes barriers in your dialog, but also raises your credibility and creates competitive differentiation in the sales process. You’re different and they like it. This approach also increases your ability to deliver an outcome the customer actually values, instead of an outcome you believe she values.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” -Michael Jordan

wall_as_obstacle

Michael Jordan is right, of course. But in the sales context, let’s take that one step farther. Don’t just think about how to overcome objections … figure out how to use it to beat the competition.

Objections can come at any point in the sales process. An objection is a legitimate concern about you, your organization or the product you are offering. And it’s important for you to anticipate and unearth objections as early as possible to turn them to your advantage

Here’s an example. Let’s assume your service is significantly more expensive than the competition because you provide follow-up customer support others don’t offer. Most likely your prospect knows the competition is cheaper.

Confront the objection head on and early on by introducing the issue first. If you put it on the table, you recognize the concerns and are able to openly position around the objection. Use questions like “What have you experienced in the past buying [XYZ]?” “What have you seen in the market that you like?…Don’t appreciate?” Listen and learn. Then, you’re ready to address the common objections that might rise in their context.

Once you understand someone’s experiences – good and bad – you can begin to anticipate what the prospect is thinking and position how your approach brings value. In some cases, you can shift your approach to address his concerns. For example, if someone finds it difficult to swallow $50K because once he took the risk and the vendor didn’t deliver. Maybe you can work on options that reduce the prospect’s risk– he might even pay more for the peace of mind!

It helps to contrast benefits of having what you offer with the consequences of not having it. In the example above, you might make the case that your approach saves the prospect frustration and staff time, thereby making your offering more cost-effective in the long-run. If you really want to bring the point home, use a strategic bragging story to bring it to life. Be sure to use concrete data when relaying how your service saved another customer time or money.

Use questioning techniques to get information on possible objections first. Ask what the prospect thinks are the biggest obstacles to make sure you’re not assuming but listening. Confirm that your understanding of the obstacles is correct – this often surfaces new information you would not otherwise get.

Most importantly, control the objections dialog by putting objections on the table as early as possible rather than waiting for the customer to bring them up at the end.

These tactics are more likely to yield the response you want: a positive decision when you ask for a commitment. By anticipating the prospect’s concerns you have simplified her ability to commit. By connecting solutions to objections to value that’s prized by your prospect, you’re building credibility demonstrating you anticipate her needs, understand the value of her time and anticipate the sunk cost and frustration of wasted staff time.

First Hear to Be Understood

When Objections Give You an Advantage