The average salesperson doesn’t suspect that this can be done and never tries to do it; the Champion knows that it usually can be done and develops great skill at doing it. Do you know that most prospects will answer their own objections if you’ll just work at it, give them time, and lead them to it? After all, deep down they want to go ahead—if you’ll just show them how, and guide their faltering footsteps. They wouldn’t keep on talking to you if they didn’t want what you sell.
Most buyers have certain reflexes they aren’t even conscious of that come out as objections. When the secretary says, “We only see vendors on Thursday,” or someone coming into a store says, “We’re only looking,” you’re hearing reflex objections. Here’s how to overcome these and other types.
The Objection-Handling System
1. Hear them out. Far too many salespeople leap on an objection before the other person has a chance to finish saying it. The prospect barely gets five words out— and already the salesperson is yammering away as though the evil thing will multiply unless it’s stomped out immediately. I gotta make him wrong quick, or he won’t take the product, seems to be their panicky reaction to the first hint on any objection.
Not only does the prospect feel irritated to be interrupted, but he also feels pushed. And uneasy. “Why’s the salesperson jumping on that so fast and so hard?,” your prospect will ask himself. I smell a rat.”
And suppose you answer the wrong objection? Maybe even raise one he hadn’t thought of? How embarrassing.
2. Feed the objection back. This is one of the best techniques for getting them to answer their own objection. It works especially well with husband-and-wife buyers. I’ve often fed an objection back to the husband, and then sat back while the wife hopped on it and closed him for me. To feed a concern back to potential clients, all you need to do is repeat it back to them with a sincere questioning tone in your voice.
3. Question the concern. Ask them to elaborate on or clarify their concern. Do it seriously. Avoid any hint of sarcasm, impatience, or contempt. If you really get into the detail of their objection, they’ll feel a strong pull toward removing it themselves. Even if that doesn’t happen, while the prospects are expounding further on their objections, you have more time to decide what course will best overcome it. “Mary, you think this table is too large for your dining room? Could you elaborate on that for me?”
4. Answer the objection. You might think, “Well, that lets me out.” Don’t worry—I’m going to show you how. Have you ever stared at the ceiling in the dark of night thinking about all the objections that prospects could hit you with? Sometimes it seems like they have their own training program to learn every negative that can possibly be raised. Some salespeople strike one objection they can’t seem to overcome, and it gives them nightmares. It works on their minds so much that soon they’re expecting to hear the objection they dread most from everyone they meet.
Guess what? Pretty soon that’s the one they always get.
Here’s how it works. That cruncher objection is on their mind when they go in for every meeting, or walk up to every potential client. They don’t know when, or even if, that wipeout objection will strike—but they can’t get it out of their thoughts. So the tension builds until it’s too great. Without realizing it, they start dropping little hints that cause the prospect to bring up the concern they dread most.
Is there a single product or service that doesn’t have a few soft spots, a few places where it isn’t quite as good as something else?
If there is, I’ve never encountered it.
I feel very confident in telling you that throughout your career, everything you sell will have a few features or weaknesses you wish it didn’t have. There’ll always be something that can turn into a cruncher of an objection if you let it prey on your mind.
Champions study the weak points their offering has, and they learn how to handle the situation. They often do this by admitting the disadvantage and immediately comparing it with an advantage. “Yes, our matrix platform adjusts only forty degrees horizontally, but it provides 50 percent more vertical adjustment than any other machine. That’s because our engineering studies prove that… ”
5. Confirm the answer. Don’t reply to the objection and then leave it hanging in the air. They may not have understood you. Or maybe they stopped listening before you finally covered the point because they thought of something else. Always allow for the possibility that people who are close to a decision may get a little strange. After you’ve answered the objection in a way you feel should overcome it, confirm that you have. Ask things like:
“That clarifies this point, don’t you agree?”
“That’s the answer you’re looking for, isn’t it?”
“With that question out of the way, we can go ahead, don’t you think?”
“Do you agree with me that we’ve covered the question you raised, and given you a way to handle it?”
“Now that settles that, doesn’t it?”
6. Change gears, and immediately go to the next step in your selling sequence or on to the next objection or concern they raise. You may end up repeating these six steps two or three times if you’re working with someone who likes to object. Once you’re good at this job, you’ll eliminate many objections in advance with your qualification sequence and preplanned presentations—designed to do just that.
Once you’ve confirmed that you’ve overcome an objection, move on briskly.
To signal that the last step is over, and that you’re all now going on to the next step, use body language as you speak. That is, make an appropriate gesture, look or step in a new direction, turn the page of your proposal, shift in your chair—make some physical move. As you do that, introduce the next step with a phrase such as, “By the way…”
Let’s review the six steps to handling objections: (1) Hear it out, (2) feed it back, (3) question it, (4) answer it, (5) confirm that the answer was accepted, and (6) move on with a gesture and a “By the way.”
Make this your standard method for addressing every concern. Learn this material and it’ll be better for your energy than any sleeping pills you can buy—no prescription, all the side effects are wonderful, and you’ll sleep soundly because you won’t fear what bedevils the nights of the average salesperson.
That’s the method. Now here are four techniques to break through specific barriers. Incorporate them into your arsenal of objection-busting weapons by writing questions and answers that fit your own situation.
Four Shock Treatments for Concerns
1. Put the shoe on the prospect’s foot. Use this technique to overcome a direct challenge arising from the prospect’s previous experience with your company. Here’s how it works. For our example, let’s assume that you represent the Dimm Company that markets a high-quality line of office copiers. You’ve just walked in to see Jack Rinehart, a referral from your swap meet. Right away you run into trouble when Mr. Rinehart says, “We had a Dimm Copier two years ago and we had to get rid of it. Too slow. We lost a lot of valuable employee time with your machine.”
In this situation, the average salesperson
