When you are confronted with an objection in sales, do you think ‘great’ or do you cringe? Great sales people actively look for objections and so should you – here’s why and how.
Where do objections come from?
There are two important aspects to objections. First there are the logical questions that people ask about buying or using your product or service – you can easily deal with those. What isn’t so easy to uncover and answer are people’s hidden fears.
Where to start looking for objections?
Objections stem from things people don’t know or don’t understand about your industry, product or service. Most business owners and people make the mistake of assuming that their clients know how their business operates. They don’t!
“Think about how you can demystify your business or industry for your clients.”
Objections are based on fears, here are some questions help you think about what fears your clients may have:
“What are some of the fears people have about my industry or profession” “What are some of the things that people may not be open to talking about that I need to know in order to do my job?”
Once you have armed yourself with these likely objections, your next job is to go and talk to some existing customers about their experiences. Chances are there are some that you have overlooked. Here are some questions to ask:
“When considering our product, what concerns did you have?” “Is there anything that troubled you that might have stopped you buying?”
Answering these objections will help you to think about new ways of presenting your business to potential customers.
How to find an objection:
The best way to find objections that lurk in your customer’s mind is to ask. Sounds simple right! If you have done the homework (set out above), then this won’t be so difficult. The reason business people often don’t ask these questions – is that they are scared of hearing something they can’t answer … see I told you it was all about fear! Do your homework – and then try out these questions on a potential client:
“If you were going to go ahead with a product like this, what questions would you need answered before saying yes.” “Once you are happy with that what we are offering will answer your problem, what else will be important to you to know.”
Don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers! People don’t mind if you need to get back to them, as long as you are honest and get the answer to them in a specified time frame.
What to remember about objections:
Objections normally stem from one emotion – fear! Your job is to understand what they might be and find ways to demonstrate your value and reliability. Trust and credibility are all important because people are more likely to share their fears with you if they like you and trust you. Finally, make sure that you allow them to ask as many questions as they need. Encourage it. Often people are scared to ask ‘silly questions’. Squash this, always ask if there are more questions, no matter how trivial. Once you have successfully answered all their questions – then they will buy from you.
Do your homework… and let me know how you get on!
Happy Selling!
