The Objective Is Objections - Ch 9 of How You Make the Sale at Catch a Gideon

February 9th, 2007 by digerati

This is Chapter 9 of the How You Make the Sale series at Catch a Gideon. This chapter covers how you deal with resistence to the sale and any objections the customer may have.

An objection is just a request for more information. When the customer objects to your reasoning or your product then they do not yet understand why it is a solution to their problem. When an objection is presented answer it, then return to the same place in the sales process.

There is a process for successfully dealing with an objection:

Pause and breath. Don’t make the objection a big deal. This also lets you demonstrate that you are focused on the customer and their problem.
Restate the objection with softer language. If they said “you guys always have high prices” then you say “so you have some concerns about price.”
Clarify the objection by probing. Ask for more information, or where the customer has gotten their information. Often times they have heard a rumor, or are not fully aware of the facts. Ask for their source of information and any data they might have. This shows your focus on the problem and also will help in future sales instances.
Answer the objection. Provide supporting evidence. Also be sure not to ignore part of the objection. This is often done if a product does not quite meet the objection. Ignoring part of an objection will just cause it to resurface later.
Get confirmation that you have fully dealt with the objection. Ask the customer if you have satisfied their objection. Restart the process if the answer is no.

Make sure to probe the objection before answering it. You need to be sure the customer is objecting to what they think they are. If they are concerned about price per unit, but you only need half as many of your units as the competitors, they may be objecting to the wrong thing.

You may want to invite objections so that the customers doubts are answered in full. This provides a complete solution and also ensures that the customer understands why your product is the best solution for them. You might ask “what concerns do you have so far?”

Also be sure to stop often and make sure the customer is following you. There is nothing worse than talking way above or below the customers ability to keep up.

There are also phony objections. These are impossibly vague and unfounded. Things like, “let me think about it.” These objections may contradict the data and information you have already given. You must treat these objections in the same manner as other objections. Probe to discover the real underlying objections, then address those (see above) and continue the sales process.

Some things to remember… people like to buy on their own time. It gives them a sense of power over their decisions. Sometimes you need to back off and wait for the customer to initiate the close. Also, you CANNOT SELL EVERY CUSTOMER. This book helps you sell more customers, but you cannot possibly have a 100% sales rate.

Price is rarely a main objection, but usually the first objection.

—————
The book also covers details of handling phony objections and much more detail and examples for objections in general. How You Make the Sale is an excellent book for new salespeople, entrepreneurs, or anyone dealing directly with customers, or even for selling ideas to your boss.