Understanding & Handling Objections Part 2

There is a difference between an objection and a condition. A condition is a valid reason why the customer cannot make the decision to buy now. An objection is a request for more information. A customer will not waste their time objecting to small things unless they’re seriously considering buying your product or service.

Here are some examples of conditions:

§  Doesn’t qualify for credit.

§  Buyer not in.

§  No funds in the current budget.

§  They have a contract in place with an existing supplier.

Price is not a condition, it’s an objection!

To test whether it is a condition or an objection, treat it like an objection. Give more information. Break it down. If it does not break down then accept it. If you encounter a genuine condition, find someone else to sell to! But don’t give up too soon.

If no condition exists and the customer does not buy from you, you’ve done something wrong. There are too many salespeople who give our profession a bad name because they don’t give their customers what they want. They end up wasting the customer’s time.

Some salespeople buckle when they hear an objection. They hear one objection to their product or service and they give up. But it’s not the salesperson that loses out; it’s their company and more importantly, their customer. It’s your job as a salesperson to ensure that the customer gets what they are looking for. If your customer is using other products or services similar to yours then they do have a need for what you are offering.

Sometimes when I tell people I’m a Sales Trainer, they look at me like I’m doing something bad. Selling is an honourable profession. We help customers to benefit and grow by giving them expert advice. And part of that expert advice is handling objections. Most sales people sit and wait for things to happen instead of making them happen.

They give up at the first sign of an objection and the customer ends up walking away without the product or service they were looking for. I want you to make a decision now; that today is the day that you no longer give up when hearing an objection.

Decide now that you will take this material and practice it and make it yours. And you will look forward to getting objections from your customers, because objections are essential to closing. The only way you can get the YES’S from your customers is for them to give you the NO’S! Look at an objection as being like an apple. When a customer raises an objection, it is not the real problem. Like an apple there is a core. Your job as a professional salesperson is to find the core, not to deal with the apple. Cut through the objection and get to the core of the problem. Ask questions.

When a customer says, “Everything is OK, but the price is too high.” What they are really saying could be:

§  Someone else is cheaper.

§  It’s more expensive than I thought.

§  I can’t afford it.

§  I want a discount.

§  It’s outside my budget.

§  I’m not really the decision maker.

They could even be thinking to themselves,” I don’t want it” A professional salesperson follows the rules for handling objections.

2 Don’ts and 1 Do

Don’ts

§  Don’t argue – If you make yourself right, you make them wrong.

§  Don’t fight their emotions; the climate is very wobbly right now.

An objection defines the customers area of interest. When they raise an objection, that’s the point they’re most concerned about. If the customer objects to the price, then price is their main concern. If the customer objects to the insurance, then insurance is their main concern. If the customer objects to the delivery time, then the delivery time is their main concern.

Do

§  Do lead them to answer their own objections.

When you hear an objection, stop and think! This is an objection and I must lead them to answer it. Don’t assume you understand the objection. Most buyers have certain reflex objections. A reflex is something you do without thinking.

There are buyers who have objections they don’t even think about.

-              I’d like to think about it.
-              We never decide straight away
-              I want to get other quotes
-              Give me your card
-              Let me go over it and I’ll get back to you.

 These are reflex objections.

You need to follow a set of steps to effectively handle an objection:

1.      Hear them out. Listen with your ears and mind. Don’t just be quite while you plan your next answer. Most salespeople hear the first three words of an objection and believe they know what the customer is going to say, they jump in and interrupt the customer. Sometimes we even give an answer to an objection they hadn’t even thought of yet.

 2.      Agree with the thought behind the objection. Don’t agree with them (Sympathy) agree with the thought that led to the objection (Empathy).

 3.      Feed it back. Ask the customer to elaborate, to give you more information. “It’s too expensive” – “It’s too expensive?”"I want to get other quotes” – “You want to get other quotes?” Very often when you use this technique they’ll end answering their own objection.

4.      Question it. Take bites out of the apple to get to the core. Ask questions to find out exactly what the real objection is. They have to tell you more about the objection before you can decide on how to overcome it and close.

5.      Answer it. Use a technique of steps once again. Do it on purpose. Take your time, don’t rush or get desperate. You’ll say the wrong thing and blow it.

6.      Confirm the answer. “That clarifies your query doesn’t it?” “That settles that doesn’t it?”

“Well, that sorts that out doesn’t it?” “That answers your question doesn’t it?”

These are the words you use to “change gears” to move on to the next close. When you handle objections in this way by using a definite set of steps you’ll succeed more often.

Understanding & Handling Objections Part 1

Handling objections is what selling is all about. Without objections you have no direction and cannot close. It is quite normal for customers to have concerns about making the buying decision. These concerns are presented in the form of an objection. Don’t let objections dampen your enthusiasm, rather see them as an opportunity to provide more information and find direction to continue closing.

Customers usually don’t make the decision to buy until they have justified it. I’m sure that most of you have a dream that one day you’ll visit a customer, do a presentation, they’ll agree with everything you say and then help you fill out the order.    That’s a dream! If it’s a dream and you laugh about it, then why are you so upset when your customer presents you with an objection? Most sales people fear objections because they think it means no. You have to always be thinking positively to be able to handle objections.

An objection from a customer means that they are not completely convinced yet. It is a request for more information and justification as to why they should buy. It means, “if you can give me an answer that satisfies my concern (objection) I’ll buy” Remember an objection is what we call it, to the customer it’s a concern.

So rather see objections as the customers concern about a particular point relating to your product or service that they need more information on, rather than an objection. An objection means they’re interested in buying your product or service but need a little more convincing on the particular point that they have raised as an objection. Remember, you are the seller, they are the buyer, and they need you to help them make the decision to buy!

Every product, service and Industry will have one or two common objections that the customer will raise. If you’re getting lots of objections regularly then you as a salesperson have not done your job properly. You have not been convincing enough during the sales process. Most objections that customers raise are defense mechanisms. They’ve used them before on less professional salespeople and it worked. It’s a way of avoiding or delaying the buying decision. Minor objections are what customers use to slow things down during the sales process. Don’t take objections personally, it’s a part of selling, it’s a part of your job.

Expect to get objections – in fact, look forward to them because this indicates that the customer is interested in your product or service and just needs you to resolve their query (Objection) before they say YES. It’s the customer’s way of making sure you’ve covered every point that is of concern to them. Salespeople spend far too much time handling far too many objections. You should concentrate on eliminating objections by doing a proper presentation of your product or service. You should be asking questions and getting commitments along the way. This will eliminate a lot of minor objections towards the end of the sales process.

Make sure that you are matching the benefits of your product or service to their requirements (Needs)

The only real objections a customer should have once you have started closing are:
PRICE, VALUE, SERVICE, DELIVERY, TIMING and THE END RESULT.
At this point they should have bought you, your company and your product or service.

Determine Your Success in Sales - Part 1

The key to success in sales is having the right attitude and being motivated to “Be there”. I don’t believe that salespeople actually want to be lazy and unsuccessful. Most salespeople get out of bed in the morning and go to work with the intention of doing things well. We’re not negative people, we’re not demotivated people and we’re not lazy people.

We’re all good people, we all have good intentions but we sometimes we just have the wrong attitude.

We believe that it is the customer’s responsibility to bring enthusiasm into the sales process. And if we don’t see their enthusiasm we believe that they are not interested in buying.

It is the salespersons responsibility to be enthusiastic about what they are doing. They need to be enthusiastic about their product, their company, their service and themselves; in short they need to be enthusiastic about SELLING! An attitude is a powerful thing in sales, and is something that can be changed and can be improved. I’m tired of salespeople complaining about everything and looking for all sorts of excuses for not selling. The politics, the economy, the weather, the customer, the price, the leads and even in some cases, blaming their spouses for not achieving their sales targets. I’m’ tired of salespeople just not being enthusiastic about what they do.

There’s not much point being in sales unless you are enthusiastic about it! Most salespeople are just not proud of who they are and what they do.

As an example, retail sales staff are in most cases disinterested, unskilled and lazy.

They very seldom approach you when you walk into the store. And when you do eventually get someone to assist you, you get the feeling that they do not actually want to do this and are only doing it because they have to.

I am sure that you have had the experience before where you walk into a store to buy something and you ask the salesperson something specific like a delivery date or availability of a colour and they say “I don’t know, I’m just the salesperson here”.

“What do you mean, just the salesperson, you are the most important person in the store!”

You are the person who delivers on your companies’ promise of a good shopping experience.

If salespeople just believe that they are the most important person in the organization, if they just feel proud of serving customers, then everyone would benefit; them, their customer, their company and their families. When salespeople don’t feel proud of who they are and what they do then they start believing that being mediocre is acceptable and end up complaining about how tough it is to be a salesperson. To get out of this situation you need to improve your attitude.

Work on getting an “E.E.E” accreditation! (ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM AND EXCITEMENT)
Start believing that you are an important person; start believing that what you do is important, because if you don’t, no one else is going to, least of all the customer.
Interested in booking Ray for Training, a Keynote Presentation or as a Conference Speaker? Click Here.

Ask for the Order, Your Customer is Expecting it

A lot of salespeople find all sorts of reasons for not closing. They blame the politics, the economy, the weather, the leads, the product, the customer, the price. But these are not reasons, merely excuses. Most salespeople don’t close because they simply don’t ask for the business. Are you able to walk out of a meeting with a customer and say “I did everything right, no one would have sold to this customer”

If not, then you have not done what you are paid to do and that’s get the business.

Being able to leave a customer and say you did everything right means that instead of going to your next appointment with doubts; you will be enthusiastic and confident. Remember, selling is a numbers game. You need to know what your closing ratios are. How many customers do you need to see to make one sale? One in three, one in five, one in ten, one in 15? 

If the ratio for your particular product or service is one in five (I.E. for every five customers you present to, overall, you sell to one) then after 3 or 4 presentations where you did your best and did not sell you will eventually say “Right, my next presentation is number 5! And they are going to buy, I don’t care what they come up with, I am going to sell!” Now the chances are good that with this determined attitude you will sell to your next customer because “They are number 5!” The funny thing is that your customer did not know that they were number 5!

Don’t be scared to ask for the business and don’t be shy to close!

Most salespeople spend anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour and a half to two hours with their customer in the selling situation. You prospect, get leads, make the appointment, prepare for the meeting, drive to the meeting and arrive on time, meet with your customer, spend time talking about his interests and getting him to like and trust you, do a needs analysis, present your product or service and match your solutions to his needs, you present the price.......... and then you sat back and say “So what do you think?”

There is an emotional point where the customer is expecting you to close. They are expecting you to close because you have done everything right up to this point and they see and respect you as a Professional. It is generally at this point (the point where you know you should close, they know you should close) that the salesperson freezes. Your mind says "close", your heart says "no, don't be crazy, maybe they’ll think you're trying to sell them something" and you throw away you entire presentation because you weren’t able to initiate the closing process.

You ARE a salesperson and you ARE selling something! It’s you job to close!

Remember, at this point, it should not be your intention to close the sale, but rather to initiate the closing process. Like your groundwork, and your needs analysis and your presentation, closing is a process - not a once off hit. Expect to get the sale, stop whining and looking for excuses, take responsibility and do what you are paid to do: - SELL!!

 
Should you wish to learn more about Ray Patterson, please visit www.raypatterson.co.za

What some of my clients have said about me

“Ray is a consummate professional. He is passionate about sales and bringing the best out of people. He has a broad base of knowledge and is able to easily share this knowledge. I highly recommend Ray Patterson"

Richard Riche - One Clear Message

Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Good Value

“Ray is very enthusiastic, interesting, entertaining and his training is very captivating. His RAP Selling course would be highly beneficial to any sales team. His presentation is excellent. The training is well prepared, easy to grasp, I would attend Ray Patterson's sales course again and I would strongly recommend him to any sales training.”

Deidre Tavares – Athena Advertising

Basic Sales Training

If you are looking for top basic sales training and sales management training and sales motivation, you’ve got to consider a Ray Patterson Programme. Ray’s programmes are jam-packed with more than 40 years of his battle-tested sales techniques and strategies.

“Ray Patterson is the salesman’s salesman. His enthusiasm, knowledge and drive to ‘inspire a professional sales attitude’ is a must if you are considering a sales speaker for your conference or want to send your team on training,” Jacques de Villiers, creator of The Architecture of Selling System.

Jacques de Villiers – Mindtrust marketing

“On behalf of UPSA-SA I would like to thank you for the interesting and inspiring presentation given to our members on 10 February 2011.
“Loved the presentation. We need people like this to remind us why we love selling. We always need motivation”

“Ray’s presentation was excellent. He dealt with the important basics, stuff we have forgotten and need to keep top of mind at all times. Informative.”

“Ray was informative and with good ideas.”

“Presentation was succinct and powerful. Could have listened longer.”

“Short, to the point and very appropriate.”

“Ray’s presentation was excellent, the market needs this, the market needs Ray”.

“There is no doubt that you deliver a challenging and enthusiastic presentation, which is particularly motivational for people in sales. Thanks for your passion”.We believe that you had a great impact on the audience and the motivational message to the group was certainly what all salespeople need to hear.I often gauge the success of our meetings based on the member comments, and without exception they all enjoyed the evening. The feedback from our members about your talk was extremely positive.”

Nothing Happens Until a Sales Person Sells Something

I have been in sales all my life. I have been there and done that! From corner to corner Cafe salesman, to top level key accounts salesman, to commission only home improvement salesman to business owner. He has carried the bag and understands what it takes to be a Professional Salesperson.

I believe that Selling is a simple business — simple— but not easy.

Simple; in the sense that we don't have to study like Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers and accountants. Simple; in that all people make the decision to buy based on an emotion, not logic.

Simple; in that if you understand and stick to the basics, you will succeed.

Not easy; in that it requires dedication and commitment.

Not easy; in that you have to see the people, you can't sell from the office.

Not easy; in that you have to handle rejection and not take it personally.

Not easy; in that Selling is not a team sport, it's all up to you and you alone.

When you are in front of the customer, face to face, it's all up to you!!!!

Everyone is depending on you, your company, your customer and your family.
Some sales trainers complicate things unnecessarily. Too many skills, too many systems, and too many things that keep you in the office doing admin instead of doing what you should be doing.

Selling; face to face selling!

As long as you sell to a "People" the simple basics of selling will work.

Selling is a process and as long as you follow the logical steps, you will be on your way to becoming a Sales Professional.

"I hate the word REP!" Rep is short for representative; a representative represents their company and does not sell. Anyone who is responsible for getting their companies products or services sold to the customer is a Salesperson, someone who uses skills and techniques, someone who makes things happen, someone who deserves recognition and someone who should not be called a REP!
A Professional Salesperson is Responsible, Accountable and Proud — A "R.A.P." and not a REP!

You are Salespeople, be proud of it and insist on being called Salespeople!

Should you wish to find out more about Ray Patterson, visit

www.raypatterson.co.za.

Interested in booking Ray for Training, a Keynote Presentation or as a Conference Speaker?

Are you a Sales Manager or a Sales Damager?

When salespeople are not selling; - look to the Sales Manager.

When they are not motivated to see customers; - look to the Sales Manager.

When there is no enthusiasm in the team; - look to the Sales Manager.

Sales Managers don’t look to themselves in these cases, they blame the Salespeople and the Salespeople blame the Sales manager.

 
The other evening, after a talk, a Sales Manager came up to me and told me that they were having a real problem with their Sales team.  “They are just not performing” “They are not motivated” “I talk but they don’t listen” “There is no drive, no commitment, nothing happening”

Now, all of what’s missing in this team is actually missing in the Sales Manager!

 
It all starts with the Sales Manager.

This particular person who told me this has been with their Company for over 30 years and has been the Sales Manager for just over 20 years. They have been doing the same old thing over and over and are now wondering why it’s not working. The answer is simple. The enthusiasm has died. Not the Sales people’s enthusiasm but that of the Sales Manager! It’s not the Salespeople who are bored and have no drive, it’s the Sales Manager.

 
Only when Sales Managers understand that the success of their team is their responsibility, will they  start to make some headway to improving the situation.
 
The Sales Manager first has to manage and motivate themselves before they can manage and motivate the team. 
 
When the team is motivated it’s not a new light that’s been turned on. It’s a light that was always there and will continue to be there. But it needs the switch to be flipped before it comes on.
 
“That makes sense but how do I do that?”
 
By sticking to the simple basics of Leadership and Motivation and using “The 6 key elements” to keeping the Sales team motivated.

1.      Provide inspiration. 2. Build positive attitudes. 3. Show recognition. 4. Goal setting.

5.    Motivation. 6. Build team spirit and create fun.

Yes, Enthusiasm and Excitement are what the Salespeople need more than any skills training. They need to be reminded of the basics but most importantly, they need their enthusiasm ignited.

 
Enthusiasm is everything in Sales!
 
When Salespeople are enthusiastic and excited about themselves and their profession, they will start feeling motivated and look forward to getting out there and seeing their customers.
 
Skills or no skills, this is what makes Salespeople successful. When Salespeople are Enthusiastic, nothing will stop them.

The customer can’t help getting enthusiastic as well, it rubs off on everyone.

 
Only when Sales Managers accept full responsibility for their team’s performance, will they realize that the buck stops with them.
 
They need to be the Role Model, the Manager, the Leader and the Coach; all in one. They make it happen!
 
They set the tone. That’s their job. They get results through their people. Their success depends on the success of their people. They need to manage less and LEAD more!
 
A good Sales Manager spends less time in the office analyzing everything and playing with numbers and spends more time out in the field with his salespeople and their customers.
 
“Our sales are down. If we increase the call rate by 10% and close 1 in 4 instead of the current 1 in 7 we will achieve target”  This may be the answer (On paper) but how do you achieve it? What has to happen to increase the call rate and closing ratios?
 
The Salespeople must WANT to achieve this. The Sales Manager has to sell the idea to the Salespeople. They have to get buy in from the team and this is where good leadership comes in. Only a good leader can get the team to work together to achieve a common goal, budgets, the sales targets etc.

It is at this point where the Sales Manager usually fails. They stay in the office and spend their time analyzing numbers and coming up with all sorts of solutions – only on paper.
 
A good Sales Manger will get out of the office and lead by example. They will spend a full day working with a Salesperson, finding out firsthand what the problems are and how to fix them. They need to speak face to face with their customers to gain information that will help them to come up with ideas for increasing sales.
 
By doing this they will get  respect from the sales team and will get support for their ideas to increase call rates and closing ratios because they are talking from the point of being there and experiencing the situation first hand.
 
YOU CANNOT MANAGE OR LEAD A SALES TEAM FROM BEHIND A DESK!
 
By spending time out in the field with Salespeople, Sales Mangers will experience what the Salespeople are experiencing and can then coach them on how to improve and what to do to start getting more sales. Salespeople will perform for a Sales Manager whom they respect. And that respect will only come from a trust and belief that the Sales Manager can do what they are asking the team to do.
 
The Sales Manager MUST LEAD BY EXAMPLE!
 
It’s all about enthusiasm and excitement. Sales people continually need motivation in order to sell well.  They require Inspiration from their Manager to promote enthusiasm and drive.

They need a Manager who leads by example and provides an exciting environment in which to perform. Salespeople should feel enthusiastic about making a sales call.

 
Remind yourself that you are in the best profession in the world!  
Feel good about yourself and your profession and then get the sales team to feel the same way.
 
So it’s no use complaining about the Salespeople not performing, not being enthusiastic and not listening. If this is the case, then you are not performing as an effective Sales Manager.
 
Should you wish to find out more about Ray Patterson, visit www.raypatterson.co.za.

 Interested in booking Ray for Training, a Keynote Presentation or as a Conference Speaker?

Salespeople need a Manager who CARES!!!

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Basic Sales TrainingIf you are looking for top basic sales training and sales management training and sales motivation, you've got to consider a Ray Patterson Programme. Ray's programmes are jam-packed with more than 40 years of his battle-tested sales techniques and strategies.

"Ray Patterson is the salesman's salesman. His enthusiasm, knowledge and drive to 'inspire a professional sales attitude' is a must if you are considering a sales speaker for your conference or want to send your team on training," Jacques de Villiers, creator of The Architecture of Selling System.

Sales Training	Sales Motivation
Ray's basic sales training will help your sales team ramp up its performance. More ...	Let Ray inspire your sales team to become proud of who they are with one of his dynamic keynote addresses.

Should you wish to learn more about Ray Patterson, please visit www.raypatterson.co.za or send an email to ray@raypatterson.co.za.