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.

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