“An objection is not a rejection; it is simply a request for more information.” – Bo Bennett
When we take this quote to heart, we can see the opportunities that are there in an objection. How we handle the objection can either increase our sales or not. Here are 3 ways to handle sales objections.
1. Determine if it is an objection or a brush-off
If you hear your prospect say “send me the information/brochure/demo and I will take a look at it” it may be a brush off. You can confirm it by simply asking them when you can contact them after they have looked at the information. If they hesitate to answer, then it is most probably a brush off and this customer is not a good fit for your product. If it is a genuine request, they will give you a time to contact them.
2. Discover the issue behind the objection you are receiving.
There are four types of issues people could have:
- Need: The customer doesn’t believe they need your solution. They may have a need but they don’t feel the urgency to solve the problem.
- Time: Your timing may be off. The customer may be busy with other projects and not be able to focus on your solution. Or they are not in the market at the moment for your solution.
- Credibility: You may be a new product with not many testimonials. Your customers may be hesitant to try your business because they don’t believe they can trust you.
- Authority: Who are you talking to? Do they have the power to make the purchasing decision? If not, do they have access to the person who has the power to make the purchasing decision?
When you have discovered the reason for the objection you can move on to resolving the objection and moving on in the sales process.
3. Solve the objection
There are five steps to take when solving an objection.
- Listen: It is important to listen carefully to what your customer is objecting about and try not to react on impulse. Let your customer finish speaking and think carefully about what has been said.
- Empathise: The next step is to be empathic towards your customers and acknowledge their problem. This will help to build rapport and show that you are willing to work to a common goal.
- Clarify: Now you need to ask clarification questions. Each question may lead to other questions. It is important to ask as many questions as possible to ensure you are addressing the real issue the customer has.
- Restate: When you are sure you clearly understand the customer’s objection. It is important to restate the objection to the customer and see if they agree with you and that you are seeing the problem from their point of view.
- Close: If you are confident you can solve their objection you can do a trial close. You could say something like “If we are able to solve X and Y, will you buy the product?” If their answer is yes, you can go ahead and work towards solutions for their objections. If they answer no then you need to either ask more questions or you need to consider letting go of the customer and moving on.
When you have gone through these steps, you will be well on your way to solving most objections you will come into contact with. Hubspot has more examples of how to solve specific objections. You can check it out here.
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