Do you welcome objections?
Let’s be honest – a lot of the time when a client or prospect raises an objection our gut response can be to run for the hills ‘they said NOOOOO!!!!’!
But should we?
Well the great news is an objection is actually an opportunity to talk about our product or service in more detail. It allows us to understand our prospects view of the world – and what’s important to them, which is an amazing thing as a salesperson.
Let’s be honest – a lot of the time when a client or prospect raises an objection our gut response can be to run for the hills ‘they said NOOOOO!!!!’!
But should we?
Well the great news is an objection is actually an opportunity to talk about our product or service in more detail. It allows us to understand our prospects view of the world – and what’s important to them, which is an amazing thing as a salesperson.
So we shouldn’t run at the first sign of ‘No’.
What we should actually think about is what kind of a ‘No ‘ it is. If it’s ACTUALLY a No – we’ll know about it – it will be written all over our clients face – and in their tone of voice! But more often it’s a ‘No for now’ or actually a ‘Yes – keep talking’. In fact what they are doing is raising their concerns so that you can deal with them effectively.
So let’s look at a few examples and what our prospect might actually be saying.
‘I can’t afford it / It’s too expensive’ = I want it – do me a deal!
A money objection is not always an actual objection about money. It can be relating to cash flow, the prospect justifying it in their own mind, or them comparing your offering unfavourably to another product or service. So its super important we drill down to find out more – if we can negotiate, we could still make this deal work!
‘I don’t have time’ = Help me!
This can be a real cry for help – actually they want the product and the outcome you are offering, but they wither think the solution is going to take up significant time to implement, or they are so pushed for time they cant see how to implement it themselves. This could be a perfect opportunity to upsell to a solution in which you pick up the slack on the time.
‘I’m looking at going with x competitor product instead’ = Fight for me!
You want this deal? Come and get it – they are telling you about your competitor so you have the chance to underline your own credibility, how much you want to work with the prospect and what you uniquely offer over and above your competition! If they weren’t interested they would just have bought the other product – often without telling you.
‘We’re going to stick to our existing solution / the status quo’ = I’m scared!
Usually this comes up a LONG way through the sales process – often while you are talking about implementation. Often the issue is that the prospect has become worried about the level of change involved. So again – how can we reassure them, how can we support them and how can we minimise the disruption to them and their business?
The most important thing with objections is to welcome them – you WANT to hear them! These are the things that are stopping your discussion turning into a sale! And once you know about them, you can handle them. The key thing is to stay focussed, and remember this is just a conversation – and you know? You’ve been having those for years – so you’re good at them!
What we should actually think about is what kind of a ‘No ‘ it is. If it’s ACTUALLY a No – we’ll know about it – it will be written all over our clients face – and in their tone of voice! But more often it’s a ‘No for now’ or actually a ‘Yes – keep talking’. In fact what they are doing is raising their concerns so that you can deal with them effectively.
So let’s look at a few examples and what our prospect might actually be saying.
‘I can’t afford it / It’s too expensive’ = I want it – do me a deal!
A money objection is not always an actual objection about money. It can be relating to cash flow, the prospect justifying it in their own mind, or them comparing your offering unfavourably to another product or service. So its super important we drill down to find out more – if we can negotiate, we could still make this deal work!
‘I don’t have time’ = Help me!
This can be a real cry for help – actually they want the product and the outcome you are offering, but they wither think the solution is going to take up significant time to implement, or they are so pushed for time they cant see how to implement it themselves. This could be a perfect opportunity to upsell to a solution in which you pick up the slack on the time.
‘I’m looking at going with x competitor product instead’ = Fight for me!
You want this deal? Come and get it – they are telling you about your competitor so you have the chance to underline your own credibility, how much you want to work with the prospect and what you uniquely offer over and above your competition! If they weren’t interested they would just have bought the other product – often without telling you.
‘We’re going to stick to our existing solution / the status quo’ = I’m scared!
Usually this comes up a LONG way through the sales process – often while you are talking about implementation. Often the issue is that the prospect has become worried about the level of change involved. So again – how can we reassure them, how can we support them and how can we minimise the disruption to them and their business?
The most important thing with objections is to welcome them – you WANT to hear them! These are the things that are stopping your discussion turning into a sale! And once you know about them, you can handle them. The key thing is to stay focussed, and remember this is just a conversation – and you know? You’ve been having those for years – so you’re good at them!
