Claudia Harvey

Claudia Harvey

Do’s and Don’ts of Handling Objections

Apply These Six Strategies To Sway A Decision In Your Favour.

Many people absolutely dread the concept of selling – whether it’s their services, their product, or themselves. The fear of selling can be debilitating and often inhibits success. I know a person that drove around a city block numerous times before he summoned the courage to call on his sales prospect. He fretted, sweated and worried the entire time, making himself more and more anxious.

If this sounds like you, let me state with confidence: It doesn’t have to be that hard!

Selling is merely making a positive impression on others to persuade them to believe and want what you have to offer. It’s an opportunity for dialogue.

However, people are often intimidated by the possibility of objections, and they get “stuck.”
Of course, there may be objections and… objections should simply be viewed as opportunities for a discussion.

The following 6 six strategies can help you handle any objection,  will leave a positive impression and enable you to sway a decision in your favour:

  1. View the objection as a question. Many times, people view an objection as a personal attack. Instead, an objection such as “Why are these prices so high?” or, “That’s way too much,” should be considered a question that allows a more positive conversation rather than a defensive one. This opens up the opportunity to describe how your service or product is unique and niched and to explain that your prices reflect this difference. If a person sees the value, the price often becomes secondary.
  2. Respond to the objection with a question. As in every step of the selling process, asking the right questions is critical, and handling objections is no exception. Questions, such as “Can you share your concerns in this area?” or, “Is there another way we can look at this to make it work for you?” are good ways to engage prospects in dialogue that will help you better solve their problems.
  3. Restate the objection before responding and take your time. It’s a good idea to check for understanding and demonstrate that you are listening by restating your prospect’s objection. For example, “So what you’re saying is you’re concerned about the capacity during peak periods,” is a good way to acknowledge the objection, and it also gives you time to formulate your response. Take your time. What may seem like dragging seconds to you often allows the prospect time to anticipate your response. Many people try to explain too quickly and rush all the answers in an attempt to keep the attention of the prospect but, in rushing, you often miss salient facts about why you have a great offering and what makes you stand out.
  4. Pause before responding. It’s common for people to “oversell” when they are answering an objection, trying to explain anything and everything they possibly can to again keep the interest of the prospective customer. When a prospect raises an objection, stop, listen, and pause for a few seconds. This shows the prospect that you are legitimately listening to the objection, not just trying to sell. When you explain your differentiation, pause, let the facts sink in, and wait for a response – either verbal feedback or non-verbal cues in body language. Then, shift the next part of the conversation to match the response.
  5. Use testimonials and past experiences. Objections are the perfect time to share testimonials. For example, “I have another customer who was concerned about the turnaround time. He found that not only were we able to deliver on time, we were also slightly under budget.”

    Testimonials can be compelling at any point in your sales presentation and especially when a prospect presents an objection.
  6. Never argue with the prospect. “The customer is always right” is especially true when it comes to handling objections. Sometimes it’s totally ok to recognize that the prospect is not your ideal customer. If their objection is simply too strong and your niche or specialty doesn’t fit with them, no worries. Simply move on to other “low-hanging fruit” and do not take a “missed” sale personally. Instead, take it as an opportunity to hone your skills at overcoming objections. 

 

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Claudia Harvey is a contributing author with todays’ other influencers including Melinda Gates, Mary Barra and Oprah Winfrey.