Tweet

Objections A Natural Part of the Sales Process

Written by: Thomas Young

Article Overview: During the selling process, prospects may express concerns or hesitations about buying. These are called objections and are a natural part of selling and communicating. Following are a few tips regarding dealing with objections.

Objections A Natural Part of the Sales Process

During the selling process, prospects may express concerns or hesitations about buying. These are called objections and are a natural part of selling and communicating. Following are a few tips regarding dealing with objections.

Validate the Objection
Always validate the objection and never argue or disagree with the customer. Repeat back to the customer what you’ve heard and do not become emotionally attached to what is being said. This is especially important if the customer is becoming angry or frustrated. It is important to support the customer’s statement and clarify the objection before responding. Never respond to the objection immediately.

Ask Questions
The best way to deal with an objection is to ask a question. Understand that the customer does not share your thoughts and feelings about the product or service that is being sold. In order to bridge this gap, use the words and thoughts of the customer and ask questions. The sales process evolves out of what is in the customer’s mind.

Find the real concern and help solve the customer’s problem. The true meaning of most objections is not in the words. The goal is to find the real reason for the objection. Treat objections as questions and uncover solutions. Work to develop a win-win situation. Ask for clarification, maintain good eye contact, monitor nonverbal messages, and take responsibility for miscommunications.

Write Common Objections
Anticipate the most common objections you hear and be prepared to solve them with the prospect. Let the prospect know you have heard the objection before, but were still able to help other clients.

Adapt to Ups and Downs
Remain focused and consistent in your sales efforts, without responding or engaging, to the highs and lows of the sales process. Be calm and collected when facing the loss of a sale or signing the biggest sale of your career. This is effortless selling, because it does not drain emotions or waste energy. This is effortless because you listen to and learn from the customer the proper response and action.

Objections are Buying Signals
Everything the customer does -- or does not do -- is a buying signal, including objections. Most buying signals are nonverbal. Understand that most of what is heard in a communication is nonverbal, even on the telephone. Successful sales people can read and intuit these signals.

Understand what is going through the mind of the customer during the sales process. Engage customers in areas that bring these thoughts to the surface. In this way, the sales process becomes much more effective and focused on the core needs of the client.

Price Objections
Price issues are one of the most common objections in sales. Remember, price is a relative issue. The key is perceived value and return on investment. It is unwise to pay too much, but it is much worse to pay too little. When a buyer pays too much, he or she may lose a little money. When one pays too little, one risks losing all value because of an inferior product or service.

Forget the Quick Fix
Never use sales techniques to handle objections. Customers can see a technique for what it is and are therefore less likely to buy. Techniques bring up negative emotions and distrust. The root of any buying decision is based on an emotional response that is, in turn, based on perceived value or filling a need. People may rationalize a decision to buy, but buying is determined on an emotional level. This is especially important to understand given the numerous options buyers have. Many times, the only factor that differentiates a product or service is what appeals to the buyer’s emotions.

Press Hot Buttons
People buy based on benefits defined by them, not by the sales person. Those benefits are perceived differently by each customer based on what will make them feel good or meet emotional needs. The master sales person will find out those real benefits and emotional needs and push the hot buttons that result in a sale. People resist buying when their hot buttons are not identified.

Don’t give up too early on the sale because of objections. Objections are good. They mean you are being taken seriously and you need to work toward resolution. See sales objections as part of the sales process and a request for more information. Find out what information they need and give it to them. This will result in satisfied customers and increased sales.

Related Articles
  Overcoming Sales Objections Made Easier
  Handling the Greatest Source of Failed Closes
  Preventing Objections or Push-Backs
  How to avoid objections during your sales presentation
  Handling Objections in Four Simple Steps (Really)

Article Tags:



Related Forum Posts
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
Patent information - I'm also interested in Part 2. Thanks.
Patent Process - Interesting to hear your experiences with the patent process - what's Part 2?
Getting Started In Your New Internet Business - I always think it’s fun and exciting to start a new Internet business. I know for me that I would do something that I’m interested and passionate about. Otherwise the new venture doesn’t last for long. As it’s just as important to have passion, motivation and interest, there are a few areas that help me succeed in business. Promoting Your Internet Business I would call this the “show me the money” part of the business. Without money or income, there is no business. Therefore it’s important to promote your business and turn your promotional activities into sales. At every opportunity, try to promote your business through passive means: e.g. through your stationary, letterheads, emails, brochures and any other promotional material you may use. Even if it’s just an article you write for a directory, remember to put your website address at the bottom of it. In the past, I made stickers of my logo that I could easily stick on my products. Also I made sure that every email I sent out to a customer had a company logo in it. This all helps with creating the brand for the business. It’s crucial to develop a marketing plan that will not only sell your products, but also your brand. Here are some other articles I recommend to read to help you promote your Internet business: * Spreading The Word: Turbocharge Your Traffic * Converting Traffic Into Sales Part 1: Generating Leads * Converting Traffic Into Sales Part 2: Profiting From The Back-End * 12 Sales Effective Marketing Tips Operating Your Business This is the “lifeblood” of the business and I’m amazed at the amount of businesses that still operate without having good systems in place. An electrician I use from time to time asked me how I maintain my book work and said he doesn’t know how to do it. I was shocked because I’d known him to be trading for over 2 years and he probably doesn’t know how much money is being made in his business or let alone lost. What I am saying is to not be like my Electrician friend and make sure you buy an accounting software to track all your accounts and paperwork. I would suggest hiring a book keeper because it will save you the hassle and time of doing it all yourself. Some good software packages out there that are under $500 like MYOB Accounting and QuickBooks will be more than sufficient when you start out. Another area that most people forget or get caught out on are getting the appropriate insurances for your business. The most common are public liability insurance, fire, burglary, vehicle and workers compensation insurance. All these can be easily found via a quick search on Google. I would recommend ensuring both public liability and fire insurances are in place before even running your business. Keeping Pace And Staying Up To Date This may sound all too overwhelming when you have to promote, operate your business and keep up to date with your industry. Believe me it’s not as hard as it sounds. Take the first step and join a trade association or your local Chamber of Commerce. You will find it both informative and beneficial to your business. To know what is happening in your area and within your industry can help you make better decisions for promoting your product or service. Whether it may be time to change a product line or add more services to your business, you will be keeping up with the industry and making sure you are not missing out on opportunities. Also it’s a great way to network and promote within your trade associations and Chamber of Commerce. Simply write an article to contribute and it can be used as great public relations (P.R) for your business. Also I emphasise to have a well prepared business plan created before starting your business, because this will be your starting point. A business plan is useful for so many areas for your business from sourcing finance to implementing a growth strategy for the next 5 years. Once it’s written down, it will become a living breathing document that you can update and review over time. I’ve just finished preparing my business plan for this business which took nearly 3 weeks to complete but I can tell you that it is well worth the time and effort to do. Learn how to put your own business plan together and I can guarantee you that you’ll get finance and negotiate business deals much easier. The Future Of Your Internet Business Starting your Internet Business is rewarding and if you look into those areas I have mentioned, then you will have a good foundation to running a successful Internet Business. Take action today and know that you deserve to live your dream. Tyrone Shum Internet Business Coach


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Multilevel Marketing: 4 Tips To MLM Success

Unspoken Yet Important Rules for Book Proposals

How do you keep it together on a daily basis?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.