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How to Overcome Objections When You Don't Have All the Answers

Guest post by: Linda Schneider

Article Overview: I attended a training today on "How to Handle Objections" by the president of a major real estate franchise. The delivery was informal. He just asked us to toss him typical objections to see how he would handle them. By anyone's account, he is an outstanding salesperson, able to smoothly handle objections and further the sale...

How to Overcome Objections When You Don't Have All the Answers

I attended a training today on "How to Handle Objections" by the president of a major real estate franchise. The delivery was informal. He just asked us to toss him typical objections to see how he would handle them.

By anyone's account, he is an outstanding salesperson, able to smoothly handle objections and further the sale.

Here were his main techniques:

1. Provide specific industry facts, stats, and stories to counter misconceptions.

2. For stubborn thinking (usually on price), focus on stories about people who moved ahead anyway and were glad they did.

3. Never let them get a word in edgewise.

4. Convey a demeanor that says, "I've heard it all before and I'm here to help you (little lady)."

OK, now I'm getting personal.

The point is, the broker is a very powerful salesperson, able to muscle his way through sales objections. And even though I personally feel "handled" by that approach, I'm sure it works beautifully in 90% of his sales, and it is the key to his success.

I could see the real estate agents getting excited about becoming like him...able to handle objections blithely. He made it look so easy.

Then I waited for him to show them HOW to do it. And I waited. And then the session was over with this advice:

"You need to be ready for anything. You have to memorize the right come-backs. You have to read and know your industry. Go forth and prosper."

Typical Advice, Not Training

Do you see the problem with this advice?

First, these agents don't have time to become as experienced as the broker is. They need to go out today and sell. They don't have time to memorize a bunch of come-backs and steep themselves in industry knowledge.

Does that sound familiar to you?

Second, this "training" was nothing of the sort. Training is supposed to help you become adept at something. Unfortunately, most sales training is more about TELLING than TEACHING you how to do something.

It's a Question of Influence

That's why people love the questions of influence approach to handling objections. For one, it doesn't require you to memorize 50 or so come-backs to be prepared for every possible objection. In time, with a lot of experience, you'll have those come backs...but you probably won't need them.

Asking what's called these kinds of questions can deal with 80% of objections. Why? Because you don't "tell" them anything. We all know how uncomfortable it feels when we don't have the answer to an objection. We feel frustrated. And they feel like we're trying to "handle" them.

By avoiding the issue altogether, we gain strength that conveys credibility...without having to have all the answers.

Basically, certain question patterns have the ability to turn the responsibility of handling objections back onto the prospect. Training in using these questions of influence is fun and gives you selling power that would otherwise take many years to develop.

Even limited industry knowledge now can be used to help prospects think about solutions and engage in a conversation. If you have the right story or fact to answer their objection, and the situation calls for a little clarity, then by all means...power through the objection.

But if you're not a powerhouse of a salesperson yet, or if you just don't like the hard approach to selling and want a soft sell that gets results, then try using a question approach to overcoming objections.

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Article Tags: handle objections, handle real estate objections, handling objections, how to sell, overcome objections, overcoming objections, overcoming real estate objections, sales questions, soft sell



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