Why handling objections

Tags: objection handling Sales Recruitment sales training. Related Posts. December 8, CV Tips for candidates looking to gain an edge February 7, February 7, Is there anything you wish it could do or address?

Of course, follow up by sending social proof about a customer or two who benefited tremendously by switching to your solution. Your objective here is to understand their point of view. So asking the right questions is critical. Are you speaking from a features and functionality perspective or compatibility with tools you already have in place? Not interested today?

Not interested ever? Whatever the case, reveal something your solution could do to address a specific issue within their organization if possible , offer to share a few resources, and try again later.

I understand. However, I have identified a few ways our solution could impact your [xyz]. Would it be okay if I sent along a little information and circle back another time?

This objection just shows you have more work to do. Share specific ROI examples from current customers and offer to help create a business case with their own numbers. That way your prospect can understand the value and sell it internally with confidence. I am happy to show you. How about we find some time to explore the potential for your organization? I see. Would you be willing to point me in the right direction? See if you can pique their interest just a bit.

What are you most interested in? A template like this is useful in this situation. Example message:. Hi [name of person who hung up on you],. We just got disconnected. Here are some companies we work with: [links to social proof of similar companies]. Could we schedule a quick call or could you point me to the person who might be interested in our solution?

Just remember, the most talented reps also understand very important. They know when to walk away — and focus their energy on the next prospect. It turns out Kenny Rogers' advice applies to salespeople and objection handling too. Solutions By Role. Objection handling is a natural part of selling, but it can be a significant roadblock when you're trying to move prospects through the pipeline.

You might even be tempted to accept the objections and send a breakup email straightaway. This is especially true if the objection seems highly reasonable based on what you know of the prospect's business.

To be successful, sales reps must learn how to both discover and resolve these objections. When objections arise, it isn't the time to give up — it's time to reemphasize your product's value. In this post, you'll learn everything you need to know about objection handling, including ways to rebut common objections. Objections are generally around price, product fit, or competitors.

Sometimes, the objection is a good old-fashioned brush-off. Objection handling means responding to the buyer in a way that changes their mind or alleviates their concerns. Some reps argue with their prospects or try to pressure them into backing down — but this isn't true objection handling. Prospects typically end up more convinced than ever of their position; worse, salespeople lose the trust and rapport they've built up.

Instead of telling your prospect they're wrong, help them come to a different conclusion of their own accord. And if you can't persuade them, that's a good sign they're a poor fit. It's also important to distinguish between sales objections and brush-offs.

While objections are authentic, brush-offs are excuses. Think of an objection as, "I see the value in your product, but I'm not sure about buying it for X reason," while a brush-off translates to, "I don't want to talk to you. When confronted with an objection, the first requirement is to listen to the objection.

This demonstrates to your customer that you are interested in their concern and care about what they have to say. This is where you demonstrate you have been actively listening. An acknowledgement can be something as simple as a head nod or a restatement of the issue. A sincere acknowledgment can circumvent an argument and have a calming effect. Sometimes, your customers just want to know that they are being heard.

It is imperative that you understand exactly what your customer meant by what they said. Buyers want and expect a personalized sales experience. How you present yourself and your product either builds that trust — or gives your competitors a foot in the door," commented Mark Tanner, Co-Founder of Qwilr. The final step is to respond. Instead, objections should be viewed as opportunities to help your customer and to grow your relationship with them.

Nothing is more dangerous to a deal than letting sales objections go unaddressed until the final stages. The longer the buyer holds an opinion, the stronger that opinion usually is — and the harder you'll have to fight to combat it.

With this in mind, welcome objections rather than avoiding them. You can proactively identify them as well by periodically asking questions like:. Here are some helpful strategies for overcoming objections. While your prospect discloses their objections, listen to understand, not respond. Avoid interrupting them while they are speaking, and give them space to voice their concerns and objections freely.

Once your prospect has stated their objections, repeat back what you heard to ensure you are understanding correctly. Not only will this help clarify their points for you, but it will also help your prospect feel heard and valued, which is important for building trust. After you have confirmed you understand where your prospect is coming from, continue building trust by empathizing with your prospect, and validating their point of view.

For example, if you are selling automation software and your prospect is worried about their ability to implement your software into their complex system, you could say, "I understand, implementing new software can feel like a daunting task. Thankfully, we have an incredible tech team that has experience working with similar organizations, and can handle a seamless transition for you.

With this response, you are acknowledging that their concern is valid, and are offering a solution to mitigate their fears.

When you hear objectives, you want to do all you can to keep the conversation going in a natural way. If you hear your prospect pulling back, asking follow-up questions can be a tactful way to keep them talking. Make sure you ask open-ended questions that allow your prospect to continue expressing their thoughts on your product. The more information they provide, the more you have to work with to potentially turn the sale around.

If your prospect asks for more time to think things over, give them the time and space to weigh their options. Ultimately, the most effective strategy for handling sales objections is to anticipate them. Having a set of neutral recommendations to offer prospects when objections arise can keep sales moving. Because you listened to the buyer and explored their rationale rather than giving a knee-jerk response, they're usually willing to hear you out if you have a solution to offer.

Keeping track of the objections you receive most often is also helpful. Once you know what to expect, you can devote extra time to practicing and refining your responses. We also recommend sales reps use role-plays to boost their objection handling abilities.

Take turns with another rep on your team posing common objections like any of the 40 on this list , answering, and then giving each other feedback. Now that you know what objection handling is, why it's important, and how to improve, let's dive into the 40 most common sales objections.

Price objections are the most common type of objection and are even voiced by prospects who have every intention of buying.

Beware — the moment you start focusing on price as a selling point, you reduce yourself to a transactional middleman. Instead, circle back to the product's value.

It could be that your prospect's business simply isn't big enough or generating enough cash right now to afford a product like yours. Track their growth and see how you can help your prospect get to a place where your offering would fit into their business. Allow me to explain our other offerings that may be a better fit for your current growth levels and budget. A variation of the "no money" objection, what your prospect's telling you here is that they're having cash flow issues.

But if there's a pressing problem, it needs to get solved eventually. Either help your prospect secure budget from executives to buy now, or arrange up a follow-up call for when they expect funding to return. When do you think that may be? Prospects sometimes try to earmark resources for other uses. Share case studies of similar companies that have saved money, increased efficiency, or had a massive ROI with you.

A prospect with a genuine need and interest who balks at time-based contract terms is generally hesitant for cash flow reasons. Luckily for you, there are workarounds — find out if you can offer month-by-month or quarter-by-quarter payment instead of asking for a year or more commitment upfront. Let's talk about some different contract terms and payment schedules that I can offer you. Perhaps these would be a better fit. A prospect who's working with a competitor is a blessing in disguise.

They've already recognized a need and identified a solution; much of the education you'd otherwise be responsible for has already been done.

You can spend your time doing the one thing you'd have to hold off on with a prospect who hasn't recognized their pain yet — talk about your product. Just because a prospect is working with a competitor doesn't mean they're happy with them. Probe into the relationship and pay special attention to complaints that could be solved with your product. What's working well? What's not? Allow me to explain how [product] is different.

Perhaps the easiest competitor-related objection to handle, this phrase is worded in a way that broadcasts your prospect's feeling of being trapped.

See if you can come up with a creative discount to offset the cost of breaking a contract early, or demonstrate ROI that will make up for the sunk cost. Of course, your prospect could have simply chosen an overly negative turn of phrase. Ask questions about their relationship with the competitor to determine whether they're actually happy or are itching for a vendor switch. Perhaps I can offer a discount to make up for the cost of switching over to work with us.

Find out what you're dealing with here. Are you in a competitive situation, and the prospect is playing you against a competitor to drive up discounts? Or is your prospect under the impression that a similar, cheaper product can do everything they need? If it's the former, lay out your deepest discount and emphasize the features that make your product superior.

Walk away if they ask you to go lower. In the second scenario, take advantage of the comparison. Play the differences up and emphasize overall worth, not cost. What provides you with the most value and support? What if your prospect is happy? The same strategy still applies — find out why they believe their relationship with your competitor is beneficial, and identify weak spots where your product could do better. What components of the product or relationship are you most satisfied with?

I'd love to learn more and see how we may compare. You'll seem confident and collected, whereas your competitor will seem desperate and insecure. If your prospect is still unsure, they'll ask another question. At that point, you can provide more background in your rebuttal.

I have a map of our factories and distribution routes if you'd like to see it. No problem. Ask your prospect the name of the right person to speak to, and then redirect your call to them. Can you redirect me to them, please? Well, your prospect might not be able to, but you can. After all, you sell your product every day.

Ask your prospect what objections they anticipate, and help them prepare the business case for adopting your product. Check with Marketing to see if there's any collateral you can leverage on your prospect's behalf.