How to Handle and Beat Prospect and Customer Sales Objections

Today we will be exploring ways for beating prospect and customer objections.

What is an objection

What is an objection? An objection is an obstacle between a prospect and us. Also, it’s a qualification or disqualification of our prospects… or us.

There are three main reasons for prospect or customer objections. First, they don’t understand the value of our service or solution. Second, they don’t want to understand this value. And finally, they just give us the brush-off.

I haven’t heard Michael Phelps, who has the highest number of accumulative Guinness World Records as an athlete, said instead of training a lot he preferred to improvise.

So, we must train our skills to cope with objections like a champ.

Creating a response to an objection

So, we shall prepare our responses.

• First is identifying an objection.
• Secondly, we shall create a response or some responses.

Just coming up with expected objections from prospects and note them down. If any difficulties popped at this step, don’t worry, prospects bring them a lot. Just remember to write them down.

3 ways to respond to an objection

Now brainstorming some preferred ways for responding.

First way of responding – We can agree with an objection:

Prospect: Your service is too expensive.

We: OK, I understand, thank you so much. Bye…

In this case someone else, the sales person next door, will dance with our prospect. Would we accept an objection?… Absolutely not!

Second way of responding – we can try to overcome an objection:

Prospect: Your service is too expensive.

We: OK, I understand, but we have special features, and, by the way, our goose lays golden eggs.

In this case we don’t find out a real cause of prospect concern. Sometimes this approach can work, sometimes not. Would we play such sort of lottery?… Occasionally.

And finally, third way of responding – we can redirect an objection:

Prospect: Your service is too expensive.

We: OK, I understand, setting price aside, do we have the service you want to buy?

or

We: OK, I understand, setting price aside, what expenses will you have if you don’t implement this solution right now?

or

We: OK, I understand, setting price aside, what do you like in our service?

In this case we redirect customer attention to another point. This can be a statement about:

• qualification for identifying a right prospect,
• a pain they want to avoid,
• a gain they want to achieve,
• a value that benefits them.

Is there a response we are looking for?… Pretty sure, there is.

4 steps to respond to an objection

Now there are 4 steps to respond correctly to a prospect objection.

Step 1. Listen to a prospect.

Step 2. Make a 3-second pause to make sure they really stop to speak.

Step 3. Respond to an objection to defuse a prospect concern.

And from time to time the step 4 is required:

Step 4. Ask a follow-up question or offer an action to do.

Summary

All in all, if you want to beat prospect objections, well-planned responses are essential. And, it’s your time well invested.