SKILL
Objections Represent Your Road to Sales Success
ROGER M. PELL
The road to success is paved with good objections. Current research on sales objections shows that presentations resulting in a sale have 58 percent more objections than presentations that were unsuccessful.
Objections are defense mechanisms. Most prospects avoid a buying deci- sion because it represents risk. Conse- quently, the average prospect will procrastinate as much (and as long) as the salesperson allows. Prospect objections fall into one of three categories:
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• Road Signs • Insufficient Information • Minefields
Listen to what your prospects say. They will invariably provide you with directions to their greatest concerns – telling you which benefits are most important to them so you can present
your product in a way that best satis- fies their needs. Road Signs: These objections lead you to the next topic to make the sale – not away from the sale. If your pros- pect says, “It’s too small,” that should point you in the direction of the right size to fit your prospect’s needs. Insufficient Information: This is nothing more than your prospect saying, “You have not given me enough benefits to make a deci- sion to buy.” Think of your prospect standing in front of you with hands extended. In one hand, he or she is weighing the risks of making a buying decision. In the other, the benefits are being weighed. Your job is to outweigh risk with benefit. Objections such as, “I want to think about it,” are often nothing more than a request for additional information. Treat them that way and you’ll be successful. Minefields: These are the uncon- scious, hidden obstacles prospects create to protect themselves from the risk of a buying decision. Mine- fields are unconscious in the sense that the prospect is not aware he or she erects the same pattern of barri- ers or obstacles to the sale in every buying situation. A prospect who says, “It’s too expensive,” always says, “It’s too ex- pensive.” That’s part of the pattern of the Minefield. Your job is to success- fully recognize and disarm the mines. Most of the time, the best tactic is to get the prospect to open up and discuss what he or she really means. Again, the question, “Why do you say that?” will create a conscious airing of an unconscious reflex remark. Another common Minefield is cre- ated by the analytical prospect who needs absolute reassurance that you are the expert he or she expects you to be. To successfully negotiate the “20 questions” Minefield, demon- strate a thorough knowledge of your product/service offerings. And, naturally, tie that knowledge to the needs of your prospect with strong benefit statements.
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