Five Proven Sales Tips for Managing Objections

Many sales have been lost because a sales representative did not know how to respond to a potential customer’s first objection. The sales rep can either: allow the objection to stand with a sincere “thank you” and follow-up statement, or put the potential customer on the defensive with a statement that might appear argumentative. Both options are bad for business because they don’t result in a sale. Often times, the objection the potential customer gives is not even their real reason for not buying. To get to the real reason, consider the following five sales tips for handling objections.

1. Recognize that all objections are questions in disguise. Try turning the objection into a question by saying, “That raises a question. Is the question ? Is that the question? “This will either result in a simple yes or no or they will rephrase the question so the sales rep can answer it. If they say no, continue to ask them what the question is in their words. As an example, the prospect says : “This sounds very good; I just need to think about it. “The sales rep responds” That raises a question, the question is that there are some key points that you may not be sure of. Is that the question? “If they say yes, then now the sales rep has opened a dialogue. If they say no, respond with,” What specific questions do you have in mind that you need to think about? “
2. Keep the dialogue alive with the “obviously you” technique to stay the course. This technique works especially well with emotional objections. Listen to the emotional cues that include always, never, always. He then responds with “You obviously have a reason for saying that. Do you mind if I ask you what that is?”
3. Always ask questions that get the potential customer talkinginstead of giving short “Yes / No” answers. The more the potential customer talks, the more they learn about their business problems. Even the best sales representative cannot sell a solution if the problem or pain is not known beforehand. Knowing the customer’s needs makes it easy to personalize the sales message.
4. Stay on track by using the “just guess” technique. Don’t let an objection derail the sales process. Instead, create a scenario that removes the current objection from the image. For example, if the customer thinks the price is too high instead of lowering it, say something like “Suppose the price was not a consideration, are the benefits I have shown you valuable?” This is designed to remove the real objection and keep the sales discussion on track by encouraging dialogue. Hobbyists often use this to close the sale with phrases like “If you could hit your price, would you buy today?” This pushes a prospect who may be using the price objection only as a smokescreen or who cannot clearly see the benefits.
5. Never “but” the client. Using the words “but” or “however” often sounds like a rationalization of a bad solution or the beginning of another side of an argument. Instead of telling the client why they are wrong, use an “and” question such as “And why do you say that (or feel that way)?” The word “y” conveys an association message instead of a pending argument.

In short, prepare for objections before meetings. Think of all the possible objections the potential customer may raise and determine the best way to handle each one. Then practice handling those objections in role-playing games with others before meeting with the potential client.

Use the five sales tips to manage objections and find the real reason the potential customer is hesitant to buy. Don’t just leave a sale on the table by accepting the first objection. Instead, learn how to handle objections and ask the right questions to increase sales instead of losing them.