Many salespeople miss a critical step in overcoming objections. They act too quickly before taking a step that gets a lot closer to a sale. It's understandable that when an objection is raised, we cannot wait to challenge it. Maybe it's an adrenalin thing. Maybe fast action is caused by fear of losing the sale. Maybe we just want to show how much we know. Whatever the reason, top producers know that there is an important step between hearing and understanding the objection and charging forward to solve it and close.
This critical step is asking if there is any other objection. If you proceed before the customer has told us the objection is the only thing preventing a deal, we risk an unconvinced customer after we have dealt with the objection.
As an example, let's assume the customer raised the dreaded price objection. If you successfully answer that challenge and convince the customer the value is greater than the price, the customer nay still balk at signing on the dotted line. When you ask why, they may say they are getting it in 90 days. If you solve that one, they may say they have to check with their Uncle Louis before buying. In other words, you can be run around by a customer unless you find out if the objection raised is the only problem before you proceed.
A good way to do this is to agree with the customer! Let's still assume the customer has raised the dreaded price objection. I suggest that you agree. "I see so you are not going ahead because of price? I understand. Price is a very important factor. May I ask, other than price was there anything else preventing you from investing in our product?"
At this point, the customer will either raise more objections or say there is nothing else. Customers should feel relaxed at this point as it looks like the salesperson is giving up on a sale. They often tell you even more how if it wasn't for the price they would love to have your product or service. Only when they say the objection raised is the only thing preventing or delaying a purchase are you ready to proceed to close.
This technique works with all objections, not just price. Let's take another example. Let's look at "We cannot do it now but we will be buying in three months. The salesperson should respond with something like, "I understand. No one should rush into purchases until the time is right. May I ask, other than the three month delay is there anything else standing between you and owning our product/service?"
To be successful, you should only proceed with overcoming the objection after the customer has told you there is nothing else. If you have their word there i nothing else, you are ready to close when you overcome their objection.
So, take your time. Don't jump into objection solving before this critical step and your sales will increase.
In another article, we will discuss how to overcome common objections.
Carl Davidson is President of Sales And Management Solutions Inc. a comany in Amherst NY that produces sales training DVDs and seminars. You can get more articles by Carl Davidson by visiting our blog at http://www.sales-solutions-now.com or our main site at http://www.salesandmanagementsolutions.com .