Overcoming Sales Objections

It is rare in selling that any sales presentation is made without the buyer raising some form of objection. As sales professionals we learn to expect objections as a normal part of the sales process and in practice we find that the same objections tend to be raised by customers over and over again.

How to Handle Objections
One common reaction when confronted with an objection is to respond by making a statement of fact which may conflict with the understanding of the customer. This is unwise because it can make the customer feel threatened, which is the wrong frame of mind for them to be in if we are going to make the sale. The golden rule should be whatever the objection is you should never openly contradict a customer.

It may be that the customer has misunderstood something you have said previously or maybe feels duty bound as a buyer to question some of your claims about your product or service in order to test their validity.

Whatever the objection and whatever the circumstances the least powerful way to answer a sales objection is with a statement of fact.

There are several basic groundrules that can be used to answer any sales objection. These are:

1. Listen to the objection
2. Check that you have understood the
   objection.
3. ‘Answer’ the objection.

1 Listen to the objection
Resist the temptation of interrupting the customer. You may have heard the objection a hundred times before but not from this particular customer. It may also be that the customer has more than one objection, or that this particular objection is slightly different than the ones you usually hear. By listening you show customers you are interested in their problems and enhance your own professionalism. It also gives you time to think of a way of answering their objections.

2 Check that you have understood the objection
It is very easy in the heat of the moment to mishear what your customer has said and begin to answer the wrong objection. It could also be that when you test your understanding of the objection you find that your customer is unsure of the true nature of the objection and the net result is a minor issue that can be handled with ease.

You could say something like:
“So if I understand you correctly Mr. Smith what you are saying is... Is that correct?”

3 Answer the objection
Once you fully understand the nature of the objection then it can be answered in different ways depending on whether it is

• a misunderstanding by the buyer
• disbelief over product features or benefits or
  doubt over claims make by the seller
• a product disadvantage

Misunderstanding
Where the objection is based on a misunderstanding of something you have said then you must:

• take responsibility for the misunderstanding
• give information to clarify the true position
• gain agreement to proceed

For example
The customer says “I’m not in the market for computer stationery at the moment.” You do not represent the stationery division of your company but are here to sell him computer software. You could say “I beg your pardon Mr. Customer, I obviously haven’t make myself clear. I am here to discuss our new range of computer software that has been introduced with businesses like yours in mind. Can I begin by asking you some questions about your accounting system to see whether this particular software would be suitable for you?”

Disbelief
This occurs where you have made a statement about your products and the customer does not believe you, or at least doubts some of the claims you make.

One method of handling this kind of objection in a non-threatening way is to use the ‘feel, felt, found’ method.

For example
“I don’t think your products will help me save money on my accounting system.”

“So what you are saying is that you feel our products will not be as cost effective as we claim Mr.Buyer. I can understand you feeling that way. Many of our customers felt exactly the same as yourself; customers like Shell, IBM, Esso etc. What they found when they bought the system was that the cost savings were measured and paid for the system in a very short space of time.” This can be further enhanced by having a 3rd party reference you can show the customer.

Product Disadvantage
This objection occurs where there is a feature of your product that is genuinely less advantageous to a similar feature of a competitors’ product. Price is a good example. In order to answer the objection you need to prove to the customer that other features of your product when taken as a whole outweigh the disadvantage. This can be called the Balance Sheet method and identifies whether on balance your product is best.

The main points to remember when faced with an objection are to:

1. use the recommended structure
2. don’t directly contradict the customer
3. stay calm
4. listen carefully to the objection being raised
5. answer the objection in a positive way

Often, the objection is the final stage before the customer says yes. Objections are an everyday part of selling and need to be tackled positively and confidently.