For a salesperson, objections should not come as any surprise. Prospects objecting to a sales pitch is incredibly common—even expected. Yet still, when we hear an objection, our body seizes up, we break out in cold sweat, and we are tempted to pounce to silence all possible objections. We do so, usually with the best intentions, namely, we desire to help hush the fears of our prospects. Unfortunately, we typically battle the prospects objection aggressively. The question then becomes: how do you effectively deal with objections without making it a confrontation?
First, what most people jump to that you shouldn’t, is pressure the prospect. Do not apply pressure, not in the least. Should someone push against you, the natural human response is to push back just as hard – to resist. Obviously this is not a place you want to be as a salesperson. Pressure, pushing, and guilting your prospect is the kiss of death in an objection scenario.
In the ancient martial art of Tai Chi Chuan it is illustrated that to be rooted to the ground, you must be like a mountain. The same principle is true in the case of an objection. Should you choose to go outside and push against the mountain, you won’t find much success in moving it. However, the mountain equally does not push back at you. In martial arts, to push back would be to imbalance yourself, making you vulnerable to attack. In the case of a sale, pushing back will also throw off your balance and you will be vulnerable to losing this deal. Be like the mountain. Be strong, rooted, and confident in your reaction to the objection, but do not push back against your prospect.
In reality, objections can be a great stepping stone towards a successful close, rather than an obstacle standing in your way. Rather than immediately justifying or parrying the objection, ask additional questions. Seek to understand better the objection and where your prospect is coming from. The first key to solving a problem is naming the problem. You must understand your prospect’s concerns at the roots and it is essential that you understand it from their perspective, not just your own.
These same principles are used in many other areas to build relationships rather than tear them down. Asking questions has been used in marriage counseling, therapy, and relational communication. Asking questions about the objection leads to understanding. Contradicting the objection leads to arguments.
After understanding the objection, diagnose it. If you solve it—then solve it. If you cannot immediately solve the problem, then minimize it. This is one of the main plays in the Integrity Sales System that we call Overcoming the Objection Play. The beauty of it is in its simplicity. The power of this play is like the mountain—humbly immovable and resolute, neither yielding, nor fighting back. Overcoming the Objection is directly applicable to both the sales system and to every day relationships. By applying these principles, you will be able to use Objections as stepping stones. You will close more deals. Give it a try – and check out more on the Integrity Sales System and its series of effective plays by clicking here.
