7/26/2023-Objection Handling

Shrinking, not eliminating objections, is the goal when trying to close deals. Use objection-shrinking skills to make your customer see your product’s good more than the "not-good".

Your confidence in handling objections grew in June because you learned here on MySalesDay that it’s imperative to proactively surface objections on every meeting with your customers. Good!

The TOP 10% know that every one of their customers comes to the table with a combination of issues, challenges, and objections about their offering, which is why they’re motivated to deal with them. On every meeting.

The good news is not all objections have to be eliminated entirely. Learn more about why your buyers will still buy your product or service even if it’s not perfect. And, even when all objections haven’t been handled.

The further you go through the sales cycle with your prospects, the more you can count on bumps in the road. Simultaneously with the growth of your buyer’s desire for your offering, their list of issues and challenges will develop. Some of those challenges will grow into objections.

The whole time you’re pitching and showing your demos – or whatever you show – the buyer is processing how your value and process mesh against their needs. Understandably, objections and obstacles will develop.

The good news is you don’t have to eliminate objections entirely; you merely need to shrink them so they’re smaller. Small enough so that the buyer will still want to buy you.

Your sale might be a three-meeting sale, a four-meeting sale, or many more; either way, perceptions, both good and bad, are growing inside the minds of your buyers along the way. The TOP 10% know that those perceptions may be different for each individual buyer on the account.

Some objections are shared by every decision-maker, and some are very individual. Mr. Big Shot’s concerns may be HIS, and his only…they may not be related to Ms. Bigger Shot and what she thinks.

Buyers don’t consciously label their perceptions about your offering as objections. You’re the one who has to courageously and proactively talk about them so you can move successfully to a deal.

Today, ask each buyer in your pitch meeting to share their opinions on the issues that might prevent you from doing a deal.

If you’re in a group meeting, throw the question out there and make it a group exercise: "I’d like to get all of your opinions on what the issues are that we need to address right now so we can continue to walk together toward a deal."

Objections and perceptions about your offering can be individual, and shared. To get the deal done, you have to shine a light on everything out there that might torpedo you.

Objection handling is undoubtedly one of the core skills defining your potential as a seller.

But it also requires a healthy dose of courage. It’s hard looking a buyer in the face and asking her/him what they object to. Your courage will naturally increase when you assume that all buyers have some misperception or judgment about your offering that is not favorable.

It’s your job to fish it out of them. You have to uncover the truth about their perceptions of your offering; time is wasted if you don’t actively and effectively push to hear the truth from the buyer.

Try this question, "Mr. Buyer, nothing is perfect and therefore, I’m curious about what you find to be the imperfections of our offering?" If you are one to be more direct and assertive, try this question instead, "Ms. Buyer, what specifically is holding us back from moving toward a deal?"

After asking either of those questions, one more key skill application is necessary: listen closely to your buyer.

Hey, you asked a powerfully direct and specific question, give them the space to answer it with honesty.

Take a deep breath and understand how INCREDIBLY HARD IT IS handling customer objections. (It’s harder when your blood pressure is high. Sorry about the yelling.)

The best offensive baseball players make it into their Hall of Fame, failing ~70% of the time. Obviously, there are no stats on how successful the TOP 10% is dealing with customer objections, but just know you’re not gonna win them all. Maybe not even will you win a majority of them.

But you’re gonna fight.

Just like Tommy Boy in this 3-minute clip.