| Many salespeople are not getting inside the | | | | understandable. The best way to respond here is |
| buyer's mind. Too often, salespeople focus on | | | | to assume the role of Negotiator. Create a |
| their sales processes and objectives, without | | | | win-win agreement! Finally, another way of |
| carefully considering how people make purchase | | | | responding to price objections, and other |
| decisions. Consequently, salespeople proceed too | | | | objections, is the "verify / feel / felt / found" |
| quickly: they push. Buyers hate "pushy" | | | | technique. |
| salespeople. Pushy salespeople reap a huge | | | | This technique has been around for a long time, |
| harvest of objections from buyers. The sales | | | | so avoid using the actual words because you |
| process then becomes a struggle when it might | | | | might turnoff the client by appearing to be |
| otherwise be a pleasant partnership between two | | | | manipulative. Actually, this way of handling the |
| professional business people: a relationship built on | | | | objection helps both parties discover new issues, |
| mutual respect yielding long-term benefits both | | | | or clarify items already covered. Here are the |
| ways. | | | | steps you can use: |
| If you change the way you sell to closely | | | | Ask a question to understand the real objection |
| conform to how people buy, you will see a | | | | and derive more information. |
| reduction in the number of objections from | | | | Ask if the objection were to be addressed |
| buyers. More than 80% of the objections we | | | | satisfactorily, would the prospect commit? If they |
| experience as sales people focus on the price | | | | say no, then you don't have the real objection on |
| value issues involved. | | | | the table. |
| If a price objection arises early in the process, | | | | Describe a real example of a client who had a |
| respond by asking history, symptom, cause, | | | | similar objection, and the way they finally resolved |
| complication and cure questions. These questions | | | | it. |
| help your prospect recognize the seriousness of | | | | "Mr. Prospect, I understand your concern. Mary |
| ongoing problems, thus increasing the value of | | | | Thompson of Thompson Graphics across town |
| your solutions. By becoming a goodDoctor, you | | | | had the same concern when we were talking |
| prevent price objections. Price objections occurring | | | | about a similar system last month. Once she |
| late in the sales process are typically caused by | | | | learned about the system's flexibility she decided |
| fear, or a desire to get a better deal. | | | | to go ahead. She discovered that she could do all |
| Fear is emotional, not logical. Traditional | | | | the things she needs to do today, and have room |
| objection-handling techniques don't work when the | | | | to grow." |
| prospect is fearful. Better to become the | | | | It is a good idea to have materials--such as |
| Therapist. Draw out the real fear issues. Get | | | | testimonial letters--to substantiate your claims! To |
| them into the open. Softly and sensitively | | | | get more results from your sales management |
| empathize with the prospect. Allow him or her to | | | | training utilize these skills and spend time training |
| work through their own fear. | | | | your salespeople. |
| The desire to get a better deal is natural and | | | | |