| As professional sales people, we have all | | | | welcome and are prepared for objections, it |
| encountered our fair share of objections from our | | | | comes with the territory of sales. So rather than |
| customers for the product or service that we are | | | | getting hot under the collar when you as a sales |
| selling. When I first started in sales I took these | | | | person feel your customer is about to raise an |
| objections that customers put up personally, | | | | objection welcome it by being prepared, |
| wondering what I had done wrong and why they | | | | preparation comes with looking at all possible |
| did not buy from me, especially when I found out | | | | scenarios and then rehearsing how you will handle |
| that they had bought a similar product from my | | | | them. Remember Armies rehearse for battle; |
| competitors. That can destroy your self esteem, | | | | they just don't jump in and go to war. The |
| and if not controlled has a disastrous flow on | | | | majority of a soldier's military life is spent training |
| effect which will effect your performance, | | | | and rehearsing for WAR. As a professional sales |
| customer interaction, and your pay check. | | | | person how much time do you spend training and |
| Have you encountered a similar situation? Not | | | | rehearsing to sharpen your selling skills one of |
| good is it? | | | | which is handling objections? |
| So why do customers raise objections, even | | | | I find objections healthy and very informing as it |
| after you as a professional sales person has | | | | allows me to gauge just how well my customer is |
| covered all the ground and created rapport? | | | | listening and reviewing what I am proposing. |
| Customers object for many and varied reasons | | | | Rather than getting defensive I use their |
| and the most common of these is affordability! | | | | objections to further build my credibility. |
| Yes affordability. I know that sounds crazy, but is | | | | It is not the scope of this article to teach you |
| it? Have a look at your self, and analyze why you | | | | how to master the art of handling objections, so |
| put up objections when you have gone into a | | | | to help you along in turning objections into sales |
| store to buy an item, and the sales person has | | | | here are some simple pointers, which you can |
| been great, yet you have taken an out put up an | | | | expand on. |
| objection and then told the sales person "Hey I | | | | 1. Openly acknowledge the customers concerns, |
| will think about it, and get back to you" and guess | | | | 2. Show empathy, establish the core of why the |
| what you like most customers never do. So why | | | | objection has been raised |
| did you do that? | | | | 3. Ask Questions, strategically tuning your |
| Your answer to this self analysis question will | | | | questions to be even more specific so that you |
| provide valuable information to assist you in | | | | can unearth the underlying reason. Often the |
| handling objections from your customer and in | | | | customer themselves may not know why they |
| particular the fatal words "I will think about it" the | | | | have raised an objection it could be as innocuous |
| sale killer. Think about how often you as a | | | | as listening to a friend and thought well that |
| customer have used these exact same words, | | | | worked may be it will work here as well. |
| and then look at how often your customers have | | | | 4. Appreciate your response. Be concise (try not |
| used those words on you. Interesting isn't it? | | | | to be verbose and waffle), Be Specific, customize |
| Yes objections are frustrating, especially when | | | | your response to meet the customers needs, and |
| you desperately need the sale to make target. | | | | ask more questions. |
| Objections are not the end of the world or for | | | | 5. Never take objections personally; the customer |
| that matter the sale, in fact superb sales people | | | | could be afraid of making the commitment. |