Selling a product or service is not always a smooth process. Even when your offering is the ideal solution for a customer’s problem, there is no guarantee that your sales rep will be able to land the deal. The ability to address and assuage customer objections, directly and proactively if possible, is a key component that will set your business apart from others in the market.
However, that ability isn’t a skill that comes naturally; it has to be honed. To help sales reps ease the concerns of potential customers, the members of Forbes Business Development Council offer advice on practical ways to deal with objections without losing the sale.
1. Truly Listen To Them
I have always said that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. The first thing to do is to truly listen to what is and is not being said. Objections can be direct challenges to moving forward, but many times they are smoke screens to what is really going on behind the scenes. Also, triangulate on those objections with other key stakeholders. Ultimately, you will find what you are looking for. - Dru Shiner, C2FO
2. Address Issues Head-On
The most effective way to answer objections is to ensure your core messaging addresses those issues in a positive way before the actual objection. By baking objection handling into a pitch and materials, you not only address these issues up front but also demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of their challenges. Using these truth bombs in core messages quickly connects you with your prospects. - Anastasia Valentine, Wagepoint
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3. Handle It Before It Happens
Sometimes the best way to handle an objection is before it even happens. Do your homework, lead with listening and know your client's most common objections. In many cases, this combination allows you to proactively deal with an objection without the client having to raise it. You'll look very aware of the market and the most common pitfalls to avoid, and the prospect may buy based on your expertise! - Beth Thornton, Inspire Software
4. Respond To The Real Issue
First understand the process by which they buy. Once you understand that process, you can get a better feel for the intent of the objection. Respond to the real issue, not your perception. Ask the questions that you want or need the answers to in order to move the sale forward. Remember, bad news early is good. - John Hayes, Balyo
5. Aim To Help Decision Making
You cannot really answer an objection, but you can answer a question. The key to handling objections is to rephrase them into questions that can help the customer make better decisions. Finding the underlying questions helps us find the customer's true aspirations and motivations, which may be business-related but quite often are very personal. - Tamas Hevizi, Automation Anywhere
6. Understand What's Behind The Objection
Every prospect has objections, but it's important to get more color to understand what's behind the objection. The goal is to uncover the big problems that the organization is trying to solve and understand who owns them. Many sales people stumble because they don't spend enough time understanding the people and the big problems. Embrace the objections and use them to unlock data and access. - Patrick Morrissey, Upland Software
7. Use A Framework
If an objection surfaces at the end of the sales cycle, the buyer is often seeking more information. We handle objections with a framework that includes a positive attitude, clarification of the question, diagnosis of the root cause or question, isolating the objection or surfacing other questions and ultimately addressing the question. - Julie Thomas, ValueSelling Associates
8. Reexamine Your Offerings
Objections indicate a lack of trust in some area or an underlying need to be heard. Find out what you can offer that will bring them a long-term solution. Nothing lends more credibility than proof of a successful collaboration. Present a previous case study where the prospect had similar objections and the outcome was successful. Never overpromise unless you want it to backfire! - Anna Jankowska, RTB House
9. Reframe The Objection
Don’t be too eager to handle their objections. Jumping right in squanders a great opportunity to learn more about what’s really behind the concern—the first objection is rarely the most meaningful. A fantastic method for getting more from the prospect is to mirror. Reframe the objection in the form of a question back to them. This will provide additional context for a truly consultative approach. - Larry Todd, LeadsRx
10. Prepare Beforehand
Before you meet with your prospect, consider some questions. Why is this product a good fit for this client? What objections could the client have to this product? How can we overcome their objections? If you're prepared to help the prospect understand how your product meets their needs because you've already considered their objections, they will know that you understand their business. - Jan Dubauskas, Healthinsurance.com
11. Pay Attention To What Objections Reveal
Objections don't always serve to convert the prospect you're talking to, but they can provide invaluable information if you're paying attention. Objections can point to misalignments that will help you refine and prepare you for targeting the next prospect. They're an opportunity to consider how your product stacks up against the competition and a gut-check on the market segment you're prospecting. - Lauren Mieli, Prudent Pet Insurance
12. Provide Proof Points
Nothing beats another satisfied customer who had similar challenges testifying on your behalf. Once the new prospect understands how your product or service can solve their problem, it’s the exact moment to differentiate and convince the customer why your solution is better than any other competitor’s. Make the conversation based on value and not on price. - Claudio Yamashita, SS&C Intralinks
13. Don't Try To Sell
Teach the prospect how to buy versus trying to turn them into a sale. What is the intention of the customer's objection? Do they want to move closer to a decision, or are they trying to find a way out of the conversation? When they feel confident in you during the "pitch," they will be ready to buy from you if they mutually agree it is the best outcome. - Steve Taylor, VentureDevs
14. Build A Comfortable Relationship
It is important that you pay attention and listen to your clients very early on in the new relationship. By doing so, you create confidence and a level of comfort with good understanding that builds a professional relationship with your new clients. What is important is how you handle these objections and how you relay the positives of these objections without being pushy. - Valerie Moran, eCOMM Merchant Solutions
15. Lay Out All Of The Options
Evaluate and show all the pluses and minuses of their point and then do the same with the option you suggest. Nothing works better than a good example. Discuss with your client the outcome of both options and let them decide. Understanding that you are not simply trying to sell your service but are acting in the best interests of your client will definitely help you close the deal. - Yulia Koroleva, Code Inspiration
FAQs
How do you handle customer objections answer? ›
- Listen Fully to the Objection. Your first reaction when you hear an objection may be to jump right in and respond immediately. ...
- Understand the Objection Completely. Many objections hide underlying issues that the buyer can't or isn't ready to articulate. ...
- Respond Properly. ...
- Confirm You've Satisfied the Objection.
There are seven specific methods of handling objections in different selling situations: substitution, boomerang, question, superior-point, denial, demonstration, and third-party.
How do you handle customers price objections * Your answer? ›Ensure you take a brief pause whenever someone raises a price objection. Don't be in a hurry to answer; as what you say next can make or break a deal. Instead of giving up, ask some questions to your prospects and move them to a different track for thinking beyond the price.
What are the 5 common customer objections? ›- Objection 1: "We're Good. We already have someone and they're doing a good job." ...
- OBJECTION 2: "Your price is too high." ...
- OBJECTION 3: "You're all the same. ...
- OBJECTION 4: "Just send me info and I'll get back to you." ...
- OBJECTION 5: "This isn't a priority right now."
- Spend more time listening and asking.
- Pick out what you know.
- Never lie to a customer.
- Know when to redirect the topic.
- Don't redirect the customer unless you have to.
- If you do redirect, redirect properly.
- Conclusion.
Marketing expert Neil Borden preaches a solid recipe for success in the marketing world based on the 4 P's of professional selling — price, product, place, and promotion. However, sales reps can leverage their own 4 P's to navigate common consumer objections successfully. Here's a closer look at each.
What are the 5 steps to effective objection handling? ›...
5-step objection handling framework
- Step 1 - Listen to the prospect. ...
- Step 2 - Ask open-ended questions. ...
- Step 3 - Solve the objection. ...
- Step 4 - Confirm the solution. ...
- Step 5 - Move on.
- Price objection: 'This isn't the right price for us. ...
- Need objection: 'I'm not sure your product has the features we're looking for. ...
- Trust objection: 'I don't know enough about you or your company. ...
- Stalling objection: 'Give us time to think and we'll circle back.
- Listen fully to the objection. When you hear an objection, don't jump right in and start responding immediately. ...
- Ask questions to understand the objection entirely. ...
- Respond promptly and properly. ...
- Confirm you've satisfied the objection.
To handle objections, you need to pause, acknowledge, and tell a story. You can even use the acronym PAT if that helps you remember.
How do you respond when clients think you are too expensive? ›
- Ask for context. ...
- Reiterate value. ...
- Tell a story. ...
- Find out why the prospect thinks it's too expensive. ...
- Ask what it would cost the prospect to do nothing. ...
- Temporarily set the price aside. ...
- Ask what a fair price would be. ...
- Compare price to ROI.
- Thank the customer for bringing the issue to your attention. ...
- Listen to what the customer has to say. ...
- Apologize for the inconvenience and explain why the price is what it is. ...
- Find a compromise. ...
- Highlight the value of your products or services.
- Relevance. ...
- Unfair/prejudicial. ...
- Leading question. ...
- Compound question. ...
- Argumentative. ...
- Asked and answered. ...
- Vague. ...
- Foundation issues.
- Listen. ...
- Apologise to difficult customers. ...
- Handle angry customers by showing empathy. ...
- Maintain a calm tone of voice. ...
- Use the customer's name. ...
- Build and maintain trust. ...
- Don't take difficult customers personally. ...
- Handle angry customers using positive language.
- Be empathetic. Empathy can be a powerful tool when discussing customers' issues. ...
- Listen actively. ...
- Separate the issue into smaller issues. ...
- Repeat what the customer says back to them. ...
- Stay calm. ...
- Offer solutions. ...
- Act quickly. ...
- Offer a sincere apology.
- Ambiguous, confusing, misleading, vague, unintelligible: the question is not clear and precise enough for the witness to properly answer.
- Arguing the law: counsel is instructing the jury on the law.
- Argumentative: the question makes an argument rather than asking a question.
- Address Issues Head-On. ...
- Handle It Before It Happens. ...
- Respond To The Real Issue. ...
- Aim To Help Decision Making. ...
- Understand What's Behind The Objection. ...
- Use A Framework. ...
- Reexamine Your Offerings. ...
- Reframe The Objection.
- Tip 1: Be Polite and Respectful. ...
- Tip 2: Provide Point-by-Point Replies to All the Referees' Comments. ...
- Tip 3: Highlighting Changes in Your Manuscript. ...
- Tip 4: Choose the Right Ending. ...
- Tip 5: Becoming a Reviewer.
Example: You're currently in a sales interaction with a customer when they say 'I don't need health insurance, I already have it. ' You decide to handle this objection to your sales pitch by saying, 'I know what it's like when you're tied into a contract.
What is an example of a rebuttal response? ›Example: While it is accurate to say I missed my earnings goal by 10 percent, my evaluation does not mention the fact that the office was closed for three weeks because of flood damage. If you factor in that downtime, I surpassed my objective by 2 percent.
What are the six commonly used techniques to deal with objections? ›
There are six strategies that will help you handle any objection: view the objection as a question, respond to the objection with a question, restate the objection before answering the objection, take a pause before responding, use testimonials and past experiences, and never argue with the customer.
What are three of the six steps in properly handling a customer objection? ›6 Steps for Handling Objections
Validate: Make a statement of validation to show you listened. Ask: Confirm your understanding of the objection by asking a clarifying question. Solve: Answer objections with the appropriate solution. Confirm: Confirm that your solution covers their objection.
- #1: Terminate. "Thank you very much for your time. Please think of us in the future when you're in the market for products and services like ours..."
- #2: Investigate. "OK. I can see that I can't help you right now. ...
- #3: Perseverate. "Are you certain?
There are six strategies that will help you handle any objection: view the objection as a question, respond to the objection with a question, restate the objection before answering the objection, take a pause before responding, use testimonials and past experiences, and never argue with the customer.
How you would turn a customer's objection into an opportunity? ›- Extract the sales objections. Rather than hiding from potential obstacles, good salespeople lean directly into them. ...
- Clarify concerns/issues. Make sure you understand what the prospect is really saying. ...
- Find points of agreement. ...
- Resolve the sales objections.
The Feel, Felt, Found method is easy to use.
This helps your customer to realize two things: first, that you get how they are feeling and also, that they aren't alone. Other customers have been where they are. And finally, you tell the customer what you, or other customers, have found to work in this situation.
There are six major types of objections: product, source, price, money, need, and thinking about it (which is actually a stall).
What is the objection framework? ›Objection is a lightweight dependency injection framework for Objective-C for MacOS X and iOS. For those of you that have used Guice, Objection will feel familiar. Objection was built to stay out of your way and alleviate the need to maintain a large XML container or manually construct objects.
How do you deal with customers making unrealistic demands? ›- Be Positive and Clear.
- Do Not Commit Straight Away.
- Actively Listen To Your Customers.
- Propose Alternate Solutions.
- Try To Resolve Their Issue.
- Follow-Up.
- Understand What's Driving Them. ...
- Operate With Transparency, Candor And Clarity. ...
- Troubleshoot Before Working Together. ...
- Share Real-World Examples Of What Really Works. ...
- Spell It Out And Write It Up. ...
- Consider Whether It's Essential To Keep Their Business. ...
- Don't Be A Pleaser. ...
- Consider The Market Conditions And Deliverability.
How do you deal with a customer who always wants a bargain? ›
- Stay calm. First, don't panic. ...
- Find out the reason. Asking “why,” in a polite way can serve two purposes. ...
- Confirm that price is the only obstacle. ...
- Turn it around. ...
- Ask for something in return. ...
- Be willing to say no.
- Listen to or read the customer's complaint. ...
- Take a moment to process the criticism. ...
- Determine what action you'll take to address the problem. ...
- Thank the customer for their feedback. ...
- Apologize and reiterate your understanding of the issue.
- Get into the right state of mind. ...
- Call them by name. ...
- Show sympathy. ...
- Thank the client for reaching out. ...
- Explain what you're going to do. ...
- Offer a discount. ...
- Sample customer complaint response.
There are other ways you can address their objections as well. You could say, “This is the best price we can do for the scope of services we're offering. Now if you want less scope, we could certainly reduce the price.
How do you tackle clients when they want a discount you can t give? ›- 1) Ask the prospect why price is an issue. ...
- 2) Shift the conversation from price to value. ...
- 3) Offer to provide additional services for the proposed price. ...
- 4) Agree to a deal with different terms. ...
- 6) Agree to a discount only if the customer gives something in return.
- Listen to what the interviewer is asking you. Being an active listener within an interview is vital. ...
- Ask the question. ...
- Validate the concern and put forward examples of how to overcome this. ...
- Follow up with the interviewer to ensure you have addressed this in full.
What is the four-step method for handling objections? To handle sales objections, follow these four steps: encourage and question, confirm understanding, address the concern, and check.
What are the 5 steps to overcome objections? ›- Empathise with your prospect.
- Understand their objections.
- Prepare your own rebuttals.
- Provide examples of your success.
- Circle back and confirm.
- Responding to objections promptly and effectively.
- Price objection: 'This isn't the right price for us. ' ...
- Need objection: 'I'm not sure your product has the features we're looking for. ...
- Trust objection: 'I don't know enough about you or your company. ...
- Stalling objection: 'Give us time to think and we'll circle back.
- Don't take the rejection personally. ...
- Review your sales strategy. ...
- Improve your mindset. ...
- Focus on the next opportunity. ...
- Practice your listening skills and responses. ...
- Observe other sales professionals. ...
- Celebrate your successes.
What are the 5 A's of sales? ›
Named by Dr. Philip Kotler, the five stages (Awareness, Appeal, Ask, Act and Advocacy) allow marketing and sales professionals to create a map of the customer's needs and priorities during the different parts of their purchase process.
What are 7 techniques for handling customer complaints? ›- Listen to the complaint. Thank the customer for bringing the matter to your attention. ...
- Record details of the complaint. ...
- Get all the facts. ...
- Discuss options for fixing the problem. ...
- Act quickly. ...
- Keep your promises. ...
- Follow up.