Focusing on Objections

Most salespeople focus on objections. Having the right, best responses memorized. Practicing what they will say in certain situations. Being ready at a moment’s notice to confront and overcome an objection .It’s viewed as just being a part of sales.

Objections happen. It’s normal, standard, expected.

I have written before about how objections aren’t actually a requirement of being in sales. In fact, if they are happening to you in every or even most of your conversations, then you are actually doing something really wrong. [LINK – Liam…not sure what article]

I have also written an eBook about Objections…and the fact that there is a significant difference in the meaning and response to an Objections, Question and a Concern [https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Consultants-Guide-Overcoming-Objections-ebook/dp/B08PZCVNBC]

Did you realize there is a difference between those three? Most salespeople don’t realize it, they hit everything in any of those categories like it’s an Objection.

That is like buying a hammer and thinking everything in the world is a nail that you need to hit as hard as you can.

Handling Concerns

Now, for this article I want to discuss Concerns – both the spoken and unspoken ones.

Spoken concerns are easy to spot, if you are actually listening (a lot of salespeople think they are good listeners, but they aren’t). If someone brings up a concern about the price, they will make it pretty clear.

Again, a Concern will be stated in a certain way. “That price seems high” is a concern. Concerns can be addressed so that it doesn’t become an objection.

If you don’t help them work through their concern(s), they won’t move forward with the sale – if it’s a category that is a deal breaker for them.

Recognizing Deal Breakers

How will you know if it’s a deal breaker? They will seem hung up on it. They will appear to be struggling to move forward.

Here is tricky part with sales – when do you press forward and when do you need to handle that concern? For some people (everyone is different) if certain concerns (all concerns are different) go unresolved, they will stop listening to you.

How will you know? Listen, watch, pay attention.

Ever been speaking with someone who keeps checking their phone? Maybe they aren’t trying to be rude, there could be something going on in their world that is distracting them.

Stopping the Sales Process to Address Concerns

That is what it could look and sound like if your prospect has an unresolved Concern.

They are hung up on something that they cannot move past. In that moment, once you observe them being stuck mentally, stop whatever you are trying to do or say. Immediately say something like, “You seem like you are thinking about something, do you have a question about something?”

Having Confidence to Address Concerns

Now – this takes a lot of confidence and guts to say.

Most salespeople want to just steamroll forward, hoping they can overcome anything in that person’s mind just with sheer willpower, talking points, or brute sales force.

But – and here is the key – if there is an unresolved Concern in their mind – nothing you say will matter anyway. And even if you did get them to buy today, they will cancel/return/complain tomorrow. You won’t win long term.

So you might as well stop that bus right here, right now.

Getting Prospects to Voice Their Concerns

I am a big fan of “Seems like there is something you are thinking about or stuck on, what’s going on in your head?”. Let’s just call it like it is and let them come clean.

This goes for those Concerns they don’t voice, where you can tell something is “up” on their end.

Remember…here are the keys to success in Sales:
• Actually Listen! Not the listening you think you do as a salesperson…but true, active listening
• Actually ask good questions
• Actually care about people
• Have confidence in yourself, your product, and your company
• Don’t just steamroll the sales presentation

Letting Prospects Off the Hook

Back to the bus analogy…this isn’t Speed...the bus can stop.
It’s okay if people get off the bus. Don’t be so afraid of losing your prospects that you have to keep the bus moving at all times or it will explode.

The right prospects who will get value from your product will be grateful that you helped resolve their Concerns.
That you cared enough to help them through their mental battles, instead of just doing what every other salesperson does – battle everything like an objection that needs to be hit with a large hammer and squashed.