How to handle objections in sales in an indispensable skill to successful selling. Seeing it as rejection, others call it converting a no to a yes. An objection is a statement made by a prospective buyer (prospect) that casts aspersions about your product or service, is a cry for more information, or it is simply a delaying tactic. The latter could be a reaction to change which is what a purchase represents. Unfortunately, may sales people hit a brick wall when objections arise, and so the sale is lost. Here’s how to handle objections, with sales objections examples.
Put things into perspective
One man’s meat is another man’s poison. Put your product into perspective. See what’s good about your product or service, not what’s wrong with it. In any case, there are no perfect products, only perfect prospects. If you are selling a destination, say hotel, to the objection, “Your hotel is old”, an appropriate response (also called sales objections rebuttal) could be, ‘Old is gold. And a golden experience is what you will get with this package. Here, let me show you how…’ That first statement ‘Old is Gold’ is an acknowledgement, not agreement of what the prospect said.
And it is important. It makes the prospect feel heard and allows you to shift gears respectfully. An acknowledgement builds bridges. The green sales person will, unfortunately, see things from the prospect’s objecting perspective and start lamenting the age of the hotel as the reason he can’t sell. Yet here’s the paradox. If you are selling a spanking new hotel, being the hospitality industry, prospects will object about something else. Likely, “You have very good rooms, but I hear your service is very poor.” Then what? Meaning objections come with the sales territory.
Align to strategic choice
Now sometimes the product feature is by choice. Leadership is aware of the’ problem’ and have sound business reason for not changing it but have a work-around for it. For instance, the prospect objects that, “Your rooms don’t have air conditioning.” An inappropriate sales objections handling technique could be, “Yes, but…” and just like the sales starts spiraling down the drain for two reasons. First, you agreed when you said yes. Agreement energizes the prospect’s position and he can dig in his heels on his perspective.
Secondly, the use of the word ‘but’ created friction. The progressive seller on the other hand would respond with aplomb thus: “Health is wealth. You will notice we also have huge open and green spaces to keep things as natural as possible and allow free circulation of air. If, however, you need your room cold, we will note to have a chillier in it. Would you like me to note that down in your booking?”
Close as final step on how to handle objections in sales
When an objection has been handled move immediately to attempt to close. And that is what the previous response does with the final question, “Would you like me to note that down in your booking?” Failure to do so leaves room for further objections to be raised thus lengthening the sale. And notice the permission selling technique used. “Would you like me to….”. This is in keeping with the hospitality industry where selling through service is the most sustainable gambit.
Even for what seems to be the most difficult sales objections, putting it into perspective, and attempting to close is a practical method of handling customer objections.
Read: Use the power of reframing as a catalyst for sales success.
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