How to Combat Objections During a Sale

In sales, you must always be ready to use objection resolution methods. Remember that if your client tries to say no, he is not ready to hang up. Give him a pressing reason to stay on the line and further consider your offer. Always project genuine interest in their needs and confidence. Through your voice and words, let them know you care about their thoughts on this, and avoid an attitude that the prospect intends to reject you despite anything you say. Good questions to turn objections around are targeted and get to why the prospect is concerned.

There are a number of don'ts in the art of objection resolution. Don't ever ask questions that don't address the issue your prospect is concerned about. Never be insulting toward the client or his intelligence. Don't switch from one demand to another and don't try to tell the prospect what they're really saying. Never give up and also don't admit you aren't in power at your business if that is the case. Try to learn how the prospect thinks but don't express such thoughts. Finally, if a client gets upset, never get angry or take it personally.

Before acting, take a minute to test yourself. What would you say if a prospect said your prices were unreasonable? How would you respond if the client said your product is just too unusual for the company? Are you using empathy? Are you asking "Why" questions? Are you gearing your answers to the client's needs? Do you really support what you're doing?

Always make sure any questions you ask are appropriate. Many salespeople are afraid to offend people by questioning. They also worry that if they start asking questions, they will give up control of the call to the client. However, this can be combated by using transitions to pull the prospect back into your "problem-solving." Prospects don't mind questions if they expect an incentive. A good word to use is "feedback." Always remember that no service is perfect. The best kind of question gets to "Why?" Remember questions also help you get good background on your prospect.

Prepare to ask different kinds of questions in advance. Make sure you find out who makes decisions or influences them. Don't be afraid to ask questions that relate to the client-salesperson relationship, such as about time to call, billing, and your own work. Ask questions about how the business operates. Once the relationship is established, ask about company problems and possible solutions and always make sure your questions get to the need.