Ten Ways to Handle Sales Objections

1. Always try and ANTICIPATE objections in your presentation and COUNTER-OBJECT before the prospect gets the chance to use them. Too many sales people wait until objections come along. This makes more hard work that is often not necessary with efficient script planning.

2. Never rush your response to an objection. STOP and REFLECT. Show the customer you are listening! Sales people often respond too quickly in these situations. This will often create friction with the client which could also be avoided.

3. Repeat the objection back to the customer. This will buy you time and it will also show that you are interested in what they have to say. It’s a good idea to say the same thing but with slightly different wording. It just sounds a bit more natural and less construed.

4. Remember that objections are often a "BUYING SIGNAL" because the customer is questioning your offer. If they had no interest, why would they still be talking to you? Watch out for an objection that is followed by another question! This is another sign that the customer is interested even though their “tone” may not make it that obvious.

5. Ask the customer if they are interested if you think that their objection is just a SMOKESCREEN. Smokescreen objections can be a real time waster for sales people and unfortunately even the more seasoned professionals can fall into this trap. Some clients can feel overpowered by a confident sales person and there only escape is to create a “false objection” A simple way to eradicate this type of problem is by further probing in order to make sure that the objection is genuine.

6. Remember that statistically speaking 3 OBJECTIONS are needed before a person will buy. How many sales people give up after the first or second objection without realizing that this person would have bought if they had persisted a little more? This can be particularly the case when a sales person is experiencing a “Bad Patch”

7. Objections are part and parcel of the Sales Process. Don't let them stop you from reaching your goals. Yes it’s true that objections can be a form of unwelcome distraction but the true professional doesn’t let them ever get in the way of end goals.

8. LISTEN carefully to objections. They often hold valuable clues about the client's needs and PAIN. An objection can often reveal important information that is often worth noting because even if the customer doesn’t buy on this occasion you may know what buttons to press the next time you speak to them.

9. The better you explain your offer, the less objections you will hear! It’s important to articulate your presentation in a way that the prospect clearly understands what you’re on about. This will help to avoid objections that arise from not clearly understanding what you have said.

10. Wouldn't selling be boring if people never objected? This may appear strange at first but I actually think some customers enjoy the “bartering element” of buying and sales people should be fully aware of this. In my career I’ve often been congratulated for my persistence. I sometimes imagined that the client hated me by the time we were closing the deal. The reality was often very different in that they actually complimented my stamina and will to overcome all the obstacles that stood in the way.

This article was written by Sales Expert and Sales Course Creator David Lynch who has written many books such as “Making The Seller” and “39 Mistakes to Avoid in Sales” He offers lots of valuable FREE sales tips on his website www.makingtheseller.com