Don't Handle Objections, Embrace Them

Network marketers have been taught by training programs, their up line and printed material that they have to “handle objections” as a matter of course, to get to the sale. BS. Objections aren’t really “objections”, but rather an invitation from the buyer to make a connection to us. Thank them for the invitation, and connect with them. Look, it’s a proven fact, buyers present 58% more objections than non-buyers, and that is before they buy. It’s their way of forcing you keep connecting until you establish trust. They already know they have a need, you already know you have the solution (presumably), so once there is trust, you two can get to the “does this solution fit”?

Let me put it another way… your goal as a salesperson is to help your client, which means you guys are on the same side, right?

It’s not a contest, it’s not a debate, it’s the beginning of a relationship. (Hence the term relationship marketing) So get into what the objection is. Find out what’s really behind it. What are they worried about? What does that matter? How does that work? What happens then? What’s at stake for the client? It might take a few questions to get to the root cause, concern or problem. Your job is to uncover the truth. Bring it out into the light of day and examine it. Frequently, the buyer will throw up an objection that isn’t really what they are concerned about. It’s a reflex action. You have to listen closely and ask questions to find what their real concern is. This is an important step in the process. Skip this at your own peril. If you don’t deal with the questions and objections, and I mean all of them, they will linger in your prospect’s mind, even if you do manage to “make the sale”. (Buyers Remorse is a common term for it) Another is “unproductive member of your team”.

Okay, having said all that, let’s get down to brass-tacks. How exactly, do you deal with your prospects concerns, step by step? There are a lot of formula’s out there, I am sure you have seen one or more of them. I have a couple that are favorites, which I will detail here…(can’t remember where I got this one, wish I could…)

· Step #1: Hear your prospect out - Really listen.

· Step #2: Restate the objection.

· Step #3: Expound on it.

· Step #4: Isolate it.

· Step #5: Answer it.

· Step #6: Have your prospect agree that you've answered it.

· Step #7: Transition to the next close.

· Step #1: Hear your prospect out - really listen.

Step #1: Hear Your Prospect Out

What's important to remember is that although your prospect's concern may seem insignificant to you, it's very real and very significant to them. Don't cut him short, and don't be apathetic. Keep your ears open and your mouth shut. Listen and listen very attentively. Only then can you truly decipher what your prospect is really saying.

Step #2: Restate The Objection.

Believe it or not, sometimes this is all it takes for your prospect to realize just how silly or unfounded his objection really is. By hearing his own objection coming from your mouth, it sometimes minimizes the impact or significance of it. The key here is how you restate it, your tone and inflection, and always follow up with a benefit. For example, your prospect says, "I can't afford $500 to get started." Your response would be, "You can't afford $500 for a possible return of $5,000 a month in just 12 short months?" However, the way you say it should make your prospect hear it like this: "What? Are you crazy? You can't afford $500 for this kind of return? Are you nuts or just certifiably insane? I can't believe you just said that!"

Step #3: Expound On It.

Get your prospect to talk about his concern. This is where it pays to listen very attentively. By getting your prospect to expound on the issue, it sometimes leads to the real crux of the issue. For example, maybe your prospect's objection is "I don't know how to do MLM." Your response would be, "Explain what you mean by that." "Well, I just wouldn't know where to start or how to begin." So the real issue here is a perceived lack of prospects to call on. That's an easy one to overcome. But if we get our prospect to elaborate on it, sometimes they come to their own conclusion that it's really not an obstacle after all.

Step #4: Isolate It.

By isolating the objection, you're eliminating any other reason or reasons your prospect may have for not signing up. This is a critical step in the process, so as not to put all your energy and resources into overcoming a money issue, when in fact, he also has to talk it over with his wife. For example, "Mr. Jones, in addition to your concern of coming up with the initial investment of $500, is there any other reason you can think of that would keep you from getting started in your own business today?" "Well, I would still need to talk it over with my wife." At that point, it would be prudent to involve his wife before attempting to address the money concern. If his response would have been "No, everything is fine, I just don't see how I can come up with $500," then you've isolated the objection and you can begin to answer it. Remember, the key here is being firm and direct with your prospect and getting a commitment to join before you appease his concern. "Mr. Jones, if we could find a way to come up with the $500, is there any other reason, any at all, that would keep you from getting started immediately?"

Step #5: Answer it

When answering objections, there are three golden rules you must always live by:

1. Never argue with your prospect. No matter how insane an objection may sound to you, it doesn't sound that way to your prospect. Remember, you're in this business to feed your mouth, not your ego.

2. Don't make the mistake of being perceived as attacking prospects personally when addressing their objections. Be sensitive to their feelings and show respect for their objections. It's not your job to prove them wrong. You're there to empathize with their concerns and show them through new information how their fears are groundless.

3. Lead them to overcome their own objections. People don't like to be sold; they like to be informed. By giving them proper information, they can make their own intelligent decisions.

To further illustrate Step #5, let's assume my prospect Mr. Jones' objection is, "I just don't know enough people to get involved in this kind of business." Let's also assume that I've already taken him through the first four steps, and I'm now ready to overcome his concern of not knowing enough people. The following is an example of how I would address his concern:

"Mr. Jones, I understand your concern. In fact, I understand it all too well. It was only 8 months ago that I sat in my living room thinking the very same thing when I first looked at this opportunity. I remember thinking, 'Who in the world do I know that I could possibly introduce this business opportunity to? Maybe 10 people if I'm lucky.' Then my upline sponsor gave me what's called a Memory Jogger List, and I was amazed at just how many people I really did know. It's incredible. Between the newspaper delivery man, my chiropractor, insurance agent, next door neighbor and all the rest, I came up with more than 300 people I could call on immediately. Chances are we can come up with even more than that for you."

"Mr. Jones, if I could provide you the same list, do you feel that would be sufficient in getting you enough people to call on to get started immediately?" "Sure, but what if I can't reach all of them?" "That's okay, because chances are you won't reach the majority of them. In fact, I only reached a mere 10% of the 300 I came up with on my list, and then only 10% of them got involved. But that's all it took to start me well on my way to financial freedom, and having the time with my family to enjoy it. And if I'm reading you right, and I think I am, that's exactly what you want for your family, isn't it?" "Yes."

Step #6: Have your prospect agree that you've answered it

This is self-explanatory. As in the case of Mr. Jones, he's already agreed that the Memory Jogger List would appease his concern about a lack of people to call on, and therefore be able to get started immediately. However, if I really want to be sure, I add, "Do you see how the concern you had about not knowing enough people is really no concern at all with the help of the Memory Jogger List?"

Step #7: Transition to the next close

Don't put too much credence on the term, "Closing the sale." All it simply means is bringing the presentation to the next logical conclusion, which culminates in your prospect signing the application. However, it sometimes takes more than one attempt to get a prospect to commit. As in the case of Mr. Jones, his concern was a lack of people to call on. Once I appeased his concern, and I got him to agree that I did, I would then transition to the next close. For example: "Mr. Jones, now that we see just how many potential prospects you do have to call on, let's get your application in right away, so that we can get you started making money immediately."

In closing, understand that objections are a natural part of the entire sales process. They are as common as night and day, and therefore shouldn't be feared. View them as invitations from our prospects to further enlighten and inform them. Expect them, embrace them, and be challenged by them. Make a list of the most common objections you encounter - then write at least three different responses for each objection.

Keep in mind that each response should address the objection from a completely different angle. What might make sense to one prospect may have no relevance to another. After writing your responses, practice your delivery. Get with your upline or someone who can be objective, and practice, practice, practice. Only through repetition and frequent application will you gain the confidence to overcome even the toughest of obstacles. Once you do though, the sky's the limit!