Overcoming Objections – Tips for Handling Common Sales Challenges

Objection-handling is an integral part of selling, so being prepared can ensure a swift response when they arise.

When your prospect brings up an objection, use it as an opportunity to demonstrate the value of your product or service. Just make sure that you remain calm and listen closely – stay quiet until they stop questioning it!

1. Listen to Your Prospect

Salespeople tend to rush into a standard sales pitch without taking enough time to listen and understand their prospects’ problems, leaving the customer unsatisfied and their needs unmet.

As an effective listener, it is necessary to let go of your script and read your buyer’s signals through their words, tone of voice, facial expressions and body language. Listening is a skill which requires practice and training.

Restating or paraphrasing what your prospect says in your own words will show them that you understand their situation and empathize with their struggle, making a statement about why your solution can meet their needs more convincing. This step should play an essential role in convincing them of this relationship between us.

2. Ask Questions

When your prospect presents you with an objection, ask them questions to fully understand their concern and build trust with your prospect. Gong discovered that average salespeople tend to interrupt when an objection is raised against them; top performers stay calm while exuding confidence so as to foster honesty among buyers.

For instance, if your prospect objects to the price of your product, asking why will help identify its source and provide you with an opportunity to reframe it into something positive. Nearly all objections stem from lack of capacity or ability, so asking questions will enable you to identify these sources and develop strategies to overcome them.

3. Listen to Their Response

As you progress with the sales process, prospects will pose various objections that require specific responses – some related to pricing while others concern time and urgency.

To help identify their root objection, try asking questions about what’s holding them back from buying your solution. If they claim money is the issue, probe into why money matters in their eyes as you explain your solution to them.

Customer testimonials illustrating how your product has helped similar businesses with similar challenges are an effective way of proving you are worthy investments. Anticipating objections early in the sales process will reduce resistance as discussions progress further, then reframing them so they become less of a barrier and more of an indicator that your prospect may be ready to buy from you.

4. Reframe the Objection

As a salesperson, your goal should always be to avoid having an objection derail a sale. With that in mind, it’s vitally important to prepare an action plan for handling common objections prior to every call and have neutral recommendations available so as to keep the conversation moving without making prospects feel frustrated and impatient with their concerns.

Chris Voss of FBI Negotiator Chris Voss suggests in his book Never Split the Difference that repeating back a person’s concerns as a way of showing empathy and showing you understand their viewpoint. Apply this technique when selling to prospects to validate their concerns and demonstrate you can work through their challenges together.

Preparing to handle specific objections like lack of need or belief that you cannot meet price can also help ease potential buyer doubt. Customer testimonials or ROI data may help deflect these objections and create trust between buyer and seller.

5. Ask for Their Feedback

Your sales team can be an invaluable ally when it comes to handling common objections. They can assist in identifying and eliminating leads with less chance of becoming ideal customers while prioritizing those with the greatest chance.

Have your sales team discuss common objections with you, then tweak and test response templates accordingly. This will enable you to improve response times while giving your team confidence that they can handle any type of objection that comes their way.

When confronted by an objection from your buyer, it’s essential that you listen attentively and comprehend their words fully in order to provide an adequate response that addresses their needs and addresses their concerns. Furthermore, acknowledge their discomfort while restating it so they see you understand their needs fully.