8
Dealing with Objections: Return to the Land of Discovery
Objections: when it comes to sales, it's one of the issues sales professionals are most interested in. That's because all sales professionals, regardless of tenure or industry, have come face to face at least once with an insurmountable objection that they just couldn't overcome and, because of that, lost the sale.
These losses can for a long time nag sales professionals, who mull them over again and again, thinking that if they just could have overcome that one objection, they would have made the sale. These lost sales become the stuff of legends, those war stories about duking it out with customers—they hit you with an objection; you hit back with a solution. They hit you; you hit back.
All too often, objections result in epic battles between the customer and the sales rep—battles that, in all reality, no one actually wins. But objections should never turn into a battle of wills. Objections aren't about the battle, the art of war, or the sword and armor you bring to the table. Dealing with objections, rather, is about letting go and getting on the same side as your customer. Sales reps who try to overcome objections by showering the customer with more and more information, punch after punch, will struggle to close the deal—not to mention to build trust. But top-performing sales professionals understand that dealing with objections isn't about wearing down the customer. Top performers don't show up with a fighting mentality. Instead, they first seek to understand why the customer is objecting and then they take the time to learn about the customer's point of view in order to work toward a solution.
We understand that dealing with objections is a key issue for sales professionals. It's one of the trickiest challenges sales reps face and one of the main reasons why sales derail. But it doesn't have to be. In this chapter, we'll look at what objections are, why objections arise, how sales professionals can prepare for objections, how to reduce the number of objections, and, importantly, how to overcome any objection a customer can throw your way.
Recognize Real Objections
Defining what an objection is can be challenging—although we understand that you likely can recognize an objection when you hear one. The problem, though, is that some sales reps hear objections even where there aren't any. Instead, they hear objections in simple questions that customers ask just to better understand you and your product or service.
So let's look first at what objections are not. Objections are not questions about your company, products, or services; your approach; your previous track record; or how you compare to the competition. Objections should not be heard in questions such as these:
- How do I know your product will deliver on my expectations?
- What other solutions similar to this have you implemented?
- How does your product compare to that of Company OtherGuy?
- What service level guarantees do you offer?
Objections go beyond questions such as these. They are more than just challenging customer questions. Objections, rather, are statements that have the potential of stalling or ending the sales process altogether if not handled correctly. Real objections sound like this:
- I don't think you're the right fit for what we're looking for.
- The level of service you have outlined will not be sufficient for us.
- I'm not sure you can really deliver on the promises you're making.
- I don't think it's the right time to move forward with the solution you've presented.
Although most sales reps fear objections, the truth is that objections aren't such a bad thing. When a customer offers an objection, you have a critical opportunity to gain insight into his thought process and what he is concerned about—if you handle the moment the right way. You need to be able to uncover information about what is important to him and reveal the details about where your proposed solution has not met his expectations. Objections also can indicate areas that you didn't address properly or areas that you failed to cover adequately when discovering your customer's needs, values, and priorities. In fact, most objections arise not out of thin air but because something was missed during the sales process.
Understand Why Objections Come Up
Objections might be aired by a customer in any number of ways, but they usually boil down to one thing: the customer doesn't see the value in the solution you have presented. He doesn't see how a particular offering, product, or service meets his needs, either in whole or in part.
The reasons for this are varied, but, more often than not, it comes down to the fact that the sales professional didn't deliver.
We hate to say it, but it's true. Unfortunately, objections generally come up because the salesperson didn't get something right. There are any number of reasons why this might happen, including:
- The sales rep failed to connect with the customer and build rapport.
- The salesperson presented features and benefits before fully understanding the customer's needs.
- The salesperson presented a solution that was off the mark.
- The customer didn't feel that he was being heard by the salesperson.
- The salesperson tried to rush the sales process.
While we'll get into how to handle objections in just a moment, we want to share a thought: by reading this book, you have already begun dealing with objections, perhaps without even realizing it. By implementing the skills we've covered in this book, you will reduce the number of objections you receive from customers. It starts in the opening. Setting clear expectations and connecting with customers early on encourages them to open up and share information freely. This sets you up for your success during discovering as you ask the right questions and actively listen to the answers in order to truly understand your customers' needs. Once you have a complete understanding of their needs, you are well positioned to present compelling solutions that are linked to those needs. This provides you with the momentum you need to confidently advocate for your solution and gain agreement from the customer to move forward. In doing so, you have likely addressed objections that would have otherwise come up, which in turn accelerates the sales process and helps you close more deals.
Of course, that doesn't mean that you won't face any objections. In fact, it would be odd if you didn't hear at least one or two from your customer. The key is that you anticipate objections and handle them well.
Be Prepared for Objections
One of the most important aspects to handling objections effectively is being prepared for them. Planning plays a key role here. Think back to our discussion in Chapter 3, where we looked at why planning matters. Look back, too, to the precall planner we shared (see Figure 3.2). Planning is critical when it comes to anticipating not only your customer's needs, priorities, and values but also any objections he might have. It's a lot easier to handle objections when you're ready for them and have thought through how you might handle them.
Top performers understand this, and they learn to put themselves in their customers' shoes in order to prepare for objections that might arise during the sales process. This is good practice, and one that all sales reps, regardless of tenure or industry, can—and should—work on.
Think about your customer. In light of the needs, priorities, and objectives she has shared with you, ask yourself what objections might be lingering in the back of her mind. Is price going to be an issue? How might customer service issues affect the sale? What kind of timing, scheduling, or deadlines might give your customer pause? Are there any delivery, shipping, or logistics issues that might present a problem for her? Think about similar customers you have dealt with and recall the objections they have raised. How did you handle those concerns with those customers?
When you take the time to put yourself in your customer's shoes, you are better positioned to anticipate and handle any objections that she might raise.
Objections can pop up at any point in the selling cycle. Regardless of whether they arise during closing or at some other point in the process, the key issue isn't just when you handle them but also how you do so. In fact, how you handle those objections says a lot about you as a sales professional. It can be easy to become overwhelmed when faced with a barrage of objections. A lot of sales reps become defensive in the face of objections. But it's important to remain calm, polite, and professional when dealing with objections, and preparing will help you do so.
Remember, too, that top-performing sales professionals treat objections as opportunities. They not only prepare for objections but also handle them right away, directly and politely, instead of shying away from them or skirting the issue. Top performers also consider objections to be a good sign—a sign that their customers trust them enough to share their concerns with them. In fact, it's better that your customer open up to you about her objections than keep mum. When a customer voices her concerns, you have the chance to address them. If she keeps silent, you'll never know what you could have done better or differently.
We've done a lot of research into this area of the sales process, and we've discovered a few key things that top-performing sales reps do consistently to handle objections. In addition to putting themselves in their customer's shoes so they can anticipate objections that might arise, top performers follow a process to handle objections in a way that doesn't increase defensiveness and allows them to work through the concern side by side with the customer. They employ four critical skills that get to the heart of each objection so they can better address their customer's concerns (empathize, understand, address, and confirm).
Work through Objections
How you handle objections says a lot about you. Our research shows that sales reps handle objections in a variety of ways. The most common is to instantly counter with additional information and present features and benefits in an attempt to overcome the customer's concerns. This is not an approach we advise.
When a sales rep tosses out a bunch of features and benefits in response to hearing an objection, that sales rep is essentially telling his customer that she's got it all wrong or that she has misunderstood something. As a result, chances are the customer will simply clam up and tune out whatever is said next. She might well become frustrated or defensive, which does no good when it comes to building rapport and earning trust. Countering an objection by immediately volleying with features and benefits often simply leads to a vicious circle of objections versus benefits. When this happens, the likelihood of overcoming the customer's concerns is decreased.
Instead of entering into an argument with your customer about objections and benefits, it is important to stay neutral and be patient. Do what you can to diffuse any tension that might surround the objection and show your customer that you are putting her needs first. To this end, our research shows that instead of becoming combative, top-performing sales professionals do what they can to project calm and confidence, avoid confrontation and chaos, and continue to engage the customer in an open conversation. In doing so, they use four critical skills:
- Empathize
- Understand
- Address
- Confirm
Empathize
There is power in empathy—as long as it's genuine. True empathy tells your customer that you heard her objection, are willing to listen to her concerns, and understand where she's coming from. Fake, insincere, or affected empathy is easily detected by your customer and can easily backfire, eroding all the rapport, credibility, and trust you've worked so hard to engender.
Some sales reps are afraid to show empathy because they fear it indicates agreement with their customers. They don't necessarily want to give the impression that they agree with the customer's concern that, say, the tailored solution they've offered is too complex. But empathy isn't about agreement. It simply indicates that you're willing to hear the customer's objections and to consider her point of view. In demonstrating empathy, you need not say, “You're right, Jane: Product X is really complex.” Instead, the key is to keep the tone of the conversation in check while making it clear that you understand the customer's objection and that you respect her opinion. So instead of agreeing with her, you can empathize with her by saying something similar to, “I understand that the complexity of the product is an important consideration for you.”
Tone here is just as critical as language. This speaks again to the fact that how you say something says as much as what you say. Because it can be easy to become defensive in the face of objections, it's important to slow down and diffuse any tension that surrounds the conversation. Be respectful. Politely show respect toward the customer's objection and let her know that you are ready to listen to her in order to find out where the objection is coming from. The approach here isn't about telling the customer why her objection is unwarranted or insignificant; it's about opening up a path to discovering where the objection stems from.
Remember that objections rarely come out of the blue. There's typically something important behind an objection that's driving the customer's decision. In empathizing with the customer, you can turn an objection into an opportunity to dig deeper and discover what it is that really concerns your customer.
For instance, your customer might raise an objection about the time line for product delivery. She might say, “Well, Product X might work well enough for us, but it just doesn't seem that you can get it to us when we really need it.”
The average sales rep might see this as a chance to respond with a recitation of features and benefits in order to reiterate how well the product itself might suit the customer's needs. But top performers take a moment to consider what the customer is really saying and to show some empathy. So instead of volleying with a bunch of specs and data, a top performer would say something along the lines of, “I'm glad to hear that Product X seems as though it might be a good fit for you, and I understand that timely delivery is of utmost importance to you.”
Demonstrating some empathy keeps the conversation going, while being combative could shut it down. Empathy opens the door to understanding the core issue so that you can address it properly.
Understand
Countering an objection with features and benefits and specs and data is a natural response and usually a well-intentioned one. It's typical to want to overcome objections by providing information that might sway the customer and convince her that the solution you've presented is exactly right for her.
But when we fail to seek to understand what's driving the customer's objection, we miss an opportunity to learn more about the customer and what's important to her. By volleying with information, we run the risk of making assumptions about what really concerns the customer. When we make assumptions, it can be easy to jump to conclusions in a clumsy attempt to resolve the objection. And in doing so, we can all too easily address the wrong problem or address the concern incompletely. This is what happens when we don't understand what's really bothering the customer.
Customers might object for any number of reasons. But no matter what words they use, it's the sentiment behind the objection that really matters. Your customer might say something along the lines of, “Product X looks really great, but the timing isn't really right for us.” But what does that mean?
Your job isn't to respond with a list of features and benefits to shore up the solution you've presented. It's to find out what is really behind your customer's objection. It's important that you understand what's driving the objection so that you can address the real issue. Given that, you might say, “I understand that it's important to make a decision at the right time. If you don't mind me asking, what concerns do you have about the timing?”
An open-ended question such as this prompts further discussion. It serves as a gentle reminder that you are a trusted advisor, one who is willing to listen to his customer so that he can provide counsel. Getting your customer to open up a bit might reveal that the issue isn't so much about timing but about a lack of staff to successfully implement the new product. Further exploration might reveal, for example, that your customer is in the midst of a hiring process that's taking longer than expected, which means that she needs more time before implementing the solution you have advocated.
You might or might not be able to address your customer's concerns and overcome her real objections. But if you don't ask, you'll never understand what's behind them. By empathizing with your customer and seeking to understand the core issue, you can strive to change her perception. You can help her talk through her needs and work through the objection. Only then can you hope to address the issue.
Address
Average sales reps jump straight to this point without empathizing with their customers or understanding the real issues driving the objections. But if you don't understand what's behind the objection, there's really no way to effectively address it.
A trusted advisor seeks to overcome an objection only after striving to understand what the core issue is. Once you understand what the real issue is, you have to ask yourself whether you can actually overcome the objection and satisfy your customer's needs. Either you can or you can't.
If you can satisfy the customer's need, explain how you can do so. This will be the time to highlight those features and benefits that will meet the customer's needs. But be sure to address only those features and benefits that are relevant to the specific objection in question. Don't overwhelm your customer with a recitation of all the specs and data about your product or service. Explain precisely which features and benefits apply to the customer's objection, why they matter, and how they will address her concerns.
Of course, you might not be able to overcome some objections. Your customer might demand an unrealistic delivery schedule, a price you can't match, or a level of service you can't provide. If that's the case, it's important to acknowledge the fact that you can't meet that need—but it's also important to reframe the conversation, focusing on the needs that you can meet with the solution you've tailored for your customer and examining where on the customer's list of priorities this unmet need falls.
In dealing with a need you can't meet, focus on what can be done rather than on what can't be done. Help your customer see the big picture, highlighting the ways in which the solution you have presented meets so many of the customer's other needs, priorities, and objectives. Explore with her the importance of the objection she's raised. You might find that, in actuality, it's a nice-to-have-issue rather than a need-to-have issue.
Don't get hung up on what you can't do, and don't give up on the sale too early. This requires some patience and finesse, keeping your own emotions in check while discussing the issue with your customer. You don't want to push your customer. Rather, it's important to discuss the issue with her, ask questions so that you really understand what the core issue is, and then address the objection—explaining how you can satisfy the need—or refocus the conversation on the big picture.
Confirm
As throughout the rest of the Critical Selling framework, it's important when working through objections and addressing the core issues surrounding them to confirm with your customer that you're on the same page. It is a risky and outright dangerous move to assume that the information you provided alleviated her concern. Unlike when you seek to understand the core issue behind your customer's objection, where you would ask an open-ended question, here you should ask a closed-ended question to confirm. You might say, for instance, “Now that we've discussed how Product X can be rolled out in phases, does that address your concerns about timing?” This is important because you want to ensure that you get a direct response and that you have completely addressed her concern before moving on.
If you get a positive response, it's time to move on in the process. If, however, some lingering objections remain, keep asking questions. Return to the Land of Discovery and dig deeper into the issues. Take the time to address all the questions and concerns your customer has.
Once all questions have been answered and objections resolved, confirm agreement again. Asking a question such as, “Now that we've come up with an alternative solution, does that address your concerns?” gives your customer one more chance to voice her agreement so that you can move forward together as partners in finalizing the purchasing decision.
Of course, objections might come up at any point in the process, not just at closing. The key is to address them promptly, directly, politely, and thoroughly—and then return to wherever you were in the process. If your customer airs concerns during the discovering stage, be grateful that she is giving you an opportunity to address her concerns rather than being silent. Ask questions to get to the heart of the issue and use the information you gain from the discussion to frame how your solution addresses her needs. If that addresses her concern, you can then continue on wherever you were in the sales process before the customer voiced her concern. If objections don't pop up until you're in the midst of closing the deal, you take the same approach, work through the four critical skills, and, once the concern is satisfied, go back to where you were.
Remember, too, that customers sometimes object for reasons they can't even fully articulate. Customers often have hidden needs that even they don't fully understand. Work with them to uncover what's at the heart of their concerns. You will notice that many objections are vague in nature and need some exploring in order to truly understand what the concern is and where it's coming from.
Of course, you might address each and every one of your customer's objections and still not win her business—for any number of reasons. Keep in mind, though, that by following the Critical Selling framework, you are more likely to close the deal, and to close it more quickly and with fewer objections. Also remember, however, that it's not always about this particular sale on this very day with this specific customer. You're in this for the long haul.
As you've worked through the process, you've done what you can to connect with your customer, build rapport, and earn her trust. As a trusted advisor, you've consulted with your customer in order to provide her with a solution uniquely tailored to meet her needs—and to work with her best interests in mind. Your goal is to address her concerns and move forward in the process. But if she doesn't, do whatever you can to maintain goodwill, because today's prospect might well be tomorrow's customer.
Maintain Goodwill and Ask for Feedback
The sales process can be fraught with emotion. Customers might feel pressured by organizational demands, schedules, budgets, and so on. So, too, might sales professionals feel the pressure of sales goals and quotas, deadlines, and other performance measures. With competing interests and individual agendas at play, it's important to keep in mind that emotions can sometimes overtake logic during the sales process. But that doesn't translate into a green light to throw professionalism out the window.
Regardless of when a customer voices objections—or the tone or volume in which she does so—it's important to communicate your points clearly and concisely as well as politely and professionally. Whether she raises one objection or a dozen, and even if she delivers a final no, it's important to maintain goodwill. Remember that in dealing with objections, it's important to do nothing that might jeopardize the trust you've earned with your customer.
Despite your best efforts, you might well make a great presentation and get deep into the closing phase of the process only to hear a game-changing objection from your customer. She might raise any number of seemingly insurmountable objections. She might even indicate that she doesn't want to move ahead at all with the solution you have recommended.
It can be all too easy in such a situation to become defensive or to take objections as personal or professional rejection. Keep in mind, though, the importance of maintaining a positive impression with your customer. Remember that you might not close this deal but that you could well have other successful business dealings with this customer in the future. How you handle objections might affect your customer's perception of you and your organization, enhancing or hampering your ability to work together in the future.
When you have exhausted all opportunities and the customer indicates that the deal is dead, be sure to thank the customer for taking the time to speak with you, to discuss her needs, and for sharing with you the details of the situation that brought you together in the first place. Let her know how important she is to you and your organization and that, despite any objections she has raised, you will be available in the future to help her whenever you can. Doing so reminds your customer that your conversation hasn't been just about selling a particular widget to her, but that it has been about consulting with and advising her in the hopes of coming together on a mutually beneficial solution. No matter how disappointed you might be, there's no reason to destroy the confidence your customer has in you, the rapport you have shared, or the trust you've earned. Do what you can to maintain goodwill.
Do also what you can to turn a “no” into a learning opportunity. Take the time to ask for feedback in order to learn why you didn't win the business this time. If the final answer is no, ask your customer if she would be willing to share with you the factors that contributed to her decision. Ask her to discuss anything lacking in the product or service you offered and how that affected her perception of the solution you recommended. Ask if there was anything you did or did not do that influenced her decision.
Remember that asking for feedback should by no means feel as though you're pressuring your customer or attempting to change her mind. Now is not the time to go for the hard sell. Instead, now is the time to maintain goodwill and look to the future. The feedback you gain during this discussion can help you carry on a productive, ongoing relationship with the customer.
No one likes getting negative feedback. It's no fun to hear “no” from your customers. But it's critical not to take objections personally, instead handling them professionally and with empathy. Top-performing sales professionals understand that overcoming objections requires them to ask questions and listen attentively—just as they have done throughout the entire selling conversation.
When you take the time to work with your customer to get to the bottom of each of her objections, you are in a better position to maintain the kind of goodwill that helps you close the deal. That keeps you in good stead as a trusted advisor with your customer, sealing your reputation as a top-performing sales professional who has his customers' interests at heart—the kind of sales pro your customers are happy to recommend again and again.
Critical Selling: Lessons Learned
- Although objections are a natural part of the sales process, top performers understand how real objections sound, why objections arise, and how to reduce the number of objections they receive by handling the sales process effectively.
- Top-performing sales professionals take the time to think through potential objections ahead of time and outline how they might address them so they are best prepared to deal with objections at any point during the sales process. Anticipating objections and planning for them are critical skills top performers use regularly.
- When it comes to handling objections and dealing with rejection, top performers know that mindset matters. By considering objections to be opportunities to gain further insight into their customers, top performers are better able to avoid becoming defensive or combative. They know that objections aren't personal; rather, they are opportunities to understand and to further build trust with their customers.
- Top performers use four critical skills—empathize, understand, address, and confirm—to get to the heart of each and every objection. It's important to show customers you respect the objections they have raised and to seek information that will help you understand and address the issues that lie at the heart of those objections. Once you've gained a handle on the root cause of the objection and determined whether and how you can address it, it's crucial to confirm that you and your customer are on the same page so that you can move forward together.
- In sales, no matter how effective you are, you will inevitably lose a few. In those situations, top performers understand the importance of maintaining goodwill and asking for feedback. They use the opportunity to understand why they didn't win the business and what they could do next time to get a better outcome.