Chapter 9. Selling Through Objections

IN EVERY SALESPERSON’S DAY, there is that moment of celebration. Sometimes it is a quiet moment, when you first recognize the customer is indeed going to buy. Sometimes it is loud cheering and doing the “happy dance” around your office after you have hung up the phone from closing a career-defining account. Whichever you are experiencing, the process that took you there probably went much like a well-crafted symphony. Each symphony has an invitation or introduction part. Next, the music rises and falls with the flow of the musical story. Moments of tension alternate with soothing passages. At times, the instruments may seem to veer away from the melody temporarily, yet the composer’s genius always masterfully brings harmony back by the ending.

The sales process moves much the same way when it is properly crafted and directed by the conductor—you. Although customers are rarely passive and easily led to your preferred resolution, all elements of the sales process, including obstacles, can be brought under your control. Just as a professional musician analyzes a piece, figures out the more difficult parts, and practices accordingly, you will be able to “play” through the objections and end up on the right note to close more sales.