Four Sales Insights That Overcome Common Customer Objections

An important aspect of sales acumen focuses on overcoming customer objections. When a customer says “no,” how do you continue the conversation? When you and your sales team can turn a higher percentage of the “no’s” to “yes’s” you can instantly increase sales and profits, plus you can satisfy the reason for the customer to come into your store.

To routinely overcome objections, you need to understand four things:

1) Customers Want to Buy

The customer came to you to accomplish a specific outcome. If they leave without accomplishing that outcome, they may never come back.

Your job is to makes sure they leave satisfied, including overcoming any objections that might arise that prevents them from doing so. If you can’t overcome their objections, you haven’t helped them be successful.

2) Your Sales Pitch Creates Objections

Until a sales person speaks, there are no objections, only unmet customer desires.

Objections arise when a salesperson makes a claim that the customer finds undesirable or discusses a proposition the customer doesn’t find valuable.

Understand what a customer wants and sell to their desired outcome and few, if any objections appear.

3) Most Objections Aren’t Objections

Most negative responses from customers aren’t really objections. Legendary sales trainer, Zig Ziglar pointed out, “Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust.”

Your sales job becomes helping them clarify their need and desire, helping them understand urgency, match their budget, and along the way, create trust.

4) Overcoming Objections Means Changing the Customer’s Mind

The four steps to overcoming objections:

A) Create agreement – it’s easier to move from agreement to agreement than from disagreement to agreement.

B) Ask them to consider another option, being open to thinking about a different way to achieve their desired outcome.

C) Give them a surprising insight about the new option that resets their expectations.

D) Invite them to try the new option at little or no risk.

With these ideas in mind, consider these responses to common objections.

“I can get it cheaper somewhere else.”

This statement is routinely used – whether it’s true or not – to get merchants to lower their price or sweeten the deal. You must brush this off at least once or twice to hold your price.

Try these responses:

“When you say cheaper, how much cheaper?”

“If prices were all the same, who would you choose?”

“That’s always a possibility. Yet I’ve found that often there’s a reason why it’s cheaper, and it’s not always a good one. You want the best possible quality. don’t you? And that doesn’t come cheap. What price point do you have in mind?”

“You don’t have my favorite brand.”

Never knock their favorite. Instead, understand what makes it a favorite and then offer them an upgraded option. I recommend using the phrase “upgraded” instead of “better” as it creates less resistance and doesn’t feel judgmental about their preference.

“Oh? What’s your favorite brand? Why do you like it? What do you wish it would do? Would you consider trying something very similar and a little upgraded from that?”

“I don’t want to spend that much.”

Not enough money is about priorities and understanding what brings them value in exchange for what they spend. Explore what creates worth.

“Oh, I understand. There are a few other options. Under what circumstances would you be willing to spend that much?”

Create Your Own Objection Busters

Make a list of your most common objections. You’ll probably find that there aren’t that many, you just hear them all the time. Then create responses using these ideas, testing and tuning until you maximize your success helping change your customer’s mind.

Let’s have a conversation if you think my ideas can help you find and close more customers or to invite me to speak at your forthcoming meeting. Find a mutually agreeable time at MarksSchedule.com or contact me.

And for even more ideas like this, listen to the Selling Disruption Show weekly podcast.

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