Avoiding Objection Is Stupid

Jeb Blount's : OBJECTIONS- The Art And Science Of Getting Past No: is a sales worthy investment. In my previous article, I mentioned how "Rejection" should not be feared but rather embraced. No. Saves salespeople time, energy, resources, pipeline clutter etc. Blount states " But avoiding objections is a wickedly stupid sales strategy. Nothing is more dangerous than a silent veto from a stake-holder an objection you are unaware exists". Furthermore Blount goes on to say " Few things suck more than investing everything you have into an opportunity and getting hammered by a last-minute objection from a stakeholder that you overlooked during in discovery. Nothing is costlier than investing time on a deal that will not close" (P- 85-86).

I know i've been guilty of trying to avoid objections in the past. Take a look at this list below. Do any of these actions look familiar to you? If so, it might be time to reexamine how you are prospecting leads.

1. Talk too much on prospecting calls. ( Been There)
2. Beat around the bush when asking ( Done That)
3. Get stuck with low-level influencers and never level up to decision makers.
4. Lack situational awareness and have no idea where they stand in the sales process ( No comment)

5. Fail to get to the next step.

6. Do shallow discovery.

7.Ignore glaring signs that the buyer is just not into them.

8. Have pipelines stuffed with stalled deals.

9. Get blindsided with impossible objections at the last minute.

10. Consistently miss forecasts

11. Discount when there is no need to discount.

12. Negotiate with themselves.

13.Waste precious time working deals that will never close.

I am not advocating buying Blount's book ( Okay maybe a tad). My point is if you can be honest with yourself & see that you participate in some of the activities. My advice is print this article and hang it close to your desk. It just might come into handy.