Learn to Love Objections

This is from the chapter on objection handing from my book, Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents. If you know what's coming your way, you should always be ready.

Learn to Love Objections

“Let me think about it” and “Your price is too high” are two phrases salespeople dread. These are prospects’ most common objections emerging during the sales cycle. As I noted earlier, it’s not often a sale is made without some resistance. Objections might come after your presentation or they could be peppered throughout. The worst case would be if the prospect didn’t share their objections.

Dealing with objections isn’t something most salespeople look forward to but there’s good news. First, most of the time people who throw up objections are engaged in the sales process and that means you still have a shot at making the sale.

Second, if you’ve been in your role for any length of time you probably know 80% or more of the objections you’ll face. That being the case, you should be ready to answer those objections each and every time. Give thought to the proper responses, utilize the psychology of persuasion, then drill on those responses until they roll off your tongue in a very natural, conversational way.?

Now we’ll look at some principles of influence that can be very helpful when dealing with objections. Two principles that are particularly useful are consensus and authority. You’ll want to focus on these two because, more than any other principles, they help people overcome the root of most objections – uncertainty. We’ll also touch on the contrast phenomenon because it’s particularly useful to demonstrate what you’re offering is actually a better deal than the prospect might believe.

You may have heard the old saying, “The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.” What that means is, despite something being bad, there’s always the chance it could be worse with change. That fear of change is always in the back of the prospect’s mind, especially with big-ticket purchases. Below are a few thoughts prospects might raise as you make your presentation.?

• Will this really be better than my current situation?
• Do I really face that much risk?
• Will this additional protection be worth the extra money?
• Will I regret this decision down the road?
• Can I really believe this agent’s claims?
• Isn’t every policy/company essentially the same?

The challenge for any salesperson is to uncover the real concerns behind stated objections. For example, when it comes to, “Let me think about it,” there may be something underneath that statement the prospect doesn’t want to address. Perhaps the prospect met with another salesperson and only kept their appointment with you because they said they would. It’s okay to press a little with, “What specifically will you be mulling over? I ask because I might be able to answer some questions right now to make the decision easier on you.” People generally don’t like confrontation or giving bad news so they avoid difficult conversations by politely saying, “Let me think it over.” A few responses might include:

• “What will you be mulling over?”
• “Is there something specific I might be able to address right now?”
• “Is there information that I might be able to get you to help with your decision?”
• “I understand how you feel because many customers initially felt the same way. After all, switching insurance agents is a big deal. However, most have found the sooner they make a decision the sooner they can get back to other business related issues that are demanding their time and attention.”?

?It would certainly be nice if objections never came up but that’s just not reality. As we look at the psychology of dealing with objections remember this: seldom will an objection come up that you’ve not heard before. Take that as good news! If you’ve heard it before then you should be ready to deal with it. By that I mean, you know what’s coming and you’ve practiced answering it. Winging it when you answer objections won’t be any more successful than winging it when you give a presentation.

Arnold Palmer, considered one of the greatest golfers ever, knew the value of practice. Knowing natural talent wasn’t enough, he famously said, “The more I practice the luckier I get.” Palmer’s athletic advice is just as relevant for business professionals. As someone who gives lots of presentations I can attest to this: perfect practice makes perfect. Some presentations I’ve given hundreds of times and I still practice. Why? Because there’s always room for improvement. The more I practice, the better I know my material, the freer I am to pivot if need be. I once was in the middle of a two-day workshop in Toronto when the fire alarm went off. No big deal except we had to descend over 20 floors using the stairs, wait outside for the all clear then make our way back to our floor along with hundreds of other building occupants. Losing more than an hour was no big deal, I adjusted and delivered the material without missing a beat. I was able to do that because I knew my material so well that I was comfortable adjusting on the fly. That needs to be the case for you when you deal with objections.?

After you go through this chapter and learn about the psychology of dealing with objections I encourage you to list the objections you hear most often along with the psychology on how you will deal with each. Then practice, practice, practice. Use your drive time, when you’re out for a walk, or someplace else. Rehearse out loud and in your head. The goal is not to sound like a robot but rather to have your responses so internalized that you sound natural and conversational as you deal with objections.

Brian Ahearn

Brian Ahearn is the Chief Influence Officer at?Influence PEOPLE. An?author,?TEDx speaker, international trainer, coach, and consultant, Brian helps clients apply influence in everyday situations to boost results.

As one of only a dozen Cialdini Method Certified Trainers in the world, Brian was personally trained by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book,?Influence PEOPLE, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by?Book Authority. His follow-up,?Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents, was an Amazon new release bestseller. His latest book,?The Influencer: Secrets to Success and Happiness, is a business parable designed to teach you how to apply influence concepts at home and the office.

Brian’s?LinkedIn courses?on persuasive selling and coaching have been viewed by more than 500,000 people around the world!