Objections: Why We Hate Them and Why We Shouldn’t
Most of us are reasonably comfortable with disagreement when the power balance is equal. You say potato, and I say potahto. That all changes when you’re the seller, and the buyer has total control of the outcome. Your carefully crafted pitch, be it online or in person, hits a wall when the prospect asks if it comes in red and it doesn’t. Or it costs too much, is the wrong size, or uses an unfamiliar technology.
In fact, the prospect who objects is doing you a favor. A big favor. Consider the alternative. The reason not to buy exists, whether it is expressed or not. When it isn’t raised, the sale doesn’t take place, no reason is given, and the problem— legitimate or not—becomes a land mine lying in wait to blow up both present and future sales. Salespeople are usually the first to encounter an objection, but they are just as important to marketers.
If your product doesn’t come in red for a reason, you can explain the reason and head off the objection ahead of time. Maybe you can offer custom colors at a reasonable price. And if color really is a showstopper, you can try to find out in the early, qualification stages of the sale cycle and avoid wasted time and effort. Realistically, you aren’t going to make every sale, and while persistence can be a virtue, sometimes the best use of your resources is to fold your tent and move on.
To be continued…
#LearnToLoveObjections #Sales #Marketing #Writing #Storytelling