Objections are Worth Their Weight in Gold

Many salespeople are not aware that there are only two main reasons that prospects raise objections. First, objections work very well at getting rid of incompetent salespeople. Secondly, they help separate good salespeople from the rest of the pack, those who do not know that objections are the juice of the sale.

Each time you receive, acknowledge and deal with an objection during a prospecting call, your chances of booking the appointment will increase by about 25%. So, if you were to ask for an appointment three times, you would have a 75% chance of getting that appointment. On rare occasions, a prospect will become annoyed with your persistence, but do not let the reaction of 5% of your contacts influence the way you approach the other 95%.

Refusing to back down demonstrates a belief in yourself and in your product. You are perceived to be a leader, a person who possesses the burning desire to succeed. Those who manage their uncomfortable emotions well enough to ask repeatedly for a desired outcome demonstrate personal power. You may be thinking, won’t clients get angry if I continue to ask them for an appointment? and the answer to this question varies with every potential client. If you carefully integrate the request for a meeting with respect for the client’s concerns, you are not likely to offend them.

People with power are comforted by displays of power. If you are being reticent, your power clients subconsciously presume that you will waste their time. They do not have a need for people to be submissive to them. If you are unable to handle a few objections, you will be relegated to the position of a low-level decision maker, which is where you belong. This is the harsh truth. You must see yourself as an equal to—a peer of—your clients. You have something of value to offer them and they have a problem that you can solve for them. It is an ideal match!

Salespeople must expect to receive objections from prospects. Prospects present objections because they know that objections intimidate salespeople and keep them away. As far as the customer is concerned, objections work.

Analysis Paralysis

While making prospecting calls and faced with objections such as I already have a supplier, I’m happy with, most salespeople respond with, “Okay, thank you”. The salesperson feels disgruntled and rejected as he hangs up, and before making the next cold call, analysis sets in. Analysis Paralysis (fear of rejection) stems from a mindset in which the victim focuses on the worst possible scenario. The mind becomes paralyzed, worrying about what will go wrong. Fear becomes so strong that the salesperson may be unable to take the next step—phoning another client—because of the perils that lie ahead. Analysis Paralysis is a very real roadblock on the selling trail. Many stop making calls altogether.

Fear of Rejection

Really, fear of rejection is a misnomer. The actual fear is that we will not be able to manage the emotions that stem from rejection. When a client says no, or gives another response that causes discomfort, it is merely a moment in time. It is the story we generate based on that moment which causes our trauma. We fail to recognize the truth; an objection is not a personal rejection. An objection may be a rejection of our product or service, but it is not a rejection of us.

Really, fear of rejection is a misnomer. The actual fear is that we will not be able to manage the emotions that stem from rejection. When a client says no, or gives another response that causes discomfort, it is merely a moment in time. It is the story we generate based on that moment which causes our trauma. We fail to recognize the truth; an objection is not a personal rejection. An objection may be a rejection of our product or service, but it is not a rejection of us.

Here’s an example of misplaced fear of rejection. Imagine you are at a social event and you see someone you’d like to meet. You want to go over and ask him or her for a dance, but your invective self thinks Are you crazy? You go over there, and you’ll get a big fat ‘no’, and on the way back to the table, everyone will be looking at you. They’ll be thinking what a loser you are, and they’ll nudge each other, and you’ll feel foolish. You’ve projected these thoughts into the future and accepted them as truth. You’ve imagined the worst possible scenario and convinced yourself that no other outcome is possible.

It is possible to dampen future achievements by imposing a conditioned memory based on past feelings, when we last were unsuccessful in achieving a desired outcome. The event we perceived as a rejection, compounded by our hurt feelings, has been intensified and blown out of proportion. Fearing we can’t manage any more feelings of rejection, we tend to shut down. The word ‘fear’ is an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real.

When the salesperson allows unhappy memories to impede progress, fear of rejection will create a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you confront a challenge, it’s much easier to see yourself as a victim of rejection than it is to manage uncomfortable feelings. You decide you can’t possibly handle rejection again, so you don’t even make the attempt. Imagine the opportunities you’re missing when you think and act in this manner.

Be Willing to Receive a No

The solution to overcoming the fear of rejection is to open yourself up to the possibility of being rejected and accepting it as just a ‘no’ and not a personal affront. It’s important to change the idea that you must be well received and reach agreement in every interaction you have; life is just not like that. A willingness to accept and welcome a ‘no’ is one of the most important factors in achieving success. This simple shift in mindset will allow you to present as and appear worthier than you feel and achieve much more than you thought you could. Becoming detached from the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’ will help keep you calm and allow you to become a true professional.

The way to utilize the power and fear of rejection is to invite the client to say ‘no’ to you and/or what you are offering. This is reverse psychology, and it works. When you make a prospecting call, or present a proposal to a prospect, you greatly want the appointment or the opportunity but nevertheless, you must be willing to be rejected. You must have enough experience and comfort with rejection to know that it may sting a bit, but you will be safe. You will not implode, explode, or in any other way come apart. Your mind may have doubts, but you can choose to ignore them. However, it does help to ask for what you want in a way that will minimize your uncomfortable feelings if your request is rejected.

One technique is to give people the right to say ‘no’, to court the possibility of rejection. We can ask in a way that inspires others to be more receptive to your requests, whether in a business or social setting:

“I’d like to ask you for an appointment, but please feel free to say no if you don’t want to.”

Giving customers and prospects the choice to say ‘no’ in this manner is upside down from many selling strategies extolled in the past. Typically, sales scripts and presentations have been developed to corner the client into agreeing with the salesperson. If this strategy worked there would be many more super sellers in the world!

Try giving the other person permission to refuse in all your dealings, personal and professional. In an office setting, you might say:

“Mark, I would appreciate it if you would help me move boxes from my office to the storage room, but please say ‘no’ if it’s not convenient.”

When you give people the opportunity to say ‘no’, it reduces the pangs of rejection and discomfort that we associate with receiving a ‘no’, or rejection. As you offer and express your request as an option, you are mentally preparing yourself for the possibility of receiving a ‘no’. Paradoxically, giving people the option to say ‘no’ makes it easier for them to say ‘yes’ because it is human nature to feel respected when given a choice over their actions. When we give people a choice, no matter how small that choice may be, it creates and increases receptivity by lowering their defenses. Giving others a choice is the bedrock of respect. When they sense your respect, they become naturally receptive. ‘Yes’ becomes the much more likely final answer!

Increase Respect with Choice

From an emotional point of view, asking for what you want from your clients including closing the order or asking for an appointment, is no different from asking someone to dance. In both cases, there is often a feeling of dread, which is reduced when you give them permission, either verbally or in your own mind, to say ‘no’ to you. Keep in mind that the ‘no’ often comes disguised as an objection or a complaint.

It is vital that you develop sensitive ears, and when you receive a ‘no’ from the client do not dismiss it; instead embrace it. You need to know that clients and prospects say ‘no’ in a variety of ways, some blatant and some subtle.

The Clear ‘No’

It can be uncomfortable for clients to say ‘no’ when you ask them for something so making the request while inviting them to say ‘no’ to you, will make it easier for them to feel respected and therefore more receptive to your request in the long run.

“Jason, what I would like to do, if it is alright with you, is set a time for us to have an initial meeting. You will get a sense for me and I will be clearer on what you need. If, at the end of our meeting, you feel that we are not a match we can shake hands and part as friends. Does that sound fair to you?”

Some clients will become creative in letting you down and still saving face. The ‘no’ often comes disguised as a red herring, in the form of an objection or critical statement.

Examples of a clear ‘no’ are the typical objections that we receive when calling for an appointment. The prospect might say, “I already have a supplier I am happy with,” or “I don’t have time.” The typical salesperson would then say “Oh, okay. May I send you a link to my site?” The client agrees, and the salesperson is mollified. They feel better. We might call this Happy Ears Syndrome as the salesperson satiated because the prospect has said ‘yes’ to something is happy with the response. It is vital to recognize, that customers have the right to say ‘no’ in whatever manner they choose, just as you have the right to ask for what you want again and again.

A powerful upside-down approach to a client’s objection, we have no need, will be achieved by responding this way:

“Steve, this software package I represent is revolutionary. Question it, doubt it, clarify it, but please, take the opportunity to discover what it can do for your accounting process. If you agree to meet with me for an hour, I promise there will be no high-pressure selling. In fact, after we meet, if you want to proceed, it will be at your invitation.”

At the end of the appointment, there is nothing to stop you from saying, “Steve, I promised there would be no high-pressure selling. What do you think we should do? The choice is yours.” Once a question is asked, be quiet and let him answer. To speak before the prospect answers is to go into high-pressure sales mode, or low-status selling. If the answer is ‘no’ to proceeding with the sales process or to further contact, respect that.

The Subtle ‘No’

Another customer may use a subtle form of saying ‘no’. Let’s say you are in a third meeting with Mary and it appears that you are a match. You decide to ask for her business. You reiterate what you believe her needs to be and then you ask the question:

“Mary, it seems that this software will revolutionize your invoicing and accounts receivable process. Do you see any reason that why we cannot eventually become your supplier of choice?”

Should Mary reply, “I hear you’ve been having difficulty with delivery”, the only worthy response is, ¨Tell me more?” Do not become dismantled and proceed to justify and defend your product or your company. Instead, be willing to explore the concern. You can present yourself as confident by being willing to delve into and explore any contentious issues.Therefore, give Mary an opportunity to register and explore the issue with you and then address her concerns in a truthful and non-confrontational manner.

It is vital to see every concern as a possible ‘no’, and that these concerns will become a block to business if you dismiss them as unimportant. Instead, encourage your prospects and customers to reveal and discuss all concerns. What is fascinating (and upside-down) is that after discussing concerns, the clients or prospects often dismiss these worries themselves. Conversely, if they are not encouraged to explore their concerns and objections, they will continue to voice them and block your business.

When you have an open and receptive attitude to whatever form of ‘no’ the client raises, your business will grow. Your ability to receive a ‘no’ or ‘yes’ in this manner will be perceived as respectful behavior on your part.

How to Discuss Objections/Concerns

You begin discussing client’s concerns by offering them the opportunity to introduce them. In typical sales scenarios, salespeople try to avoid confrontation by talking too much, too fast. They feel that if the client doesn’t express disagreement regarding them, the company they represent, or the product or service they provide, then all is well, and it has been a successful sales call.

The process of up-side down selling recognizes that nothing could be further from the truth. You must be willing to entertain disagreement, dissension, and dialogue surrounding contentious issues with your prospect.

Unfortunately, when they receive anything other than positive feedback, most people descend into a downward spiral. Someone disagrees with them and immediately they internalize rejection and feel disapproved of. They then respond by either defending and justifying or retreating from the process. This immature communication cycle holds in tyranny those with whom we have a relationship, because it presumes that they must only tell us that which we want to hear.

Too many salespeople suffer from Happy Ears Syndrome. These people avoid objections at all costs, and thereby miss out on the formation of long lasting, mutually beneficial business relationships.

Giving prospects and clients the option to say ‘no’, as demonstrated by a willingness to receive their objection in an open manner, has four major benefits:

1. It helps create receptivity by helping clients/prospects feel respected and not pushed into a corner.
2. It projects an impression of someone who is confident and open to feedback of all kinds.
3. It will help you sell more by outmaneuvering your competition. By drawing more information from your clients, you will understand their needs better. Would you want to deal with a salesperson who fails to understand the issues that you face in your work environment?
4. It will help you be much more approachable; a person with no defenses or pretenses is much more likable.

Stickhandle Around the Objection

In the game of hockey, stick handling refers to the skillful steering of the puck around opposing team members. In sales, the client’s objection is the puck.

If you cannot stickhandle around objections, you are not going to achieve what you want. By caving in when the going gets a little rough, you demonstrate weakness. If you cannot explore difficult objections and situations for both you and your client, you will not be an effective advocate for your client within your organization when the need arises.

Picture a client placing an order for expensive instrumentation components. The agreed-upon delivery date is 90 days, but something changes and the client phones to ask for delivery in 75 days. Will you be able to fight for the needs of this client? You can be an effective advocate only if you are tenacious. Giving up on objections easily is an indication to the client that you will also give up on solving problems.

The Five Knows to Know

It’s beneficial to recognize that an objection from a prospect is not a firm and final ‘no’. Instead, consider it as a know. By objecting, a prospect shows that they want to know more, or they want to know that you can manage a few objections. This provides the opportunity for you to know more by asking questions about specific concerns.

You can reduce your knowledge gap by making use of the Five Knows:

1. Know how your product or service will affect their overall business.
2. Know what their needs are now, and project those needs for 1-5 years. Also, know what could stall the sales process. For example, what is their budget? What is their competitive position in the marketplace?
3. Know why they would choose you over your competitor.
4. Know where the product or service will be used and who else in the company could use it.
5. Know when to close. During each appointment, ask for the order or for a decision that moves the sale towards a close. This might include a request to meet other members of the team who influence the decision. One VP of sales recently complained to me, “I don’t need relationship builders; I need closers!”.

Act Like a Child (Sort of)

When is it that children stop asking for what they want? The answer: When they get it. What makes children so much more tenacious and successful than adults?

Children want what they want wholeheartedly and are willing to spend all their time and energy in the pursuit of achieving their goals. As children grow into contributing members of society, they are socialized to believe that it is inappropriate to pursue their wants with youthful passion. If we could recapture our youth, we could recapture the wonders that accompany getting what we want.

As adults, we need to remember that getting what we want isn’t a matter of greediness or self-centered behavior. If you have a vision or a dream, you are not being self-centered because you want to realize it. When someone learns to integrate the tenacity of a child with the understanding of an adult, success can be achieved.

Being agreeable and supportive, but lacking the ability to ask for the contract, is an indication that you may be ineffective when it comes to handling your client’s needs (and indeed your own) in the future.

Accepting Feedback

There are three attitudes that characterize most salespeople:

• Some can’t; they don’t.
• Some can; they do.
• Some can’t; they do anyway.

Which attitude do you possess? To achieve greater success, learn as much as you can about your attitude and skills. Be open to receiving help from outside resources, from those who observe you and are willing to help you pinpoint areas that need improvement. Truly effective professionals don’t hesitate to look for new resources to help them achieve their goals.

Anticipate Objections

During my years of consulting with sales teams, I have consistently asked sales managers and their sales reps for a list of the objections they typically receive. Interestingly, few clients have completed the relatively simple task of keeping such a list. The successful salesperson must reflect upon past experiences to identify client objections. Objections must first be identified, and appropriate responses prepared, before a salesperson can begin to respond effectively to them.

Here are some of the most common reasons for not having a system for handling objections.

Internal Barriers to Receiving Objections

Besides objections regarding meetings or selecting us as their supplier that prospects or clients may give us, there are other objections that we need to transcend: those that exist within our own psyche. Here are a few internal barriers that can impede our ability to receive objections:

• Many salespeople believe the advice given them by motivational speakers and authors state they must always be positive thinkers. Consequently, salespeople believe that anticipating objections constitutes negative thinking. This is just plain wrong! The penchant for positive thinking, without some type of grounding keeps them stuck in mediocrity and doomed to become happy underachievers.
• Salespeople prefer not to acknowledge the typical objections; perhaps preferring to remain in a constant state of tension and fear because it makes them feel active.
• Salespeople do not realize that if customers aren’t involved enough to offer objections, they are also not interested in discussing the pros and cons of the product.
• Salespeople do not understand that giving objections is one way for a prospect to cull us from the crowd. A sales representative who cannot handle a few objections will probably not be able to deal with difficult after-sale concerns.
• Salespeople have a low tolerance for discomfort and see objections as personal disapproval. Taking everything personally is an immature, emotional response.
• Salespeople tend to be neurologically twitchy. They are unable to stay in the process and want out too early. Sometimes the sales process is long and convoluted.
• Salespeople do not realize that good decision-makers go through a period of due diligence. Instead of becoming intimidated or impatient with the time it takes clients to become comfortable, salespeople should learn to help the client through the process. This will contribute to customer loyalty.
• Salespeople cannot/will not see themselves as consultants. Consultants want to uncover problems and find solutions for the long term. Most sales representatives just want the short-term deal.
• Salespeople are unaware of how easy it is to handle objections smoothly!

When you are aware of the objections posed by clients or prospects and approach these from an objective point of view you will be better prepared to confidently handle them. This will allow you to reach a solution that will satisfy your prospect and bring you nearer to the close of the sale.

This article, originally posted here, is an excerpt from my latest publication:

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