There Are No New Sales Objections

Two weeks ago, I rode along with a prospective client to see their top sales person in action. Like any sales person cold call prospecting, they properly executed selling techniques and overcoming objections. By the end of the day, we noticed something amazing.

Word for word, I heard the same objections I've heard for more than a decade of selling. These same objections come up on the phone, in-person, and in the mind of prospects reading your letters. It's like these gatekeepers all went to the same training course on getting rid of sales people.

Here are a few examples, no matter what product or service you offer; these common prospecting objections face all sales people. Which ones have you seen?

• They won't be interested in what you have to offer;
• We already have a list of vendors and it's full;
• Just bought a solution, no longer have a need for what you offer;
• I'm happy with my current supplier;
• Can't give out that type of information, company proprietary;
• Have a friend in the business who we buy through;

No matter what product you are selling, objections never change. Most of these objections come from NOT talking with a decision maker. What's the bottom line to these objections?

During an initial interaction, you haven't created any rapport, established credibility, or given them any reason not to be skeptical. Fear is the biggest reason these objections come forward. Unfortunately any one of these objections stops most sales people cold in their tracks.

Just an observation that I think can help improve copy and initial interactions with prospects. For organizations that still send their sales people door-to-door, remember cold calling is about discovering decision makers, not overcoming objections. (Outside sales' prospecting is still common in business-to-business industrial markets.)

To improve your selling techniques include objection awareness in your sales training, and also train your sales people to when it's appropriate to address these objections. Two topics I can cover in another column. What common objections do you see when selling industrial and high-tech services?

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