Handling Sales Objections Easily

"What are some of the challenges or common objections faced by the sales person and what are the expectations from buyer?" -- Azlan

In a recent blog post I cover 6 common sales objections business-to-business sales people face almost daily. What you're really asking is "How do I overcome sales objections, meet the expectations of buyers, and get the sale?"

Remember, the job of a salesperson isn't to handle objections it's to make a sale. There are two types of objections, the first is what a prospect may give you to get you to leave, and the second is what buyers use to make a purchase decision.

Are you listening for the difference? Or, are you just playing ping-pong with an objection-response reflex that shows you nothing but rejection?

If you want to close more sales, something I teach in my toolkit "Secrets of a Six Figure Business-to-Business Sales Person" you must handle objections as part of a decision making process. You make more sales eliminating objections before your presentation, but just in case, here's how to handle some objections:

1. Listen to what the prospect is saying, they telling you they don't want to buy from anyone, or are they just denying you. Knowing the difference is the key to your next step.
2. Know how to go from an objection to a "No" or a "Yes", rather than more objections. Use Zig Ziglar method of documenting all the objections before addressing them.
3. Determine which objections are important to the prospect, sometimes objections identify requirements you must meet before they can purchase.
4. Keep a catalog of all the objections you hear and try to eliminate them before the appointment or earlier in your sales presentation. You want sales, not objections.
5. Understand that not all objections need address, that's not your job, address concerns that limit a prospects ability to say "Yes" by understanding why they asked the question.
6. Answer objections with questions designed to determine interest, ability to purchase, or direction of the appointment. Listen first, response with focus, and more toward agreement.

When practicing objection handling, think about real conversations with customers. With clients I've found role playing works, but recording live sales events works even better. Handling objections is about continuing the dialog you have with your customer to find a solution specific to their desire to purchase.

© 2009 Ask Justin Hitt, All rights reserved.

Justin Hitt helps business-to-business selling professionals sell more with more consistency using strategic communications that simplify selling. For tools to improve your results visit http://catalog.jwhco.com/