CHAPTER 7
Selling Through Objections
PHONE SALES CHALLENGE – Nathan, who sells exercise equipment, expressed this difficulty: “The presentation is a piece of cake for me; I breeze right through it. But then, just when I think I ’ ve really nailed the sale, customers come up with some off-the-wall objections that throw me.”
In every salesperson’s day, there is that moment of celebration. Sometimes it’s a quiet moment, when you first recognize the customer is indeed going to buy. Sometimes it’s loud cheering and doing the happy dance around your office after you’ve hung up the phone from closing a career-defining sale. Whichever you are experiencing, the process that took you there probably went much like a well-crafted symphony.
When there is a sour note in the “sales symphony,” though, most salespeople agree that it’s the objection part. And let’s face it, every sales interaction includes some type of objection before the sale is complete. While objections can be valuable in moving the customer to a close, each objection has to be handled strategically and with skill. What follows are some examples of what happens when they are not.
The objection below concerns the initial call itself, before any opportunity for questioning or presentation occurs:
CUSTOMER: Thank you, but we’re all set with computer equipment.
SALESPERSON: Well, thanks anyway. Bye.
In this scenario, the salesperson quit before asking any questions that might gain her information that would lead to a future sale. She didn’t deal with the objection in the next call any better:
CUSTOMER: I really don’t have time to talk with you.
SALESPERSON: Okay, I’ll call you back later.
Call when? Call why? Again, she had no gain from this call. If you want to be successful, consider that every call must end in some kind of close—a step toward a sale. Below is an example of how another salesperson dealt poorly with a common evasion:
CUSTOMER: Just send me some information.
SALESPERSON: Great! I’ll get that in the mail to you and follow up later.
This call at least set up a reason for a follow-up, but it didn’t nail down any specifics. The word “information” is pretty general, too general to give the salesperson any way to know what to send. Or, for that matter there isn’t any setup in the customer’s mind for a reason to look at the information when it arrives. So, first, the salesperson may be wondering how much information to send, and second, the customer is probably just telling the sales rep to “send it” to get him off the phone quickly. In short, this is a wasted call.
A “quick question” strategy would have helped here: “If I can ask you just two quick questions, I will know exactly what to send you.” This strategy is easy, short, and powerful in helping you to get past this call objection.
Objections to specifics of the product, delivery, implementation, and the like, are also often handled poorly,
CUSTOMER: Your price is way out of line.
SALESPERSON: I can’t see why you’re complaining about our prices. We just had a price decrease that makes us the most competitive company in the industry.
This is a case of arguing with the customer, which is never a good plan. This may be the fifth time you’ve heard that objection today, and you’re really tired of it, but that’s a professional discipline problem. Arguing is not only ridiculous, it closes all doors for any future contact or sales.
Of course it can be exhausting dealing with the same objections over and over. And regardless of what is being sold, price seems to always come in as one of the most commonly heard objections. However, the customer has no idea how your day has gone, and you should never react as if anyone else thinks your prices are too high. Reacting defensively is not handling the objection. Plus, how do you even know if the objection is valid? Price is an easy play on the customer’s part. You need to find out what the real problem is. Here’s another example of what not to say:
CUSTOMER: We really are satisfied with our current supplier.
SALESPERSON: Well, is it okay if we call back in a couple weeks to check back with you?
This is a classic error. Why is the salesperson calling back? Why would anything be different in a couple of weeks? Customers don’t make decisions based on a two-week time frame. They can make decisions tomorrow, next week, or two months from now. At the very least, if you were the salesperson in this situation, you should find out what the process is for selection, what the customer likes (and doesn’t like) about the current supplier, and when changes are possible.
Instead of frustrating you (as in the above examples), objections can become an easy part of your phone call because rarely are they unique. You’ve heard many of them before and should be prepared for them. In addition they can be very valuable steps to a close.
The Value of Objections
The real value of hearing objections is that the customer is telling you that he or she is still paying attention and involved in the call, and that you still have the opportunity to make a sale. If the customer is not asking questions or objecting, he or she has mentally checked out. And as you know, when the customer checks out, your sale is dead.
If you think of an objection not as an obstacle, but as a hurdle that must be navigated before moving on, you come closer to winning.
If you listen closely, there are clues that will tell you if your customer has mentally checked out of the call:
You hear the customer’s keyboard chatter in the background.
The customer sounds like his or her head is down, voice muffled.
You ask, “How does that sound to you?” and the customer says “uhm” or “uh” or “I’m not sure.”
The customer pauses too long after you ask a question.
The customer says something like, “OK, well, I’ve heard all I need to hear.”
Any of these situations say that the customer wasn’t listening. When this happens, you need to be able to stimulate the customer’s interest by asking a question. In an ideal world, customers pay full attention, focus completely on your presentation, and say, “Sounds good to me; let’s close the deal.” But this isn’t an ideal world, and rarely is a sales call that simple. Note the caller/customer interaction below:
SALESPERSON: Are you ready to take delivery?
CUSTOMER: I’m not going to do something that quickly unless you agree to handle shipping charges.
The customer’s response indicates that she is ready to buy or to negotiate. It’s a signal that value is established, and that the details just need to be worked out.
Still not quite ready to say “hooray” when the customer objects? Is it fear that the customer will ask you something you don’t know the answer to? Are you afraid he will attack you on behalf of your company for some past error? Do you worry that he might know more than you do? Well, as the song says, “don’t worry, be happy”: the tips you will learn here will help you turn worrying (and whining!) into winning.
There are three things (see, we take our own advice) to keep in mind when faced with customer objections. First, in phone sales you have a big advantage. You are invisible. This means that:
You can have a written cheat sheet available to assist you with the tough ones.
The customer cannot see any signs that you are nervous—perspiring, fidgeting, etc.
You can formulate a strategic response more easily, because you aren’t looking directly into a customer’s eyes.
You are not being distracted by the customer’s environment.
Second, remember that you are on the phone and that although the customer can’t see you, he or she can hear you. You must always sound calm, cool, and collected, with a relaxed and professional tone. If you do become uncomfortable, the customer won’t have a clue— if you control your voice. To better prepare, here are some tips:
Massage your neck to loosen tight vocal cords.
Take a slow, deep breath to reduce your heart rate.
Slow your rate of speech slightly, so you do not give the impression of being stressed or rushed.
Stand up at your desk to open up your chest, allowing you to send plenty of air over your vocal cords for the clearest sound quality over the phone. (Sitting hunched at a desk restricts breathing and blood flow.)
Finally, the best way to not appear uneasy about an objection is to actually become comfortable with hearing objections. You have to be ready to respond, which is what gives you the advantage in a phone-selling situation. When you are prepared, it is you who commands the situation. When you come to the table knowing your customer’s situation, your product, your competitors, and the usual objections, you have armed yourself with knowledge. And knowledge is not only power; it is also confidence. The goal is to avoid the unknown, which puts you on edge. You want to be able to move objections into the “known” column, and make them yet another part of the sales process over which you have control.
If you are able to anticipate any objections that you regularly hear, as well as any you can brainstorm and think of yourself, you’ll be amazed at how much smoother you’ll sound during the objection-handling portion of your calls. The result? More closed sales.
Techniques for Handling Objections
Just as you don’t have one outfit in your closet that takes you from a funeral to a ball game, you need a variety of techniques to handle objections capably. What follows are some of the approaches that you have at your disposal.
THE FIVE-STEP TECHNIQUE
You will find the five-step technique particularly useful to help you stay organized and clear as you answer the customer’s objection. It involves careful listening on your part, but is extremely effective for setting up the close.
Step 1. When you first hear an objection, be quiet until the customer has completed the entire objection. Do not interrupt! (Remember the tongue trick?) It might help you to keep quiet if you jot down what the customer is saying to ensure you have a record of it. This will let you effectively counter all issues uncovered. This is especially important if you have a customer who asks highly technical questions that can be potentially complicated to answer, or if the customer isn’t a clear communicator.
Step 2. Pause at the end of the objection (count to two). This pause says to the customer that you are thinking about the question or objection and that it is important to you. This also gives you time to clarify in your own head what you think you just heard and formulate your response. And it ensures that you are in control whenever you speak. You’ve probably heard the objection time and time again, but if you haven’t, you’ve just provided yourself with the opportunity to think over a solution.
Step 3. Calmly and coolly handle the objection with your well-thought-out response. Be sure you handled all the concerns from Step 1. (That’s why you wrote them down.) How did this person word the objection? Did you not add enough value in your presentation portion of the call? Do you know your customer and, if so, does this person generally object? Does the objection sound like a smokescreen (a false objection)?
Step 4. Go for a confirmation that the objection has truly been countered. After you feel you have satisfied the objection, ask the customer if you have resolved it to his or her satisfaction. For example, you might say one of the following:
“Mary, does that answer your question?”
“Steve, how does that sound to you?”
“Leonard, do you like that idea?”
“Jackie, if I’ve answered your question, are you ready to sign the agreement?”
The reaction will let you know if you have really handled the objection. You might think your response was both brilliant and sufficient, but what matters is that the customer’s concerns are eliminated. Check your ego when you conduct a customer check-in.
Step 5. If the objection is indeed handled, oftentimes this is the perfect time to close. Negotiation is an opportunity to sell more, and can come out of an objection. Close with a question or by outlining a confirmation. For example:
“Taylor, you agree that we have the full-service solution for your installation. Why don’t we go ahead and schedule our team to come in?
THE QUESTION TECHNIQUE
Another approach frequently used in many sales situations is what we call “the Question Technique.” Asking questions helps you to gather critically important information. Perhaps even more important, it enables you to direct your customer’s line of thought. We refer to this as “leading your customer down the garden path.” The technique is to question so skillfully that the customer draws his or her own conclusion to buy. For example:
CUSTOMER: We’ve used the same cleaning company in our offices for three years. We see no reason to change.
SALESPERSON: Oh (pause). James, you said you’ve been using the same company for three years; what initially prompted you to go with your current service when you made that decision?
You find out why they changed at that time. It could have been price, or perhaps the previous supplier went out of business, or maybe even theft was an issue. Simply listen without interrupting. Hear what James has to say. Remember to listen to the tone. There is most likely some useful information that you can gain from his response. You will better know where to go from there. For example:
SALESPERSON: Can you tell me what you like about their service?
CUSTOMER: They use environment-friendly chemicals.
SALESPERSON: How important is that to you?
CUSTOMER: It’s very important to us in the way we do business.
Now you are in a conversation. If this aspect of James’s service provider is very important, you come back with questions that uncover possible weaknesses related to that. Use a problem that you are aware of from your knowledge of your competitor’s methods. For example, let’s say you know the smell of vinegar that remains after cleaning can be offensive:
SALESPERSON: James, what does it smell like after a treatment?
CUSTOMER: Gosh, what did the office smell like last time? Oh, yeah, it was pretty awful. It smelled like my mother-in-law’s broom closet.
You see, you didn’t tell the customer that you know about the odor, even though you had that information. You, instead, let James discover it on his own through your skillful questioning. Don’t tell … ask. Customers who draw conclusions on their own, while you happen to be on the phone with them, think they’re pretty smart, and that your timing is excellent.
Customers who are told what the problems are can get defensive. For example, if you tell the customer that you know that the carpet stinks after the competitor leaves, the customer is most likely to respond “no, it doesn’t” without even thinking. With the question approach, you can confirm the problem very easily over the phone by learning more about the customer’s real needs.
Let’s get back to our customer, James. Now you know that being environmentally friendly is important to him. In addition you have called attention to the unpleasant odor. Your next step is to ask:
SALESPERSON: James, what if you found a company that used environmentally safe products that didn’t leave a residual smell?
That at least puts you back into the conversation, and may lead to the following:
CUSTOMER: Oh, I guess we could take a look at that. What do offices smell like after your service cleans them?
SALESPERSON: How about if we clean your office for free one time and we’ll see?
CUSTOMER: Sounds like a good idea. When can you come by?
THE EMPATHY TECHNIQUE
Yet a third method of handling objections is what was once referred to as the “feel, felt, found” system. We have reworked this idea to reflect a more up-to-date approach called “the Empathy Technique.” This technique has been around professional selling for many years, and is especially useful with Energized and Kind customers. There’s a reason it’s had such a long shelf life—it works! Just remember to mix this technique with other objection-handling methods during the course of your call.
Often, the first objection you will encounter is a variation of “we’re fine the way we are.” This is what we refer to as ”the inertia objection”:
CUSTOMER: I’m happy with my current supplier.
SALESPERSON: Martina, I can see why you might have strong loyalty, because other customers have expressed something similar in the past, and what they found was …
Your answer must be brief and include a specific benefit to the customer. Be careful not to use the word “but”; instead, use “and,” so it doesn’t sound like you are arguing with the customer. Remember that on the phone you can’t soften what you say with an engaging facial expression, so your word choice becomes crucial. If you have tried the empathy technique before and found it a bit tough to deliver, try using different synonyms in the technique to sound more natural in your ears and the customer’s:
SALESPERSON: James, I can understand why you are telling me this. We’ve heard this from other office managers as well. And what they found was …
Or:
SALESPERSON:… by simply trying our service on two occasions, customers found the carpet was not only cleaner, it was fresher smelling, too. What are your thoughts about that?
A mistake salespeople often make when they try to use this technique is that they talk too much during the benefit section of responding to the objection. Long spiels are too difficult for customers to follow on the other end of the phone. Less is more.
USING CONFIRMATION TO CHECK YOURSELF
Salespeople sometimes mistakenly think that if a response has covered an objection for them, it is covered for the customer as well. Not necessarily so. You need to ask the question for confirmation. Often the customer will not volunteer that he or she is satisfied and ready to buy. You must check with the customer every time you answer an objection, regardless of the technique you use in handling the objection. Here are some examples of check-ins:
“How do you feel about that?”
“Will that fly with the boss?”
“What do you think about this idea?”
“How does that sound?”
Once you secure a solid confirmation, you can move right into the close:
SALESPERSON: If we can clean carpets using environmentally safe products, and do away with the odor that bothers you, will you give us a try?
Now that’s a close that works!
GETTING ON TOP OF THE CALL
Experienced phone salespeople have to use every technique, method, and system they can think of, and lots of just plain common sense. Here are a few more suggestions to help you deal with customer objections.
Practice with Colleagues, a Recording Device, and Even with Customers. Yes, even with customers! Learn what works. It is a mistake to simply write down or silently read over a list of potential objections and their counters. You will be much more relaxed and effective if you practice saying your responses aloud. This sets up the recall system in your brain, so you don’t suffer from “test” anxiety. Objections feel like a test to us, just like when we were in school. And we can’t afford to have our mind go blank when we face objections. If you anticipate questions, know the answers, and practice recalling and saying them, you’ll find that you can handle objections skillfully.
Make a Practice of Pausing. Avoid rushing into a response to any objection. Give yourself a few seconds to think about the exchange. Take a moment to consider the customer’s perspective. Think about what may be on her mind. If she has previously bought a product that was too slow in delivery, proved to be faulty, or was overpriced, then that customer, who may be accountable to others, may fear making another buying mistake, especially purchasing from a salesperson over the phone. Her objections may not be to your product. Perhaps you can uncover what’s really going on for her. Addressing her real problem can only help you make the sale.
Take Every Objection Seriously. No matter how ridiculous you might think an objection is, or even if you think it is a smokescreen (a false objection to get rid of you), for the customer it may truly be a concern. Your professional and direct manner of handling it may earn you serious credibility points and more closed sales down the road.
Clear the Smoke. Speaking of smokescreens, they come in many forms. Your customer might feel obligated to object, or put up a barrier, even if there is no real concern. After all, a customer doesn’t want you to feel like he or she is easy prey. Remember, if you haven’t established value for the specific customer you’re talking with, price is irrelevant. So a price objection can be a smokescreen for something else altogether. Also, if a customer doesn’t want to do something, one reason is as good as another. Use questioning to see through the smoke so you can address the real objection.
Use Personality-Matching Strategies. As soon as you determine the personality type you are dealing with (P, E, A, or K), many techniques for managing that person’s objections can come to your aid. Plan and prepare for handling customer objections before making the closing phone call. Having a strategy in place will not only relieve your anxiety, but can also make the difference between a brush-off and a closed sale.
Personality-Type Objection Patterns
In the paragraphs that follow are guidelines concerning what kinds of objections you might expect from each personality type. You will find handling those objections easier than you might have thought.
THE PRECISE CUSTOMER
Precise people, because they are cautious, have the most objections, both in number and obscurity. Be prepared for the Precise Customer with information to back up your responses. A P customer will sound skeptical, detailed-oriented, and even nitpicky to your ears. The more technical P customer will go for the details. If your equipment has a 0.1 percent failure rate, the Precise will say, “What if we get the product that is defective?”
This customer might “what if” you to death. (Patience is a virtue!) Perhaps it’s your perception that they are just putting up a smokescreen, but their real concern is that every contingency be covered. So you must handle each objection precisely, accurately, and honestly.
To handle Ps, keep your emotions in check. Use facts to respond to objections. Offer proof in the form of white papers, third-party testimonials from objective sources (such as trade reviews), expert testimony, spec sheets, failure/success rates, anything you can use to demonstrate the proof. Email an article or send the customer to a website while you are still on the phone and discuss the proof document at that moment. After all, these are the most critical customers and they don’t generally buy into a salesperson’s suggestions immediately.
THE ENERGIZED CUSTOMER
Energized Customers are sloppy with their objections. The poorest of listeners, their objections will sound emotional, yet assertive and quick, and maybe even too hasty and not clearly thought out. In addition, they will attempt to retain the relationship even during the objections with phrases like, “Please, don’t take this personally,” or “I’m sure you’re the top of your field, but we can only afford the middle. You’re going to have to give me a break.”
An E may try to persuade you to make special allowances: “You know we’ve been doing business with your company for a long time. Doesn’t that afford us an extra deal once in a while?”
To handle an E customer, keep your own enthusiasm up. Emphasize value. Demonstrate how your service will make the decision maker look good, personally. Use humor to counter the E’s objection, but don’t use it in a sarcastic, offensive way. Humor should be something you can both laugh at, to assist in building rapport.
THE ASSURED CUSTOMER
Assured Customers will get right to the point with objections, sometimes phrased almost as a challenge. They may just object for the fun of it because they like to win and will negotiate as sport. The actual wording of the objection might sound mean over the phone, but remember, it’s a game to them. Because an A is abrupt, you will hear the objections briefly and assertively pronounced. For example, an A might say, “Keenan, your price is just way out of line.” The A does not sugarcoat the message: “Can’t afford you” or “Nope, won’t work.”
You need to recognize what is really happening; an A has to negotiate. As sound unmoving and are generally motivated by feeling that they’ve won. (And if an A doesn’t feel like he or she has won, you’ve lost the deal. Period.)
If you are an A yourself, this would be stimulating, because you enjoy a challenge, too. If you are a Kind, though, it might be very stressful to deal with this type. Resist the urge to take the A’s objection personally. It’s not about you.
To Assured Customers you should sound very confident; do not flounder, waffle, or hesitate. Answer factually; don’t get emotional. Tie your response to the needs and objectives you know that the customer has, and then add value for the A. If you are selling carpet cleaning, and the A customer says, “Why should I pay $500 per office when I can get it done for $300?” respond with: “Because we use chemicals that are nontoxic, safely eliminating the stench that you find offensive. Not only that, we’re faster than the competition because of state-of-the-art cleaning equipment, so you’ll have less down time. You’ll see the difference immediately.” Pause. Then ask, “What do you think of that?”
Sometimes you can even challenge them back right on the phone: “The last time you had your offices cleaned by the lowest bidder, what kind of results did you get?”
As long as you are still involved in a conversation with the customer, you have a chance of closing the business. Keep the exchange two-way with questions that will help you to add value to the transaction.
THE KIND CUSTOMER
Kind Customers do not want to hurt feelings, and sometimes this makes them harder to deal with, especially in phone conversations, since they prefer face-to-face interactions. A K dislikes telling you no. Hidden objections often are not related to the voiced objection. If you could physically see a Kind objecting, you would immediately notice the physical cues of squirming and avoiding eye contact, but over the phone, you will have to listen carefully for verbal phrasing to clue you in.
Objections a K might use include the following:
“I don’t know if I can get this past my boss.”
“It sounds good, but we just had our carpets cleaned not too long ago.”
“We really don’t want to rush into making a decision.”
“We’ll just have to review the options as a team.”
The hidden objection might be any number of things. The price is off, the customer doesn’t like your manner, or this K really isn’t the decision maker. Putting you off is easier for a K than directing you to the real point of resistance. It’s possible that there is no intention or desire to change, but the K still wants to be nice to you. You may even hear distress in the K’s voice on the phone. Also, keep in mind that the K is a slow, cautious decision maker. It takes longer to close this customer, so you may just need to work on him or her over a longer period of time to secure the business.
At some point, you need to uncover the true objection without challenging this person. If you get a lot of “maybe” or “yes” answers but the customer will not close or ask for follow-up calls, this is probably a Kind who has decided no, but doesn’t want to hurt your feelings. You have to then decide whether it’s worth pursuing based on the time-sensitivity of your situation.
To handle a Kind customer, empathize and make the deal as personal as possible by using your most gentle—yet confident—tone. Also, get the K’s coworkers involved. Ks like to bring in their team so the responsibility of the decision isn’t left entirely up to them.
Salesperson: Mary, I can see where this decision might put you in a tight situation, since you’ve had a relationship with your current supplier. Let’s see how we can make this easier for you and your office staff to make a transition.
The Payoff
Whether you are responding with one of the objection-handling techniques discussed earlier in the chapter, or are beginning to incorporate personality types into your strategy, your perception of objections can affect the entire sales call. Remember that objections are just hurdles, not walls. Expect objections every time, so handling them is not a big deal. Doing this is part of sharpening your sales performance skills.
The more effective you become at handling objections, the more effective you will be in your selling career, regardless of what you sell. Remember, handling objections effectively is a learned skill. No one is born an expert at handling objections, so the more you study and practice, the better you will be. Ready? Set? Go!
Now it’s time to check in on Nathan to see if he’s practicing the new skills:
CUSTOMER: We’re all set with our current equipment supplier.
NATHAN: Do you mind if I ask you a few quick questions about your inuse times?
Good job, Nathan! He pushed for some information. If he knows that the equipment they’re currently using has poor performance, he’ll be able to make some points. Now let’s see the customer’s attempts to brush him off:
CUSTOMER: I really don’t have time to talk to you.
NATHAN: Okay, when might you have three minutes that I can ask you about your in-use rates on your exercise equipment?
This time he made it clear that he wasn’t going to make a long feature-dump presentation. He will be able to gain the information, get off the phone, and set up the opportunity to talk again.
Let’s see what happens when Nathan attempts to use the “quick questions” strategy.
CUSTOMER: Just send me some information.
NATHAN: I’m happy to do that and because we handle both free-weight and tension-resistance equipment, I need to ask a few quick questions to send you exactly what would interest you.
Now that was slick! He got in what they offer and asked for some information. Now, though, we get to observe the tough, features-specific objections:
CUSTOMER: Your price is way out of line.
NATHAN: Well, tell me more about your pricing expectations.
And another:
CUSTOMER: We’re really satisfied with the equipment we have leased.
NATHAN: Oh? Tell me about how that works for you guys.
And finally:
CUSTOMER: I just don’t see us adding recumbent bicycles when we already have uprights.
NATHAN: I can see where you might think that and I’ve had customers before who thought that way. They found, though, that doctors are starting to recommend recumbents specifically for their lack of stress on the back.
All right! That’s the way to blast those objections!