Oct 17, 2019

3 strategies to turn objections into opportunities

Susan D. Crum

'I don't have the money' or 'I don't have the time' or 'I need to think about it' . . . do any of these sound familiar? If you're in sales, you've heard these more than once. But here's the thing. Objections are not a bad thing.

In this article I'm going to share three strategies as a result of my expertise of turning objections into opportunities, which has allowed me to generate millions of dollars in sales from coaching packages of $1,997 to six figures.

But first, it's important to understand what an objection really means. An objection is not a no. An objection is nothing more than a prospective client trying to push their decision out into the future, usually as a result of fear or the unknown. Objections also indicate the client is engaged. As sales professionals, we have to be prepared and know what questions to ask in order to handle and get to the true core of objections.

In order to handle any objection, you first need clarity around what's most important to them and why. Then you need to ensure they are clear on what their biggest challenge is, as well as their level of commitment. When you help them identify those three aspects during a sales conversation and you provide a valuable solution, any objection is not a rationale solution for not taking action.

So let's look at three proven strategies to turn those objections into opportunities, so you can begin to inspire more clients and generate more revenue.

REGARDLESS OF THE OBJECTION... always tie everything back to what's most important to them. When you start talking about how great your product or service is you turn salesy on your client rather than supporting them from a service perspective. No one likes to be sold, but most people love to be served.

MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CONVERSATION... stay in the conversation (don't back off) and keep it in the present. Attempting to push a decision out into the future does not serve your client nor will it allow your client to serve others. Learning how to ask the right questions, so together you and your client come up with a resolution, is one of the best sales techniques you can master.

BECOME AN ACTIVE LISTENER. Give your client your undivided attention and acknowledge and repeat back to them from time to time to ensure you heard them correctly. Ask relevant questions to further clarify your understanding of their objection. During your sales conversation, you want to listen more than talk. You can't become an active listener if you're talking more than your client.

Objections are an inevitable part of the sales conversation. Learning how to handle objections by responding to their concerns and providing answers is critical. Once you clearly know what the real obstacle is you can handle the objection, fully support them, and together move to the next step, so your client can accomplish their goals, dreams and vision. [FF]