Its not that theyre a sign of interest; theyre an opportunity to find out what really motivates your prospect. You have to learn how to overcome objections from your customers without making them feel that theyre being painted into a corner just to make the sale.
How to overcome objections from your clients is a basic part of sales. Being prepared to turn a no into a yes is something that every successful salesperson has to be prepared to do. Those who really excel will be prepared even before beginning the negotiations. Jorge Zuñiga Blanco, an entrepreneur and sales expert from Costa Rica, explains how to approach objections and turn them into positive results.
As good as you think, or wonderful your product, youre always going to have to overcome objections. When a client says no, he or she could be objecting not because of the product, but because of their own reservations perhaps they dont have the money or feel they have a need to make the purchase. What theyre really saying is that the salesperson hasnt offered enough reasons to take the next step.
In short, instead of fearing objections, salespeople must love them. Explains Zuñiga, Its not that theyre a sign of interest; theyre an opportunity to find out what really motivates your prospect. You have to learn how to overcome objections from your customers without making them feel that theyre being painted into a corner just to make the sale.
Sometimes, youll find a client who really tells the truth. Normally objections like We dont have an assigned budget or I have to think about it or Im not interested are a smokescreen that hides another problem. States Zuñiga, The first thing that has to happen is to make sure that you are dealing with a real problem, other than that what we are hearing is simply Today I am in a bad mood and I am paying it with you or I am burned out from the commercials of your sector or I am not the person who makes the decisions or any other excuse.
That is why you cannot directly attack the objection, because you would create an atmosphere of confrontation that wont help. Instead, create an opportunity to get to know the customer better by asking a relevant question, for example, what is the budget, what is the usual purchase process, how are suppliers chosen. Additionally, its acceptable to ask if there will be a budget in the future or if the objection is over a lack of familiarity with the company or product. The goal is to disable the objection by understanding what really drives our prospect to put obstacles in the purchase process.
To overcome objections from customers, once the true meaning of the objection is resolved, it is time to present a solution. The key at this stage is not to exert too much pressure. A good way is to ask permission to show your solution to your problem. As a salesperson, ask if you can demonstrate how other customers have been able to improve their ROI thanks to your solutions or if you can explain the features if budget is no longer a problem. It is important to include a period of time in the question, so that the client will know that you wont be wasting their time since you only need a few minutes to convince them.
Sales professionals dont get over objections; customers do. This is the fundamental point of negotiating the sale. Adds Zuñiga, A sales professional knows he cant solve an objection. It is not in their power to allocate more budget to the customer, nor to shorten their deadlines. All of these obstacles can only be removed by the client. The salesperson must create the opportunity for this to happen through effective communication based on asking correct questions and paying maximum attention to what the client tells us.
About Jorge Zuñiga Blanco
Jorge Zuñiga Blanco is a leading eCommerce expert who has provided his services to growing organizations throughout the world. He has a diverse background of industries to his credit, giving him the ability to relate and contribute to business owners in a variety of markets. He has more than 20 years in the eCommerce industry and, for the past nine, has dedicated his expertise and knowledge to helping executives and managers develop their business.