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Chapter Eight—Addressing Concerns and
Earning Commitment
Learning Outcomes
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
1. explain why it is important to anticipate and overcome buyer concerns and resistance.
2. understand why prospects raise objections.
3. describe the five major types of sales resistance.
4. explain how the LAARC method can be used to overcome buyer resistance.
5. describe the recommended approaches for responding to buyer objections.
6. list and explain the earning commitment techniques that secure commitment and closing.
Chapter Outline
I. Introduction
A. Addressing Concerns
II. Anticipate and Negotiate Concerns and Resistance
III. Reasons Why Prospects Raise Objections
IV. Types of Sales Resistance
A. Need Objections
B. Product or Service Objections
C. Company or Source Objections
D. Price Objections
E. Time Objections
V. Using LAARC: A Process for Negotiating Buyer Resistance
VI. Recommended Approaches for Responding to Objections
A. Forestalling
B. Direct Denial
C. Indirect Denial
D. Translation or Boomerang
E. Compensation
F. Questioning or Assessing
G. Third-Party Reinforcement Feel-Felt-Found
H. Coming-to-that or Postpone
Summarizing Solutions to Confirm Benefits
VII. Securing Commitment and Closing
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A. Guidelines For Earning Commitment
B. Techniques to Earn Commitment
C. Probe to Earn Commitment
D. Traditional Methods
Exercises
Developing Professional Selling Knowledge
1. Why is it important for a salesperson to anticipate a buyer’s concerns and objections?
There are a couple of reasons why it is important for salespeople to anticipate a buyer’s
2. Is one type of sales resistance (e.g. need, price) more difficult to handle than another (e.g.
source, product, time)?
Yes, some types of sales resistances are more difficult to handle than others. For example,
3. Should the direct denial method ever be used?
Usage of the direct denial method might be risky as it may create a sense of anger, or it
4. Some trainers have been heard to say, “If a salesperson gets sales resistance, then he or she
has not done a very good job during the sales presentation.” Do you agree with this?
Generally speaking, people are naturally resistant to change. Therefore, it is only natural
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5. Under what circumstances does a salesperson want sales resistance?
Overcoming sales resistance might strengthen the buyer’s reasons/motivation to purchase
6. Are there ever going to be situations where the salesperson can’t overcome sales
resistance?
Yes, there will be situations where the salesperson cannot overcome sales resistance. In
7. Some trainers and sales experts think that closing is the most important stage of the sales
process. Do you feel this way?
Although some students may agree with this statement, closing is not consistent with
8. Why should salespeople have many closing techniques ready to use during a sales call?
Explain.
This question is somewhat misleading in that salespeople really shouldn’t worry about
having many closing techniques ready to use during a sales call. While salespeople should
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9. Can the LAARC method be used for all types of sales resistance? Explain.
Students’ answers will vary depending upon how they interpret this question. The LAARC
10. What is the best method to handle sales resistance?
While there is probably no one best method to handle sales resistance, salespeople should
Group Activity
Putting the Pieces Together: Creating a Job Search Strategic Plan and Preparation Guide
In this section of the guide students should envision themselves in an interview situation and
then:
• List objections recruiters might raise during an interview and develop and describe
strategies for overcoming each.
• List at least two strategies for gaining the recruiters’ commitment (to either offering the job
or a second interview).
This section should be written in such a way that students may readily refer to it (and learn from
it) when they are in their search for post-graduation employment.
Experiential Exercises
1. Why Salespeople Fail to Gain Commitment
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Objective: Your students will be able to understand the issue of failure in gaining commitment.
Time Required: 10 to 15 minutes.
Teaching Tip: This exercise is excellent to use as a review following a lecture or class
discussion on gaining commitment or fear of closing. Have the students complete this exercise
individually or in small groups. Sample answers are provided below.
One reason why sales are not completed is the salesperson makes no attempt to close the sale.
Why, after investing all the time and effort in prospecting, qualifying, and making the
presentation, would a salesperson not attempt to gain commitment? What are some other reasons
why salespeople fail to gain commitment? Record your responses on the following lines.
1. Fear of the word “NO.”
2. Lack of conviction that product features/advantages/benefits meet customers’ needs.
3. Waiting until the end of the presentation to gain commitment when the customer is ready
to make a decision earlier.
4. Simply not asking for the order.
5. Failure to generate agreement on key points during the presentation.
6. Prospect has objections.
Chapter 8 Case
Thompson Engineering
Background
Tyler Houston sells for Thompson Engineering. He has been calling on Hudson Distributors for
close to two years. Over the course of 15 calls, he has sold nothing to date. During an early call,
Houston had Hudson’s engineers in to look over and test the quality of his products. The tests
and the engineer’s responses were positive. He thinks that he is extremely close to getting an
order. Houston knows that Hudson is happy with its present supplier, but he is aware that they
have received some late deliveries. Tom Harris, Hudson’s senior buyer, has given every
indication that he likes Houston’s products and Houston.
Current Situation
During Houston’s most recent call, Harris told him that he’d need a couple of weeks to go over
Houston’s proposal. Harris really didn’t have any major objections during the presentation.
Houston knows his price, quality, and service are equal to or exceed Hudson’s present supplier.
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Questions
1. Harris told Houston that he needed a couple of weeks to think about his proposal. How
should Houston handle this?
Houston should probe to find out why Harris needs a couple of weeks’ time to think about
2. What should Houston have done during the sales presentation when Harris told him that he
needed to think it over?
Students’ answers will vary but should include some discussion that aim at probing to learn
3. What techniques should Houston have used to overcome the forestalling tactic?
Role Play
Situation: Read Case 8; Thompson Engineering
Characters: Tyler Houston, sales representative; Tom Harris, senior buyer
Scene 1:
Location—Harris’ office
Action—Harris has just stated that he needs a couple of weeks to go over Houston’s proposal.
Role play how Houston should respond to Harris’ needing two weeks to think it over.
Scene 2:
Location—Harris’ office
Action—Houston is summarizing his product’s advantages (i.e., price, quality, service).
Role play Houston’s summary and his asking for the order.
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Upon completion of the role plays, address the following questions:
1. Why do buyers hesitate and ask for more time to think over proposals?
2. How hard should Houston press to get Harris to act now?
Chapter 8 Role Play
Allison Engineering
Background
Brett Johnson has been selling for Allison Engineering for six months. Most of the first four
months were spent in training learning Allison’s products. He spent another two weeks learning
their selling process and shadowed one of their senior reps for a couple of weeks. He has barely
been in the field a month and is feeling frustrated. Brett was given a hot lead the first day in the
field (Parker Distributors), and the past four weeks he has made seven calls on Parker. Johnson
feels he is close to getting an order from Parker. Brett knows Parker is fairly happy with their
present supplier, but he is aware that they have received several late deliveries. Mary Williams,
Parker’s senior buyer, has given every indication that she likes Allison’s products and Johnson.
During Johnson’s most recent call, Williams told him she’d have to have a couple of weeks to go
over his proposal. Williams really didn’t have any major objections during his presentation.
Johnson knows his price, quality, and service are equal to or exceeds Williams’ present supplier.
Williams did say she wasn’t looking forward to calling their present supplier to tell them about
doing business with Allison Engineering if she decided to change.
Role Play
Location: Mary William’s office
Action: Role play Mary Williams telling Brett Johnson she needs a couple of weeks to think
over his proposal. Discuss the sales resistance of forestalling Williams is using and how Johnson
is going to overcome the objection (use LAARC). Also, role play Williams’ concern telling her
present supplier they are switching suppliers.
Chapter 8 Continuing Case
Handling Sales Resistance
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Brenda recently returned from a two week training session that focused on how to handle sales
resistance and how to earn commitment. Brenda has become quite familiar with the ADAPT
questioning system and knows she must use assessment questions to allow the buyer to describe
their present situation. She has also developed a pretty good set of discovery questions that helps
her identify the buyer’s pain and problems. Her challenge has been what to do with this
information. Whenever Brenda attempts to use features and benefits to make her case, she
encounters a myriad of objections. Brenda knows she has great products and service, but she has
not been able to communicate this effectively to her prospects.
The objection she hears most often is: “I’ve never heard of your company, how long have you
been in business?” If that is not bad enough, she heard the following objections in just one
morning:
“I’m not sure I am ready to buy at this time, I’ll need to think it over.”
“Your company is pretty new; how do I know you’ll be around to take care of me in the
future?”
“Your price is a little higher than I thought it would be.”
“Your company was recently in the news. Are you having problems?”
and finally,
“I think your company is too small to meet our needs.”
Brenda hears most of these objections right after she attempts to earn a commitment. She is now
getting a little gun shy about asking her prospects for the order.
Brenda is sitting at her desk trying to figure out what to do next and she is not exactly sure how
to proceed.
Questions
1. What would you recommend Brenda do to handle the challenges she faces?
First, Brenda needs to understand that objections are a natural part of the sales process and
2. Brenda appears to have an advantage with her products and services. Develop a plan for
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Brenda to overcome the sales resistance she is receiving.
3. Use the LAARC process to develop the suggested dialogue Brenda can use to address one
of the major types of resistance she is receiving.
Listen: She will have to listen as the buyer expresses “Your price is a little higher than I
thought it would be.”
4. What can Brenda do in the future to encounter less sales resistance when she asks for the
order?
There are a variety of things Brenda can do to encounter less sales resistance. First, she
may need to work on her prospecting skills (qualifying in particular). Next, while she feels
