CHAPTER 11
Welcome Your Prospect’s Objections
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. THE CORE PRINCIPLE: OBJECTIONS
A. You are there to help the customer, not force a product on them.
B. Address objections in an attempt to serve them.
C. If a customer has a valid objection, and the customer does not need your
product, leave.
D. If the customer is incorrect, politely show them how your product will help
them, and do it to help them not just to make the sale.
II. WHAT ARE OBJECTIONS?
A. Sales objection – a prospect’s opposition or resistance to the request of the
salesperson.
III. WELCOME OBJECTIONS!
A. Learn to accept objections as a challenge which, when handled correctly, will benefit
you and your prospect
B. The prospect who presents objections is often more easily sold on your product
C. If you fear objections, you will fumble your response, often causing you to fail.
IV. WHEN DO PROSPECTS OBJECT? – At any time during your sales call – from introduction
to close.
V. OBJECTIONS AND THE SALES PROCESS
A. Inexperienced salespeople finish their presentation and wait for the prospect’s
response.
B. Experienced salespeople use a trial close.
C. How to move to the real close:
1. If the prospect reacts positively – move to the close.
2. Answer objections and ask another trial close to determine if the objections
have been met, and then move to the final close.
4. If an objection has not been overcome, then move back to your presentation.
VI. BASIC POINTS TO CONSIDER IN MEETING OBJECTIONS
A. Plan for objections.
B. Anticipate and forestall.
1. Anticipate objections.
2. Forestalling an objection involves the salesperson discussing an objection
before it is brought up by the prospect.
C. Handle objections as they arise. Postponement of objections may result in:
2. The prospect feeling that you are hiding something.
3. The appearance that you also feel it’s a problem.
4. The appearance that you’re not able to answer because you do not know the
answer.
5. The appearance that you are not interested in the prospect’s opinion.
D. Be positive!
1. Use positive body language and smile.
2. Do not take objections personally.
E. Listen – hear them out.
F. Understand objections.
1. Request more information.
2. A condition.
a. Sometimes prospects may raise an objection that turns into a condition of
the sale.
3. Major or minor objections.
a. Minor objection- quickly address it and return to selling.
b. Do not turn a minor objection into a major discussion item.
4. Practical or psychological objections.
a. Practical (overt).
G. Meet the objection
H. Overall process:
1. Empathizing, listening, asking questions, answering the concern, and using a
trial close
VII. SIX MAJOR CATEGORIES OF OBJECTIONS
A. The hidden objection – a prospect who asks trivial, unimportant questions or conceals
his feelings beneath a veil of silence
1. The salesperson must ask questions and carefully listen in order to smoke out
the prospect’s real objection.
2. Smoke out hidden objections – ask questions, observe the prospect, you may
have to “read between the lines”; the prospect may not consciously know what
B. The stalling objection – when the prospect says, “I’ll think it over,” or “I’ll be ready
to buy on your next visit,” you must determine if the statement is truth or if it is a
smokescreen designed to get rid of you.
1. One of the toughest stalls to overcome arises when selling a new consumer
product.
2. Another stall occurs when the buyer says he has to get approval from someone
3. Let the buyer know that you are on his side and help him with his objections. If
he doe not respond, give him a multiple-choice question to display an attitude
of genuine caring.
4. Do not get demanding, defensive, or hostile.
5. Your goal is to help your prospect realistically examine reasons for and against
buying now.
6. The main idea is not to be satisfied with a false objection or stall. Bring out any
or all of your main selling benefits now and keep on selling.
C. The no-need objection – the prospect says, “… but I’m not interested now,” and he
stays as he presently is.
1. This is widely used because it gets rid of the salesperson.
2. It is tricky because it also includes a hidden objection or a stall.
D. The money objection – encompasses several forms of economic excuses and is simple
for the buyer to say.
1. Respond by saying that it is risky to discuss the product’s price until it can be
compared to the product’s benefits. Once you convey the benefits, price
becomes a secondary factor which usually can be dealt with successfully.
3. The price/value formula:
a. Used to determine if a prospect is or is not convinced that the price is too
high.
b. Price/value = cost.
(1) Cost – comparison of what is received to the money paid.
(2) Value – what the prospect sees the product doing for them.
(3) Price – set at headquarters; not subject to change.
E. The product objection.
2. Your reaction must be positive; you can use a guarantee, a testimonial,
independent research results, or a demonstration.
F. The source objection.
1. Some prospects may say that they are happy with their current supplier.
2. You should try to find out what exactly bothers the prospect and call on him
routinely over a long period of time.
VIII. TECHNIQUES FOR MEETING OBJECTIONS
A. We highly suggest using the technique of empathizing, listening, asking questions,
answering the concern, and using a trial close
B. However, different situations require different techniques; several techniques are
presented
C. Let a third party answer – Answer it by referring to a third party and using his
experience as your “proof or testimony.” If the source is reliable or reputable, this can
be especially successful with the expert or skeptical prospect. The dodge does not
deny, answer or ignore.
D. Ask questions to smoke out objections.
1. Q1: “There must be some good reason why you’re hesitating to go ahead now.
Do you mind if I ask what it is?”
2. Q2: “In addition to that, is there any other reason for not going ahead?”
3. Q3: “Just supposing, Mr. Buyer, you could … then you’d want to go ahead?” If
4. Q4: “Then there must be some other reason. May I ask what it is?” When he
tells you, respond with another question 2. If you receive a negative response
then go to question 5
5. Q5: “What would it take to convince you?”
6. This series of questions keeps the conversation going and gets the real
objections out in the open, which helps increase your sales.
E. Five-question sequence method of overcoming objections
1. First, use this question: “There must be some good reason why you’re
hesitating to go ahead now; do you mind if I ask what it is?”
2. Question number two: “In addition to that, is there any other reason for not
going ahead?”
3. Question number three, a “just suppose” question: “Just suppose you could. . . .
Then you’d want to go ahead?” If the answer is yes, discuss how you can do
4. Question number five, “What would it take to convince you?”
F. Rephrase an objection as a question. It is easier to answer a question than to
overcome an objection.
1. Acknowledge the prospect’s viewpoint.
2. Rephrase objections.
4. “Feel-felt-found”:
a. “I understand how you feel…”
b. “Bill at XYZ store felt the same way…”
c. “but he found after reviewing our products …”
G. Compensation or counterbalance method.
1. Sometimes a prospect’s objection is valid and must be overcome, which calls
for the compensation method.
2. Present advantages to counterbalance the objection
H. Send it back with the boomerang method.
1. Be ready at any time to turn an objection into a reason to buy. Convince the
prospect that his objection is in fact a benefit.
2. Requires good timing and quick thinking by the salesperson
I. Postponing objections is sometimes necessary.
1. If you judge that the objection will be handled to your prospect’s satisfaction
2. Tactfully used, forestalling can leave you in control of the presentation.
J. Dodge the objection
K. Pass up objection
L. Indirectly deny the objection
1. It initially appears as agreement with the customer’s objection, but moves into
denial of the fundamental issue.
M. Done in a natural, conversational way, the salesperson will not offend the prospect
N. Directly deny the objection
1. Incomplete or incorrect objections should be acknowledged from the prospect’s
viewpoint, and then answered with complete and correct facts.
3. Do not say, “You’re wrong.” It closes the prospect’s mind. Instead try, “You
know, you’re right to be concerned about this. Let me explain.”
IX. AFTER MEETING THE OBJECTION – WHAT TO DO?
A. First, use a trial close to determine if you have overcome the objection. Next, close
the sale or move back into your presentation.
B. Move back into your presentation.
C. Move to close your sale if finished with your presentation.
D. If you cannot overcome the objection:
1. Admit it, and show how your product’s benefits outweigh this disadvantage.