In the past, I’ve written on how important it is to be prepared when meeting with a prospect. Your success is dependent on how well you know your product or service. You also know all about your prospect and identify client needs. Your confident while making your sales pitch . . . and, then, you hear it, just what you were dreading . . . “No.”
While many salespeople hate hearing “No” from the prospect, the good ones know that a negative response is just another opportunity to close the sale. So why do so many salespeople struggle with this and end up leaving a sales presentation without the sale? Maybe they’re doing the wrong thing.
I know from experience that there are certain things you never want to do when handling objections. Take a look at this list and then think about what you do when you’re making a presentation. If you see yourself in any of these situations, consider changing your approach and increasing your odds of closing the sale.
1) Don’t argue
You won’t win even if you’re right, and you’ll probably lose the sale. It’s true, the customer is always right!
2) Don’t assume you always understand what the prospect means
If you are not sure why your client is objecting or hesitating, don’t start trying to address the issue. Probe a little deeper and make sure you know what the real objection is and then, address that. A simple question like, “What do you mean by that?” will probably get you what you need to make sure you overcome the real objection.
3) Don’t avoid the issue
Sometimes the prospect’s negative reaction will be more emotion-based instead of factual. The worst thing you can do is try to avoid that feeling of frustration or anger that is being expressed. Give the prospect the opportunity to vent a little, showing some compassion—“I’m sorry to hear you say that; perhaps you can tell me what has happened to make you feel that way.” The answer will help guide you on how to address the issue.
4) Don’t guess at the answer
When overcoming sales objections or questions, if you don’t have don't the answer, don’t guess. Instead, admit you don't know and assure the prospect that you’ll get back with the answer. Then, do it. Finding out the information and getting back to the prospect demonstrates that you follow through on your commitments.
5) Don’t dwell too long on an objection
When faced with a sales objection, don’t dwell too long on it address it and move on. You don’t want to make it bigger in the mind of your customer. Better to answer briefly. Your answer should be just long enough to satisfy the prospect--and no longer.
None of this is magic; in fact, a lot of it is common sense. But we all know that every little bit counts when it comes to sales. Remember these Don’ts and you’re going to hear Yes a lot more often!
