As you well know, handing objections is a natural part of selling. Objections represent problems you must overcome if you are to arrive at your objective.

Sales representatives create some objections through their own mistakes! such as:

Poor planning before the call.

Another reason sales representatives encounter objections is that they are dealing with people. As long as selling involves an interchange of thoughts and feelings between human beings, objections are going to be raised, Human communication is more art than science and an impressive art, at that.

One of the main problems with objections is that sales representatives often think a prospect's dissent is a sign that they are about to lose a sale. In most cases this is not so. The prospect often is displaying interest. In fact, the individual may even be on the verge of saying "Yes" to the offering and may just need more facts to justify a decision!

The prospect who raises objections is seldom the most difficult to persuade. The one who remains silent is the bigger problem. Look at it this way. When a prospect objects, you are given the opportunity to discover what is on the individual's mind. Until you know what stands in the way of agreement, you can't expect to make progress in the sale Remember, the only objection you can't handle is the one you don't know exists,

It's surprising, though, how sales representatives will struggle against letting their prospects express objections. They'd be far wiser to look at objections logically. Objections are either real or imagined reasons why the prospect does not buy your offering.

When faced with objections, there are two courses of action you may take:

Quite obviously, the sooner you get objections out into the open and handle them, the quicker you get to a sale, and the more time you save.

Consider this statement from a prospect: There's another plan available that's better suited to my situation than yours is."

Obviously, the sales representative in this case does not have favorable attention. Nor does the prospect's statement give sufficient information to provide a basis for persuasive explanation.

To win back the prospect's attention, the sales representative must do four things:

While these steps represent a logical approach to handling objections, they are violated all too often.

it's surprising how often sales representatives violate step #i and #2 in particular. They do so by lumping in with rebuttals instead of asking a question to draw out the prospect's olpinion.

As a result, their rebuttals fail on deaf ears, and the opportunity to learn what really is bothering the prospect is missed. In addition, the prospect becomes annoyed because the opinion has been ignored.

The key point is that failure to draw the prospect out and listen results in an unfavorable impression, loss of favorable attention and of sales progress.

Drawing out the prospect's opinion is relatively easy when you use questioning techniques. In addition, the atmosphere you create by encouraging your prospect to express a point of view helps you regain favorable attention if for no other reason than that it allows the individual to vent feelings as well as thoughts. It is the key to understanding the prospect's thinking and of making sales progress.

Alter listening attentively to an objection, don't answer too quickly. Take the time to ask yourself if your prospect has given you enough information on which to base a persuasive explanation. If you need more information, which is often the case, restate the objection in your own words. You'll be amazed at how much more the prospect reveals.

For example:

Prospect We tried a similar brand a while back and it didn't go over."

Sales person . .. "Didn't go over?"

Prospect No, we didn't even sell one box.

Sales person . . . "I certainly can understand your point, Mr. Jones. in other words, you want to know why my product will do the job for you when the other one didn't. Is that right?"

Prospect ..."That's it exactly."

By using questions to bring the prospect's objection out into the open, this sales person has gotten addition information, and, at the same time, regained favorable attention. Now that favorable attention has been regained, the sales person is ready to offer persuasive explanation, the last step in the objection handling process.

If you look upon an objection as a question that can be answered and not as a challenge, you'll avoid having to prove your prospect wrong. Instead, you'll make the prospect think an interesting point has been raised and a valid answer will now be anticipated.

Remember, the question is an emotion motivation idea and is used to gain and hold favorable attention as well as to uncover information.

Summary-Handling objections

Objections represent problems that must be overcome if you are to arrive at your objective.

A. Sales representatives create some obstacles through their own mistakes such as:

1. Poor planning before the call.

2. Making their presentations from their own viewpoints instead of from the prospect's.

3. Ineffective handling of doubt, indifference or competition

4. Poor sales timing.

5. Failure to ask for the order properly.

B. As long as selling involves an interchange of thoughts and feelings between human beings, objections are going to be raised.

C. Sales representatives often think that a prospect's dissent is a sign that they are about to lose a sale. Not so!

1. The prospect's displaying interest.

2. He may just need a few more facts to justify a decision.

D. The prospect who remains silent is more difficult to persuade than the one who raises objections.

E. When faced with objections, there are two courses of action you may take:

1 You can ignore them! thus pushing them down deeper.

2. You can bring them out into the open where you can deal with them.

II. To win back the prospect's attention the sales representative must do four things:

A. Sincerely recognize the prospect's right to his or her opinion.

B. Draw out the opinion-listen carefully.

C. Regain favorable attention.

D. Oiler persuasive explanation.

II. Failure to draw the prospect cut and listen results in unfavorable impression, loss of favorable attention and of sales progress.

A. If you need more information on which to base a persuasive explanation, restate the prospect's objection in your own words.

B. Use questioning techniques to encourage the prospect to express a point of view.

C. Remember, the question is an emotion motivation idea that can be used to gain and hold favorable attention as well as to uncover information.

D. Once favorable attention has been regained, offer persuasive explanation.