If I had given up after the first “NO” I wouldn’t be married!

True story! I have been married going on 16 years but it almost didn’t happen.

There were major objections given and had I given up after the first no, or 3, we wouldn’t be together today.

My wife, Stefanie, had serious reservations about giving me the YES!

Can you believe that? Even after I laid down the strongest “Sales Pitch” of all time. FYI, I am only using the term “Sales Pitch” for affect haha. I really can’t stand the use of the term “pitch” in relation to Sales.

What I meant to say was that I did a great job of implementing the Principles of PRESS PLAY. Yeah, that is what I meant to say!  RELATED – Classroom Training

I digress, back to the story. Nobody would have blamed Stefanie if she turned me down. I was a mess at that point in my life. None the less, I knew that if I wanted to “close the sale” that I was going to have to Conquer the Objections with Confidence.

And Conquer the Objections is just what I did! Married going on 16 years in August!

First things first when it comes to Objections.

Why do you fear the closing process and objections?

I ask this question all of the time and do you know what the most common response is?

• You Fear Rejection

The first thing you have to address is this. An Objection is NOT rejection. It is actually your Clients way of giving you specific DIRECTION(s).

You heard me right. Stefanie was giving me specific directions that I needed to follow to “close the sale”.

All I had to do was follow the directions and I would find the YES that I was looking for.

Having directions, knowing, will only get you so far.You also have to know what to do when you get there.

RELATED – Overcoming the “I need to talk to my spouse” sales objection

4 Easy Steps to Conquering Objections with Confidence

To conquer the objection we should L.E.A.P!

#1 Listen-When we actively listen to what the client is telling us they will let us know exactly which direction we need to go.

 “Thomas, that is a lot of money and I am not sure we can make that commitment.”

What’s the objection? Price or Affordability?

They didn’t come right out and say “that price is too high.” It sounds like it could be affordability but if you are not sure, you should ASK. More to come on that!

#2 Empathize- You need to show that you care. It can also help to show that you are “similar” to them and that you can relate.

“Bob, I understand! I find that I am faced with decisions like this on a regular basis. I am here to help you in the same way that I would want to be helped if the roles were reversed.”

#3 Ask-Questions can help us to uncover the not so obvious direction that we need to take.

If we take into account the example from above we could ask a clarifying question.

“Bob, are you more concerned about the total investment or are you more concerned about the affordability?”

We may also want to ask a question to identify whether or not the objection is a Smokescreen or a real Objection.

“Other than the money, are there any other reasons why you wouldn’t feel comfortable moving forward?

#4 Problem Solve- Going back to the first Principle in PRESS Play, Prepare.

We have to be prepared to solve problems.

• That might mean rebuilding the value in the solution by highlighting the need for it. (The Needs Pyramid)
• That might mean using 3^rd party data to support your recommendation.
• That might mean breaking the investment down to the ridiculous
  • “ Is it worth $.86 per day to ensure that you have chosen the right company and that you are getting a solution that meets all of your needs, Guaranteed?”

• We may have to “prioritize” the recommendations based on immediate needs and give the client the power to choose.

Remember, an objection isn’t rejection. It is direction. We should also remember that:

“It cant be said often enough that a properly executed sales will naturally close if you have prepared the first steps thoroughly” Dave Ramsey

You have the power and the skill sets. Now, go Conquer the Objections with Confidence!

Print this off and share! This should transform how your team views objections and how your team handles objections!

See you soon!

Question:  How is your life better because you wouldn’t accept “no” as an answer?  Please join the conversation, and share your answer on Facebook, or LinkedIn.