Overcoming Any Sales Objection
By Angel R. Rojas, Jr., DataCorps Technology Solutions, Inc.
Sales is an artform and overcoming a sales objection is one of many tools available to paint the whole, beautiful picture of earning a new client. Becoming masterful at overcoming sales objections takes practice and it involves understanding the psychology behind why people buy and using their reasons to make the sale, not our own.
We begin by asking questions designed to help us understand why and when they will buy. In some cases, they will not be ready to buy at that moment so we should not spend any time selling, but instead, we should be educating them memorably (more on that later). Understanding why they will buy allows us to cater our presentation to their needs, not ours!
Here are three questions you must answer to break through any sales objection:
- "What is it going to take to earn your business today?" Listen to what the prospect tells you. It's essential to understand their needs and not interject our ideas of what they want. Be certain you have a clear understanding of what it's going to take for them to buy and ensure you promise that in your sales presentation. Determine what they like and do not like about their current situation and what they’re wanting to change, for this is critical and you will speak directly to that, in the end.
- "What are you spending on these services today?” Having the budget conversation is often seen as taboo, however, it is another critical step to overcoming objections. Since so many objections stem around money, wouldn’t setting that expectation up-front clear the air? Often, the answer is as simple as, “you’re having problems with your current provider because they’re not charging enough for what you’re expecting and are, therefore, not delivering it.” It’s amazing how clearly people understand when their expectations and budget are not aligned, but it takes someone to educate them about it.
- "What are your non-negotiables?" This question helps to answer what the prospect may be willing to give up (and if you need to help them with their budget). Perhaps they don’t need backups every quarter-hour and can, instead, run fine on a daily backup. That helps to fine-tune some costs and develop a solution for them with the possibility of upsells.
Now that we have those three, basic questions out of the way, we can begin to address the proposal and presentation. During the presentation, all the concerns revealed should be addressed. For example, if response time was a concern, then it should be addressed in the presentation. Here’s the key – any of the concerns that are left unanswered and unaddressed will turn into an objection. This presentation should be educational (and memorable) and should not mention price at all. The prospect may not have the budget or may be looking at other providers and this is how you can shine above them all.
Transition to the close by asking, "Does my proposal address all of the concerns?". The answer should be an immediate, “yes”. If it isn’t, then there was a failure in information gathering.
Now, we present the price by simply stating, “Based on your expectations and the concerns you have, here is what it will cost to address them all.” In doing so, you establish the following:
- Anything less could be cutting corners
- The prospect will know their expectations have been understood and can be delivered
- Their buying criteria have been properly set (by education) and they most likely will use this presentation as the gold standard for evaluating others
At this point, your job is complete, and you must stop selling! There’s a tremendous temptation to keep talking at this point but the best thing to do is to pass the contract and a pen over to them, then be quiet!
About The Author
Angel R. Rojas, Jr. is President & CEO of DataCorps Technology Solutions, Inc.