Obstacles and rejections in sales are unavoidable; in order to successfully overcome them, sales professionals need to be well prepared by having knowledge about their competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.
Asking open-ended questions helps break through objections by giving customers the freedom to voice their concerns without feeling trapped. It also gives you a chance to demonstrate why your product stands out against competitors’.
Listen
Of course it might seem counterproductive to give a sales pitch when someone raises objections against your products and services, but listening carefully to their objection is essential in understanding what needs to be addressed. Successful sales people know how to turn any objection into an opportunity by carefully listening and responding appropriately – the key to their success.
Active listeners can demonstrate to their prospects that they truly care about meeting their unique needs, encouraging prospects to open up about their pain points and non-negotiables while giving sales reps an opportunity to provide tailored, valuable solutions.
If a buyer objects to price, rather than dismiss them outright as not worth your effort and time selling them the product or service, explain how much money they could save by forgoing unnecessary expenses in the long run. In addition, provide them with a demo or trial version of it so they can see first-hand how it will help them reach their objectives.
Sales professionals with success know how to quickly identify and respond to their prospects’ objections, which ensures both customer satisfaction and timely sales closure. Be sure to follow-up after responding to objections to ensure all concerns have been met by responding appropriately.
Understand
“Let Me Think About It” objections can indicate that your prospect is uncertain that your solution can address their problems or help them meet their goals. Your initial instinct might be to dispute this fact outright; instead, try understanding why they’re uncertain and take time answering any inquiries they have about the solution.
When dealing with sales objections, the key is responding in such a way as to demonstrate your genuine desire to understand their pain points and understand their concerns. By doing this, prospects should feel like their concerns were heard and the objection has been overcome – leading them to keep communicating with you throughout your sales process and ultimately closing their deal with you.
An often-heard sales objection is that your product or service is too costly. At this stage, it’s critical to demonstrate its true value by sharing customer success stories or using social proof (i.e. reviews from influencers).
Before moving forward with any action or discussions with a prospect, be sure to verify your understanding of their objection by repeating back their concern and asking “So, I hear you saying…” Doing this will ensure that your response was effective in solving their problem and closing the sale.
Respond
As a salesperson, it’s crucial that you be ready to quickly respond when your prospect raises an objection – whether valid or not – so as not to hinder further dialogue. It is your duty to ensure their comfort so the conversation continues without disruptions.
At this stage, it is crucial to pay close attention to what questions they’re asking and use your knowledge of the product to respond in an engaging and positive manner. You should also keep track of their responses and see if any more information might help address their worries or address any potential concerns they might have.
If someone complains that your product is too costly compared to competitors with similar features, don’t simply offer to reduce its price; that may come across as devaluing it. Instead, explain how using your product will save them money over time and how much benefit they will derive from using it.
Repetition can also help ensure that all concerns have been met; and may give an opportunity for your solution to win them over. For more assistance on overcoming common B2B sales objections, check out our blog on B2B sales objections.
Confirm
Sometimes your prospect might be uncertain whether your product can actually help them, in which case it’s important to ask open-ended questions that help understand their concerns better and reassure them by detailing how your service has helped other customers with similar scenarios.
Prospects may find your products too costly, giving you an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the value proposition of your product and demonstrate why the price justifies its investment. For example, you could highlight its benefits by listing features unavailable elsewhere or how your product has helped other businesses reduce operating costs while saving money themselves.
Finally, your brand may face objections from prospects who are skeptical about its reputation or reliability. To address such objections effectively, ask the prospect where they heard about your product/service and how they know that it will suit them best.
Once you’ve addressed each key objection, it is time to move onto the next stage in your sales call. Always remain calm and attentive during this process; in addition, be prepared with a plan in the event that further objections come up from your prospect.
