Handling objections was one of the first classes I took in sales training. I thought it was a fascinating process of communication and got caught up in the game. I was so caught up in it and became so effective using the process that I didn’t realize I was actually arguing with my customers. Not a huge deal – I was selling copiers and the transaction was more important than the relationship. However, when I moved into a role that required relationships with my customers, my objection-handling skills were slowly killing me. Thankfully, I realized this and did something about it.
The best way to handle an objection is to take control of it before your customer mentions it. If you know there is an issue, be transparent about it and openly discuss it. If you bring it up, your customer is less likely to see your dialogue as an argument. Also, when you bring up the objection, it’s perceived as less of an issue. After all, why would you bring up a major problem and risk winning the sale? Below is a perfect story to illustrate how well this works.
A real estate agent took over a house that couldn’t sell. The objection that no one could get past was the railroad track that ran immediately behind the house. Her predecessors would bring potential buyers by the house at times when the train wasn’t running and have every answer possible to overcoming the objection. They went through great pains in presenting the rest of the house and selling the potential buyers emotionally before showing the back yard. All of these techniques failed, but the new agent took a different approach.
About two weeks after taking over, she invited a group of buyers to the house at the same time, arriving 20 minutes before a train was scheduled to pass. After they toured the house, she delivered a brief presentation and then said: “… in about 20 seconds you’re going to hear why this house is priced so competitively.” Then, the train moved through. The windows didn’t shake, the noise was loud, but not intolerable, and the duration was about 40 seconds. She then stated: “A similar train rides past here three times a day for about the same amount of time – 8:45 am, 12:20 pm, and 5:05 pm. So, for listening to that noise for about two minutes a day – less if you work during these times – you’re saving thousands of dollars on the purchase price.”
The next day, the agent received multiple offers and ended up receiving more than the listed price. She didn’t hide the issue or try to overcome it, she openly shared it and worked with them to help them understand if they could live with it or not.
Think of the possible objections ahead of time and wrap them into your presentation. Be the first to raise the topic and make it a conversation, not a debate – your customers will love you for it.
