Working with objections in sales: 4 reasons and 5 types of client refusals + 7 rules for working with objections + 7 ways to obtain consumer consent.
Those who work in sales know very well that clients simply love to object to the questions: “Can I help you with something?”, “Show this vase closer?”, “Do you want to try it on?”, “Perhaps you are interested in something?” what else?” and others answer categorically: “No!”
What to do about it?
Just accept it?
What about earnings?
No need to make peace!
You just need to understand that handling objections in sales- one of the components of a businessman’s activity.
If you know how to attract a client who loves to say “No!”, you can significantly increase your income.
Why do you have to deal with objections in sales?
Once in a store, I accidentally overheard a conversation between two saleswomen. One of the girls complained about clients who automatically say: “No,” “I don’t want,” “I’m not interested,” although it is clear that they need help or the product offered.
Then I thought: “But it’s true! How many times have I myself told the sellers “No, thank you” to the question: “Can I help you?”, although I stood there for 5 minutes, looking at, for example, a skirt and intending to try it on?”
Why is this happening?
Why do salespeople constantly have to deal with our objections in sales?
Working with objections or the reasons why the client says “No!”
I believe that any person who works in sales needs as much knowledge about psychology as possible.
If you learn to understand your clients, dealing with objections will be easy, and the profit received from successful transactions will please you.
The main reasons why you have to work with objections in sales:
Psychological protection.
Many buyers see sellers as predators whose goal is to shake out as much as possible more money from a trusting client.
What's the easiest way to protect yourself? Say “No” right away.
Bad experience.
Let's be fair: everyone is a professional in their field.
Often you have to deal with an intrusive, unprofessional, tiresome manner of service.
Having had one such experience, you don’t want to repeat it.
Bad reviews.
In trading, reputation is the foundation.
If even a couple of clients speak negatively about you, it will become much more difficult to sell your products and services, and dealing with objections will become your main activity.
Inner fears.
It could be anything: fear of being deceived, overpaying, making the wrong choice, etc.
It is very difficult to fight this, but if you understand what exactly the consumer is afraid of, you can overcome his objection.
Types of objections in sales
Is it always possible to deal with objections in sales?
No, not always.
Sometimes long-term work with a client does not bring the desired result.
Why is this happening?
Yes, because you did not understand either the reasons for the client’s refusal or the type of objection.
If you understand what exactly prompts a client to refuse you and how strong his position is, you can immediately weed out hopeless clients and focus only on promising projects.
Types of objections:
“I said without thinking...”
Say "No!" much easier than saying “Yes!”
The client to whom you offered something simply blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.
Try repeating your proposal again, and the answer will probably be yes.
“I objected out of habit, but I doubt it.”
The most promising type of clients.
Your task is to dispel all the consumer’s doubts and convince him that the goods/services you offer are the best that are on the market.
“I don’t seem to mind, but it doesn’t suit me...”
Here it is important to find out what exactly the consumer is not satisfied with (price, quality, color, shape, size, delivery conditions, etc.) and put forward a counter-offer.
If you find a reasonable compromise, then be sure to make a deal.
“Maybe, but not now...”
It seems that the client did not refuse, but at the same time he did not agree to the deal.
Most likely, he has good reasons for this: lack of money, time, desire to consider other options, etc.
You can sell a product/service if you make the most favorable impression of all the sellers.
“No means no!”
This is a hopeless type of objection for the seller.
The customer doesn't really need the products and services you offer.
The decision was made consciously, so all attempts to convince others are a waste of time.
7 rules for dealing with objections in sales
Over the years, each manager develops his own rules for working with clients, especially with difficult and unyielding ones.
Gradually, you will understand how best to act in a given situation, how to deal with objections from a consumer to whom you need to sell a product or service.
P.S. If you are on initial stage professional path, then you will need the help of more experienced colleagues.
The buyer is not your rival, he is your partner.
When you were in the role of a consumer, did you ever have the feeling that the seller saw you as an enemy who must be defeated?
I have encountered this behavior more than once and believe me, it is very annoying.
I want to refuse, even if I was initially interested in goods or services.
If you encounter objections, there is no need to take out a saber and try to blow off the head of a careless buyer, there is no need to put pressure on him.
Treat him like a partner who doesn’t understand something, and you need to calmly explain everything to him.
Prepare for each of your sales, then there will be fewer objections.
This is especially true not for store sellers, but for sales agents, for example.
Before you take your proposal to the buyer's office, find out as much as possible about him and the company's needs.
This will make it much easier for you to conclude a contract.
Establish an emotional connection with the buyer.
First, you should like all your customers, even the less-than-likable ones.
Secondly, you must do your best to please them.
The faster you establish emotional contact with your interlocutor, the easier it will be for you to conclude a deal with him.
Don't argue with the client, but convince him.
I think there is no need to clarify the difference between argument and persuasion in sales.
Speak calmly and softly.
And, of course, don’t be rude to him, even if he is rude to you.
Get the gist of the objection.
You must understand well: the buyer’s objections are just excuses, or he gives the true reason for his refusal.
If you catch your interlocutor making excuses, figure out what is behind them and what is the real reason for the reluctance to make a deal.
Eliminate it and you will earn money.
Be as persuasive as possible.
A doubtful, stammering, nervous salesperson has little chance of success in his job.
You must be calm, polite, collected and persuasive.
And also, believe in what you say.
Don't give in to difficulties.
Did you hear “No!”, immediately get upset and hasten to retreat?
Then it’s better for you to quit sales and do something else.
A good implementer is not afraid to work with objections.
Dealing with objections in sales: 7 ways to get a client's “Yes!”
Are there ways to overcome consumer objections and get what you want from them? Of course there is!
Many have learned in a matter of minutes, after analyzing the client’s refusal, to find a way to obtain his consent.
Do you want to become such a master at your job? Then use one of the suggested methods.
| № | Method name | The goal you realize in your work | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Yes, but...” | Make your interlocutor think | – Now I don’t have the money to buy it. – Yes, but this action will last a few more days. Then the price will be twice as high. – I order goods elsewhere for 100 rubles cheaper. – I read on the Internet that some clients were dissatisfied with your services. |
| 2. | “Why?” (the question can be asked in other words) | Encourage the consumer to engage in dialogue with you | – I don’t like it. – What exactly do you not like? - Don't want! - Not sure. |
| 3. | "That's why..." | Provide the buyer with an alternative solution | - I'm not sure, I need to think. “That’s why I want to leave you mine.” commercial offer so that you can analyze everything again. “I don’t have time to talk to you now.” – Now I have difficulties with money. |
| 4. | “How can I convince you?” | Find out the reasons for the objection | - I'm not interested in your proposal. - How can I convince you? |
| 5. | "Let's imagine..." | Press on the ratio | - No. I already have a supplier who completely suits me. – Let’s imagine that at one time you refused your current supplier without even really considering his offer. All I ask is that you give me 10 minutes to demonstrate the benefits of our company. |
| 6. | Bribe (the method only works when you offer quality goods/services at reasonable prices) | We rely on human love to the freebie | – No, thank you, our specialists use Golden Curl cosmetics. – I will leave for you some free samples and my contacts so that you can compare our products and the ones you are used to. – I already have a manicurist. |
| 7. | Comparison | Shows you in a better light than your competitors | – I have been buying Clean Dishes detergent for a long time. – Let’s compare both products: “Clean dishes” costs 100 rubles for 300 ml, our “Anti-grease” product costs 120 rubles for 400 ml. In addition, our product lathers perfectly and with its help the work will be done faster. |
The most common objection that can be heard from a client is the objection: “There is no money.” Sergey Kostenkov will tell you how to deal with this in his video:
Fighting objections: an algorithm of actions from a cool seller
One day, a friend dragged me to the training “Working with objections in sales.”
I won’t say that this topic was so interesting to me (I have enough training courses and master classes in my profile), but since that day I was not busy with anything, and my friend had 2 invitations from her company, I decided to go anyway.
And you know, I didn’t regret it for a second – it was interesting, understandable and useful!
Conducting trainings for our coach Igor - additional view activities, his main job is sales (he is looking for clients for his company), his specialization is big fish (that is, contracts for huge sums).
Naturally, in sales, he very often has to deal with objections: “Right now I’m not interested in your offer,” “I’m satisfied with my supplier,” “Oh, yours is so expensive, I’ll take it at half the price,” and others.
Consumers who say “No” without even considering the offer properly are about 80%.
Igor has developed his own algorithm for dealing with objections in sales:
Give the buyer the opportunity to speak.
Rarely does anyone respond to an offer in monosyllables; most consider it their duty to explain why they do not want to make a sale.
You should listen patiently to the person in order to understand what exactly is not satisfactory.
If you come across a friend of few words, you can push the person into a monologue with questions: “Why?”, “What exactly didn’t suit you?” and the like.
Join your interlocutor’s objection.
For example, to the buyer’s objection: “No, I’m not interested in your offer, your prices are too high,” you answer: “Yes, our prices are really not the lowest, but...”.
This way you build rapport and show respect for other people's opinions.
Answer all questions.
If you managed to win over your interlocutor and draw him into a dialogue, then patiently and honestly (within reason, of course) answer all the buyer’s questions.
Even if there are a lot of questions, even if some of them seem stupid to you.
Encourage action.
You worked out the first three steps of the sales algorithm flawlessly, so the interlocutor stopped objecting and began to think about what to do?
Encourage him to take action by repeating your offer (preferably in a more attractive version).
Find a compromise.
The consumer seems to be not against your product/services, but is there something that doesn’t suit him?
Your job is to find a reasonable compromise that benefits both.
Handling objections in sales– something that every seller faces.
If you learn to neutralize them correctly, then client refusals will no longer frighten you.
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Are you familiar with the expression - dealing with objections in sales? A lot has been written about this, but is it necessary to pay attention specifically to objections? Let's figure it out.
Millions of factors can influence a client’s behavior and train of thought and, accordingly, these same factors create barriers and objections in sales. If a salesperson could read a customer's mind, dealing with objections in sales would be pointless. Read how to analyze customer behavior.
We will not rely on superpowers, we will prepare to overcome sudden obstacles on the path to sales.
What is an objection - a process of denial or disagreement
Objections in sales are nothing more than a consequence of some processes that occur between the seller and the buyer. What are the consequences of client objections? Objections are the result of a barrier that a seller or buyer has. There are two types of barriers - technical and psychological.
Objections in sales are situations or thoughts that will stand like a granite wall until you overcome them with your mind.
Direct objections from the client
The denial barrier arises as a result of direct disagreement with what the client saw or heard. For example: “You know, but I categorically disagree with you” or "I won't wait that long" or “You think one way, but I think differently.”
Direct open objections of this type are signals of a possible overt or hidden conflict
These types of objections often lead to long discussions or disputes between the buyer and the seller. A trained salesperson never gets into an argument with a client.
The barrier of awareness that arises is one of the most non-criminal, since it often cannot be influenced by the seller. Objection “I need some advice” or “I can’t give you an answer right now” may be an integral part of the natural.
“We need to consult with my wife” or “The money is not mine, I need to approve the purchase” or “we are planning next week” or “I need to digest everything now” can be real and truthful and no amount of persuasion or tricks will help persuade the client.
Note that 90% of the time, the genuine purchase awareness objection is: "I need to think" never sounds out loud. Yes, yes, you heard right, out loud phrases of this type are usually nothing more than an “excuse” - an excuse that helps the buyer leave the zone of discomfort that has arisen.
There is nothing complicated here, you just need to be attentive to the client. In the video training, you will get acquainted with the nature of the emergence of objections - barriers and examples of working out these objections in practice. You will be able to recognize the type of barrier, and accordingly the nature of the objection as a consequence.
The fight against objections that arise as a result of the client’s psychological and emotional experiences is one of the most difficult in sales. All the seller needs to do in such a situation is to treat the buyer first and foremost as a person.
Psychological barriers to sales
Fears and mistrust are a brake on the adoption process 
the right decision and of course the soil that forms communication barriers in sales. In general, our fears often form the wrong conclusions that we have made based on what we have seen or heard. The client may come up with a horror story for himself, having misunderstood your joke or finding a flaw in the product, or even reading a lot of forums and deciding that you have been deceiving him all along.
You cannot control the birth of fears in the buyer, but you are entirely within your power to influence the environment in which they are born. If you behave secretly, do not clearly answer the client’s questions, speed up the process of completing a transaction, violate agreements, then with such things you create the basis for the client to develop a fear of being deceived.
Do not give rise to fears and remember that by your behavior you will create a favorable and safe environment for easy transactions. Dealing with objections in sales is an integral element of contact selling, which should not be a difficulty for the seller. It is objections that help to correctly understand the buyer’s motives.
No salesperson likes objections in their work, but they are the main source of personal and professional growth. The psychology of the client is such that very rarely he will agree to conclude a deal with you without testing your strength, without doubting the veracity of your words, without knowing what benefits he will receive for himself personally by agreeing to your offer. And if you learn to analyze the reasons for objections, and then adjust your work based on this, then success will only be a matter of time. Despite this, most managers view objections not as an opportunity to develop, but as a serious obstacle on the way.
In this lesson, we will understand what objections are, what types of objections exist, and what techniques are available to eliminate them. This information will help you understand that “the devil is not as scary as he is painted,” and that in fact, working with objections is not only simple, but also interesting.
Client psychology: what are objections and how they are formed
In sales, the client's psychology plays a serious role, and objections represent his defensive reaction to the manager's actions in establishing contact and completing the deal, although sometimes objections occur at all stages of the sales cycle. You must understand that the client will always seek to defend himself, because... perceives the seller as a threat to his mental peace (the stage of establishing contact) and well-being (the stage of completing the transaction). Therefore, objections are a natural part of the sales process and.
The formation of objections occurs both at the conscious and unconscious levels of perception. Unconscious objections are the client's reaction to intrusion stranger(seller) into his comfort zone and are expressed in the utterance of involuntary, almost unconscious phrases. Non-standard actions, carefully thought-out phrases, and sales scripts help overcome this type of objection. The main thing is to understand that unconscious objections are directed not at the proposed product, but at the actions of the manager.
Conscious objections, on the other hand, concern what the seller is offering. Here the potential buyer is not satisfied with the benefits, cost, or specific characteristics of the product. Objections of this type arise in cases where the buyer wants to get more for less money.
To summarize this block, the main thing you need to understand about objections is:
- Objections are reactions to your actions, which means that by changing your actions you can change these reactions.
- Objections are inevitable, and if a person does not object to you, then he will buy anyway, and there is no professional merit in this.
Having accepted these two facts, you should be prepared for objections and meet them with enthusiasm, because they bring you closer to closing the deal.
Working with objections - what is it?
They call the manager’s actions to eliminate conscious and unconscious obstacles that prevent the conclusion of a deal. This activity is almost always present in sales, and therefore you simply must understand the types of objections, the stages of their processing and response options.
Remember that clients are different, but any objection can be considered a sign of their interest in purchasing a product or service. Handling objections correctly allows you to increase the value of the product in the eyes of a potential buyer, while handling objections incorrectly will cause the deal to fail. And in order to work with objections competently, you must first understand what they are, in addition to conscious and unconscious ones.
Typology of objections
Objections can be false or true. And there is one tricky point here: if you overcome true objections, a deal will be concluded, and if false, a stream of new objections awaits you. This happens due to a person’s reluctance to make a purchase and his inability to say so directly due to politeness or something else.
Plus, you need to learn to distinguish between objections and conditions - real factors that do not allow you to conclude a deal (for example, a person will not buy a car at a car dealership if he does not have a license, etc.).
The appearance of false objections is influenced to a fairly serious extent, but it also happens that people deliberately name false reasons, for example, when it is inconvenient to voice the true ones.
As for the true objections, they serve as a logical justification for the potential buyer for the inappropriateness of the proposed purchase. As we said, these are the ones that need to be worked out in order to conclude a deal, but this must be done in stages.
Stages and methods of handling objections
In this and the next few sections we will talk about practicing true objections, and at the end of the lesson we will tell you how to parry false ones.
So, the scheme for working with objections is as follows:
- Listen carefully to the objection without interrupting the client (use technique). When you listen to the end, you can say: “I heard you,” etc.
- Do you agree with the objection, i.e. , showing that you share his point of view. You can say: “I agree with you, functionality in this matter is very important,” etc.
- Give a reasoned response to an objection, showing the client a way out of the situation.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “The same product is more expensive than in the neighboring store”
Seller: “I agree with you. Saving is always very important. But unlike other stores, the price of our goods includes maintenance costs and additional services. You may overpay a little now, but in the future you will be able to use many of our services for free.”
The considered scheme is considered classic, and it must be mastered without fail. But besides this, there are also various techniques for working with objections in sales. They will be discussed further (we will immediately make a reservation that we will not mention the stage of joining a client, but always keep it in mind).
Counter question method
In response to the client’s objections, you can ask him several counter questions so that he thinks about the correctness of his own judgments.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “It’s expensive here”
Seller: “How much is inexpensive for you?”
Seller: “Why do you think ours is expensive?”
Seller: “Expensive compared to what?”
After the questions have been asked, you will have two options for action: if before the client spoke “automatically,” now he will think about it and, perhaps, rephrase the objection, and you can choose the appropriate tactics for the conversation. Or you can get to the bottom of the objection and find more serious reasons for it, which you can then eliminate.
Comparison method
In this case, you simply compare what the client has now and what you can offer him. You can also resort to this method when the client chooses, for example, between a cheaper and more expensive product.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “This model is more expensive than that one”
Seller: “Okay, let's compare. Which brand is better known? Is German quality better than Chinese? Will you need additional accessories in this case? And in another? Does this company provide a guarantee? And that one?
Just show the person a difference they haven't thought about and give them the opportunity to look at your offer from a broader perspective.
“Yes, but...” method
This method is one of the most popular. It is most often used in situations where the client’s objections are justified: for example, your product may really be expensive, and your task is to explain to the person why such a cost is quite adequate.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “It’s very expensive”
Seller: “Yes, but this is guaranteed quality”
Buyer: “Some people say bad things about this brand.”
Seller: “Yes, but there are many more who respond well”
Buyer: “It’s cheaper in the next store”
Seller: “Yes, but ours is better”
Essentially, the “Yes, but...” method can be applied to many situations, but it is only effective if you are able to clearly justify what comes after your “but.”
"That's why" method
To some extent, this technique is not similar to the previous one, but it distinctive feature is that it is perfect for working with false objections. The point is to make the client's objection the starting point for your persuasive words.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “I need to think”
Seller: “That’s why I would like to meet with you - to point out what exactly is worth paying attention to”
Buyer: “Your place is expensive”
Seller: “That’s why, firstly, we have samples for each client, and secondly, all our clients are provided with additional services”
Buyer: “I already have a person who supplies this product”
Seller: “Great! That’s why you definitely need to learn about our advantages and new opportunities for yourself.”
When used correctly, this method can be a very powerful tool for neutralizing even the most serious objections.
Statement Replacement Method
The method of replacing a statement is also known as “Paraphrase” and “Substitution”. The point is simple: when working with an objection, you begin your statement with the words “So you mean that ...” or “I understood you correctly that ...”, and then replace the client’s objection with a statement that is beneficial to you.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: "You don't have what I'm looking for"
Seller: “So you mean that if we bring the product you need, we will contact you?”
With such a subtle influence on the client’s psychology, you will be able to “turn” him to you and discuss the prospects for possible cooperation.
Past experience method
Professional managers are very fond of this method. For it to give results, find among the potential buyer’s actions those that he has already done in the past, but he will have to do them in the future.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “Your place is expensive”
Seller: “Tell me, has it ever happened to you that at first you saved, but then you still had to buy more - when you had to overpay once again?”
Buyer: “We already have a supplier”
Seller: “Listen, remember the moment when you were choosing a supplier. What motivated you? Surely favorable conditions, Truth? Perhaps it makes sense to consider our proposal? Who knows, you may well find it much more interesting.”
If you can find something vital in the client’s objections, use it immediately. If the client still refuses, use some other method to try to remove the obstacle again.
These methods of handling objections are considered the most common, but in addition to them, we want to introduce you to several additional techniques that will make yours much richer and more powerful.
Reframing Technique
The technique is a bit similar to the statement replacement method, but trickier than it. It consists of using the client’s expressions and questions in your speech in order to begin to speak in “his” language and about the same thing. Different people can speak in the same words about different things, due to which ambiguities and ambiguities arise. To be able to eliminate them and come to an agreement, this technique is used.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “Our production technologies are very complex. Change technological processes and it is inappropriate to retrain employees"
Seller: “I agree. With such a complex process and significant innovation costs, changing technologies must be approached carefully. For this reason, our employees carefully study the work of their clients in advance. This allows us to seriously minimize risks and costs.”
This same technique can be used very effectively in conjunction with the counter-question method. Together, they greatly increase a manager’s chances of success.
Guessing technique
Using the guessing technique, you hypothetically assume that the obstacles to closing the deal have been eliminated. Think about whether the potential buyer will now agree to your offer? If not, then for what reason? Do this with all objections to quickly fend off unimportant objections and move on to more serious ones.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “Your computers are very expensive”
Seller: “Okay, if the question wasn’t the price, would you be interested in this offer?”
Customer: “I think so, but what should I do with my old computer?”
This dialogue clearly shows that the reason for reluctance to buy is not the high price of the product. This means the salesperson can move on to the main objection and handle it. However, the second objection may conceal a third, and this must always be taken into account.
“Anything else?” technique
“Anything else?” technique much simpler and safer than the previous one. It is used when you need to identify the main reason for refusing an offer. In this case, the seller simply “fishes out” objections without any order.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “I think it will be very difficult to get rid of old equipment”
Seller: “You know, we work according to unique system: you buy new equipment, and we ourselves take the old one from you, taking into account its cost. Tell me, is there anything else that confuses you?
Buyer: “With the change of equipment, we will have to deal with the reconstruction of the office. No, it's too expensive."
Seller: “This is great: update your office - it will be more pleasant for you, your employees, and your clients. Maybe there is something else that worries you?
Buyer: “Most likely, employees will have to be retrained to work with the new software.”
Seller: “We’ll help you sort this out too. Tell me, is this all, or is there something else that could interfere with our work together?”
As you can see, the seller simply “pulls” objections out of the buyer one after another, without even properly processing them. This allows him to find the most important objection and concentrate on it. This technique gives the manager room for action, because he has plenty to choose from. And when most of the objections can be identified, it will not be difficult for the seller to take the initiative into his own hands.
Sincerity technique
Using the sincerity technique, you seem to open up to the buyer, talking about all the advantages and disadvantages of your offer. In this way, you will arouse mutual feelings in him, and he will tell you what really prevents him from accepting your proposal. The proposed technique is based on sincerity, trust and concern for the interests of the potential buyer.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “I need to think about it. Perhaps I can find a cheaper option."
Seller: “You know, to be honest, you’re right. Since you are frank with me, I will also tell you how it really is. I myself, as an employee of the company, can purchase any product with a 10% discount. I can offer this discount to you too. But no one should know about this. Do you think such a discount would be pleasant for you? And in general, I won’t hide anything from you, so you can ask whatever you want.”
When you “open up” with a client in this way, you show your respect and affection for him, which pushes him to respond in a similar way to you. And the trick of this technique is precisely that the client will most likely tell you the real reason your worries, which is what you need.
Technique of naivety
This is where you treat all of the client's objections as if they were all 100% true. To do this, you simply pretend to believe everything the potential buyer tells you, and then begin to vigorously solve the problem by offering the person different options. This is what you do with every new objection. But keep in mind that the technique of naivety is quite labor-intensive and dangerous from the standpoint of your reputation: from the outside, people may think that you are some kind of “good-natured simpleton” and will stop wanting to deal with you, not considering you a professional. However, there is a trick for you in the technique: while the client answers your questions, you can find options for further persuasion, and then show yourself from a new side - from the side of a serious professional.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “We no longer have room to buy something new and put it in storage”
Seller: “By the way, I’ve heard more than once that you have many suppliers. But we can help you place everything in a convenient way, not only in the warehouse, but also in the store."
Buyer: “Listen, our movers simply won’t be able to do the job if we also order from you.”
Seller: “No problem. Our loader will be in the car and will do everything for you for free.”
The unnaturalness of the objections is obvious, but the seller solves the client’s “problems” with all seriousness. Most likely, after a long processing of such meaningless objections, the seller will find out real reasons, even if it takes some time.
Technique for focusing on the benefits of cooperation
This technique is suitable for working with clients with whom you have already worked. You just need to find a few moments that brought pleasure to a person in the past. These could be discounts, additional services, congratulations or some prizes, etc. If the client objects to you, you simply redirect his perception to pleasant memories of cooperation.
EXAMPLE:
Buyer: “We’ll probably order elsewhere this time.”
Seller: “I see. Do you remember how last time you were pleasantly surprised by our gifts for your company’s anniversary?
Buyer: “Of course! It was great! It would always be like this!”
Seller: “By the way, we’re almost ready new system development of our best customers. But I would still like to know what would be interesting to you personally? Maybe you can give me some advice?
Buyer: “That’s interesting! You always have something new! Now I don’t even know if it’s worth going somewhere else...”
The seller’s task in this technique is to make a person relive pleasant sensations in memory and to evoke in him a desire to experience them again in the near future. With the systematic use of technology, your clients will develop conditioned reflex: It’s great with you, but without you it’s somehow not the same.
And one more thing: this technique can also be used in the opposite direction, when, for example, you need to call negative emotions related to cooperation with your competitors.
Pseudoanalysis technique
The technique is quite unique: when communicating with a potential buyer, take a piece of paper and write in two columns all the disadvantages and advantages of your offer. After that, eliminating the disadvantages that the client does not like, eliminate one advantage at a time. Eliminate the most significant advantages and minor disadvantages first. This must be continued until the client says the final “Yes” or the final “No”. Using this technique, you will show the client the value of all points of your offer and present him with a choice between cost and value.
Apply the technique of pseudo-analysis with all sincerity and without guile, because the client will notice both, and if he determines that you are being cunning, you will be playing against yourself. We also recommend preparing in advance for using this technique: break your proposal into components and identify their positive and negative aspects, and do this in the most different options, so that in “field conditions” you have different combinations. Based on individual characteristics each individual client, select the desired combination of pros and cons and work with it.
As a result, we sorted out more than a dozen different methods and objection handling techniques. As you apply them and gain experience, the work will become increasingly easier, and as a result you will receive an effective arsenal of techniques for almost all known objections. However, while it is relatively easy to handle true objections, many sellers are completely unable to work with false ones. To avoid being one of them, read on.
Dealing with false objections
When interacting with potential buyers, you can often hear things like: “I’m not ready to make a decision right now,” “We already have everything,” “I need to think about everything,” etc. All of these objections fall into the category of false. In reality there can be a lot of them. As a rule, these are all “dummies”, but there are some that are difficult to distinguish from the real ones.
You must understand that every false objection hides either a true objection or a real condition that does not allow you to make a purchase (exactly what you talked about at the beginning of the lesson). Based on this, in order to learn how to identify and work through false objections, you mainly need to gain experience and analyze each specific situation.
But no matter whether you have experience or not, remember that you should not give an answer to a false objection, otherwise you will simply and most likely not spend it on closing the deal at all.
Another caveat is that most false objections are failures to establish the customer's needs or flaws in the presentation of the product. So if different clients keep telling you the same thing, it makes sense to reconsider your approach to the rest of the sales cycle.
So how do you deal with false objections?
The task of working out false objections is to bring the client “to clean water", i.e. find out the real objection. For this reason, methods of working with false objections are not standard, and they must be used based on the characteristics of the current situation (if necessary, it may be necessary to use combinations of techniques).
The main techniques for dealing with false objections are the following:
- Simply ignore the false objection. For example, you were told “I need to think,” and you continue your story, following all stages of the sales cycle, right up to the completion of the deal.
- Attune the client to sincerity. In response to the client’s objection, you say something like: “Well, is this a reason to refuse such a purchase?! Better tell us what really worries you.” But look at the situation: speak softly and unobtrusively, trying to be tactful and careful in communication.
- Summarize benefits. Are you in once again list all the advantages of your product and tell the client about the benefits for him. You can say, for example, this: “Judge for yourself: by buying this product, you acquire guaranteed quality, save on service, and get so many joyful emotions from the new gadget and using it! And you say it’s expensive?!”
- You ask a limiting question. Ask the client if this is the only reason preventing him from buying the product? Will he agree to the deal if this problem is fixed?
Dealing with false objections is much easier and faster than with true ones, because, as we said, they are almost always just empty words spoken automatically so that you do not invade the client’s personal space. It is much more important to learn to identify them. So practice and gain experience.
Dealing with objections is often called fighting them. But the concept of “struggle” is completely out of place here, because, we repeat once again, there is no need to fight objections. The stage of overcoming psychological barriers in the client’s mind is a natural part of selling, working with which the manager grows personally and professionally. Without difficulty, as they say, you can’t pull a fish out of the pond, much less sell it to a spoiled gourmet. And even when for some reason you cannot work out everything “against” your client, you must make an extra effort and try to close the deal. Remember, the more “No” you overcome, the faster they will start saying “Yes” to you.
In the next lesson we will talk about another serious topic: we will talk about what sales management is and what the principles of this process are; Let's talk about sales management strategy. We will also briefly touch on the sales department, tools and methods of sales management. Even if you do not intend to become a manager, this information will be very useful for you, as a manager, because... will point out many subtleties of the trade sphere that we have not yet mentioned.
Test your knowledge
If you want to test your knowledge on a topic this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. For each question, only 1 option can be correct. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question. The points you receive are affected by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on completion. Please note that the questions are different each time, and the options are mixed.
“It’s expensive, I don’t have time, I’ll think about it again” - objections in sales come in different forms, and each time they mean that the deal is about to fall through. But the situation can be saved if the client’s doubts are properly handled. We've sorted it out typical examples sales objections and prepared effective responses to them.
An example of competent handling of objections
If you are just learning how to work with clients and their doubts, go through the general market. This is where the real battles take place!
Morning, a row of milk and four women with identical bottles of farm milk.
- How much does a liter of milk cost?
- 100 rubles.
- Why is it so expensive? It's even cheaper in the store!
- In the store it’s pasteurized, but I have it fresh, the cows were milked in the morning. It's evening time for everyone here now. Save a couple of rubles, and it will turn sour by evening. Do you need it?
- Um, no. Okay, let's give it 2 liters.
Now imagine that the thrush began to be indignant: “Isn’t this expensive! You haven’t seen expensive milk yet!” The buyer would turn around and go to another seller. But the farmer is familiar with the methods of dealing with objections in sales, so she has more revenue and has regular customers.
This simple example shows that you need to work with objections in any area. Now let's go to complex world offices, telephone calls and online stores, we will analyze in detail the main objections in sales and options for responding to them.
Dealing with objections in sales: 15 examples
Price objections
The most common, especially in retail sales. The client says: “It’s too expensive” and goes off to look for something cheaper. The manager's task is show the buyer the value of the product so that he sees that the purchase is worth the money.
How to answer
| Advice | Example | |
| 1. | Find out what the client is comparing it to. Prove that your product is better and tell about the advantages. | If you think that this product is expensive, then you have found a cheaper alternative. Is it really as good quality as this one? |
| 2. | Agree. And then tell us that for this high price the client gets a solution to his problems. | You're right, it's expensive. Many customers are unhappy with the price, but in return they get (...). |
| 3. | Break down your spending by week, month, year. This good technique working with objections in sales: the client immediately sees what he is saving on, and the amount no longer seems so scary. | I agree, 24 thousand is expensive, but if you break this amount down over a year, you get only 2 thousand rubles a month. |
| 4. | Make sure price is the only thing that confuses the client. He may not be satisfied with the characteristics of the product or the warranty period, but he clings to the price and does not want to understand anything. | Is price all that's stopping you from making a purchase right now? |
Not satisfied with the product/service
Another common objection from clients in sales: the client may not like the product, delivery conditions, design - whatever. The manager needs find out what the problem is and focus on the main advantage.
How to answer
| Advice | Example | |
| 1. | If there were problems with delivery, apologize and tell us what caused the problems and how you resolved them. | Yes, we had problems with delivery, but we changed the transport company and improved the service. Now we personally control all stages of order transportation. |
| 2. | If you don't like the design, talk about its benefits and how customers react to it. | Yes, the design is non-standard, but we ordered it from Lebedev’s studio. It is now one of the best selling products. |
| 3. | The client doubts the quality of the product and the reliability of cooperation. We need evidence. | We have all the certificates, reviews from our clients, thank you letters and a list of guarantees that we provide |
| 4. | The buyer categorically does not like the product itself. The sales objection technique in this case is based on indirect persuasion. You no longer convince, but at the same time you casually inform that the client is losing. | It’s a pity that you won’t be able to appreciate (...), which became a hit with us this fall. |
Excuses: “no money”, “no time”, “I’ll buy it later”
If the client uses one or all excuses at once, consider that there is now a wall between you. How to handle objections in sales if the client is just waiting to leave? To get through to him, point out the strong advantages of the product, make advantageous offer, use the triple yes technique.
Source: memesmix.net
How to answer
| Advice | Example | |
| 1. | Offer a discount. | It's a pity, but right now we have a 60% discount on this product. |
| 2. | Hurry up the client. Say that the price of the product is increasing, it is better not to delay the order. | Think, of course. But I want to remind you that tomorrow we are raising the price by 20%. |
| 3. | Clarify what exactly the client is not happy with. Maybe he misunderstood something. | What exactly did you not like? Maybe you are confused by the price or quality of the product? |
| 4. | Ask questions to which the client will answer “yes.” The technique of dealing with customer objections in sales, based on the triple “yes”, positively influences the buyer and leads him to a purchase. |
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Immediately says “no”
How to deal with objections in sales if the client immediately says “no” or brushes it off with the standard “I’m just looking”? You can leave him alone, or you can make contact.
Business, as everyone understands, is built on compromises. Any situation in which the interests of several parties are affected requires not only attention, but also a willingness to adapt the proposal, guided by the needs of other participants. Only then can you achieve success. But even an experienced objection handler cannot completely avoid client resistance. It doesn’t matter whether it is necessary to convince the consumer to support the proposal or agree to the proposed conditions, or simply to make a purchase. There is still a high probability of encountering objections. There are some principles for dealing with objections. It’s worth talking about them in more detail.
Principles of the work in question
There are all five of them:
1. Nothing personal. A company representative must set himself up so as not to feel psychological discomfort in the process of responding to voiced objections. Important point- distinguishing between the client’s objection and his personal attitude towards the company representative. An employee should always remember that client statements (even very harsh ones) in most cases are not aimed at him personally, but are addressed to the person whose role he plays in at the moment, - to the seller of the goods.
Thus, main principle, according to which work with objections is carried out, “nothing personal.”
2. Evaluate the objection. It can be both a manifestation of real concern about the details of the proposal (term, price, terms of implementation), and as nit-picking, masking the absence of a clear need.
Real objections are important reasons that prompt the client to refuse cooperation. They are useful because they signal the presence of anxiety in the interlocutor and make it possible to better manage the course of negotiations. Such objections are a consequence of misunderstanding or a signal regarding the discrepancy between the company’s ideas and client expectations. In any case, they are quite easy to overcome.
3. Selection criteria. In order to successfully promote a corporate idea, it is necessary to quickly clarify the criteria of the interlocutor’s management (what is most important for him and what he can sacrifice). This is best done in the form of welcoming measures to minimize the number of objections.
4. Achieving openness. Here it is important to ensure that the client openly expresses his doubts. Some of them may turn out to be quite far-fetched. IN in this case the best way negotiation is a transition from discussing the difficulties mentioned by the interlocutor to another topic. For example, you can ask a clarifying or abstract question: “Apart from the person in charge and the implementation process, do you still have any doubts?” It is in this way that it is possible to study all the client’s doubts, and then choose the key one with which to subsequently work. The easiest way to do this is through prioritization: “Which of all the doubts voiced is the most significant for you?”
5. Turning an objection into a question. It is necessary to remember that behind any objection lies the unidentified need of the interlocutor for the idea presented by the company representative. During an objection, the client usually requests additional information. The phrase “I’m not satisfied with the delivery time” may well mean: “Can this be done faster?”
The representative’s task is to competently respond to the client’s voiced doubts, that is, to determine the real reasons for such objections, and then work directly with them.
Reasons for objections
This includes:
- Incorrect feeding technique. In the presentation large number controversial points. Incorrect determination of the priorities and desires of the audience. For example, we are talking about business opportunities facing a potential market segment, not business partners.
- Having your own doubts. The speaker himself shows uncertainty regarding the quality of the company and its products. Therefore, it is always recommended that you personally use the advertised products. In this case, the speaker will know the features and consumer qualities of the product.
- The presence of uncertainty in their capabilities among clients themselves. It is recommended to remind about the versatility of the product, that is, it will suit everyone. It would not be amiss to tell the success stories of several people, so to speak, from the people.
- Unfounded fears, stereotypes. It should be told in colors positive characteristics network marketing.
- DThis product is not really suitable for the customer. Not every person can achieve significant results in an online business. The same is true with ordinary goods and services.
- Desire to discuss all the details in more detail. Many people suffer from the common lack of communication in our time, which is why they constantly strive to argue. This can also include a reason to attract the attention of others to increase your sense of self-importance.
- Intrigues from competitors. Activities of professional agents, black PR specialists. In this case, victory can only be achieved through high quality products and correct information policy.
Objections can cover various motives. It must be remembered that this does not always mean final refusal. If the client argues, it means that he is interested in the proposal, but it is only necessary to get rid of his doubts or, conversely, you can give additional confidence. That's why competent work with objections is very important. This skill can help attract new business partners and carry out additional sales in seemingly hopeless cases.
Consistency in the work under review
There are the following stages of working with objections:
1. Using the active listening technique, carefully listen to the client. Here the erroneous actions would be:
- interrupting the interlocutor;
- continuation of phrases after him;
- inattention.
2. Acceptance. It is necessary to show respect for the client's position, but still disagree with it. It is necessary to say: “of course, the issue of price is important,” “this is a really important issue.” It would be wrong to agree: “yes, it’s very expensive.”
3. Clarification of needs interlocutor or his objections to increase the validity of the company representative’s arguments. You cannot start arguing in a situation where the essence of the objection is not clear.
4. Argumentation. Providing clear reasons to support high level the quality of the product, the benefits of purchasing it. Not allowed:
- conducting a presentation without relying on client needs;
- lack of emphasis on significant benefits from the purchase;
- use of standard arguments for each client;
- use of unknown technology.
5. Monitoring the removal of objections. Concluding the argument with a question in order to convince the client of the correct understanding of the information provided. You need to help your interlocutor do right choice(for the benefit of the company). After voicing arguments, you cannot immediately fall silent and wait for the client to make an independent decision.
These are the main stages that make up working with objections. Now it’s worth paying attention to how to behave with a client when talking on the phone.
Handling objections over the phone
During the presentation of a product, company, etc., guests, as a rule, have questions and objections. It is with them that you should learn to work competently. Let's start with where these objections arise and what they mean.
Exists special equipment handling objections over the phone. This is TTB (telephone fighting technique). It has such a technique as “that’s why.” A company representative calls the client, greets him, and introduces himself. Then he briefly describes the topic of the conversation and subsequently invites the interlocutor to a presentation or personal meeting. As a rule, potential clients try to find out details right away, since by their nature all people are lazy and do not want to take active action, which is why they want to find out summary over the phone to immediately refuse.
Let's consider an example situation telephone conversation, which uses TTB:
What kind of business?
Advanced technology sales company.
What if it's short?
In this case, there are two options for the development of the situation. Newbie answer:
Nikolai, you are a literate person! As you understand, business people don’t talk about this kind of stuff on the phone! That's exactly why I want to meet you in a cafe. So, when would it be more convenient for you to meet tomorrow at five or seven in the evening?
The second option is a response to an already experienced interlocutor:
Nikolay, you business man, you know very well that in our company it is not customary to discuss important issues. That is why I suggest meeting in a cafe in the evening. When will it be more convenient - six or eight?
This is exactly how objections are handled over the phone (the examples given are conditional). Within the framework of the topic under consideration, there is also its own methodology, which we will discuss further.
Methods for dealing with objections
There are only ten of them:
1. List of clarifying questions. It is necessary to force the opponent to reason, to respond to the comments and statements that arise. This applies to standard clauses:
- Reluctance. Are you sure that you don’t want to change your life for the better and open up new prospects for growth?
- I don't have money for this. What exactly do you not have money for? That is, you feel sorry for worthless pieces of paper to improve your health, financial well-being? How much do you think such high quality products should cost? Expensive, but people still vote with their wallets for high quality.
- I need to think about this. What do you need to think about? How long will it take you to do this? Let's figure this out together!
- I don't have time for this. You don't have time for what? On yourself, on your loved ones? (It is necessary to demonstrate the value of time, the benefits of the presented program, product) For example, a washing machine frees up a lot of time.
- Would you mind lending me some money to get started? I would definitely like to start business with you as a partner. But I don’t want to put you in a dependent position.
2. Translation into humorous form. You should try to avoid answering with a joke. You can also try to condemn your interlocutor for stupidity and gullibility. Well, who does that these days? Who trusts these charlatans?
3. Taking a pause. During this time, the interlocutor independently begins to look for a suitable answer to his own question. Perhaps he himself will later realize its meaninglessness.
4. Repetition of the objection. Only the objection itself needs to be repeated. This technique is based on the peculiarities of human psychology, when a person perceives his own words differently if they are spoken by another. The first one can independently realize the insignificance of the raised objections, doubts, and questions.
5. Presence of personal opinion. In the case where the objection is based only on third-party experience, you should inquire about your own opinion regarding the issue under consideration. What do you think about this? What are your own thoughts on this?
6. Praise your interlocutor. What a worthy question! These are exactly the kind of people our company is looking for, this program is designed specifically for you. This is a professional question! I assure you that in our company you will find partners worthy of your level.
7. List of alternative questions. It is necessary to formulate a sentence with an imaginary choice. For example: should I bring you coffee or tea? Are we meeting at five or six tonight?
8. Imaginary refusal(chair effect). Why do you need this? Some kind of financial independence own house, money, car. They don’t play with toys here; if it’s not interesting, it means it’s not interesting.
9. Delay of response. I cannot answer now, but later I will find out from the management, then I will definitely inform you. I suggest exchanging contacts. Better yet, come straight to the presentation, there will be one person there who is more competent in this issue than me.
10. Advances. The presentation already includes standard objections and questions. You just need to provide ready-made answers that are beneficial to you, and not wait for the moment when these questions are asked.
Using the above methods, we work with objections (the most common examples are given).
Sales stages
There are only five of them:
- Establishing contact with the client.
- Determining the needs of the interlocutor.
- Product presentation.
- Dealing with objections in sales.
- Completion of the transaction.
This article discusses the fourth stage, namely, working with objections in sales. This is all what was said earlier. First, it is necessary to determine the type of objections (real and false). Based on this, the appropriate negotiation technique is used.
Real objections- the buyer’s refusal based on what he believes to be true facts. False- lack of desire to purchase goods without a clear justification.
If in the first case the buyer, having received additional facts, begins to discuss them, then in the second the buyer is not interested in them, he puts forward another objection, and so on every time. We can say that emotions will prevail over logic.
Real objections
Dealing with buyer objections, if they fall into the category of real ones, is as follows:
- Clarification of what was heard. We need to get as much information as possible.
- Prioritization of objections.
- Transition to "prelude".
- Logical answer.
- Clarifying question.
False objections
Working with objections in this category consists of the following:
- "Prelude".
- Clarifying questions.
- Logical answer.
Bukhtiyarov’s book about working with objections
It is a practical reference for the work in question. The purpose of the book is to help people involved in MLM business quickly climb the ladder career ladder. It can help beginners get off to a more productive start, and managers can make it easier for them to train their business partners. In addition, it frees the reader from any doubts that prevent him from becoming a successful and prosperous person.
To every person who is busy MLM business, you have to deal with a number of objections (both for beginners and professionals).
In the book you can find answers to the following questions:
- How to create a “body armor” for yourself and your beginners?
- How can you make sure that when people object, they still want to hear the answer and don’t brush it aside?
A.V. Bukhtiyarov answers these and many other questions. “Dealing with Objections” is one of his most famous books.
Conclusion
This article discussed working with client objections (over the phone, during a presentation, personal meeting), and described in detail its principles and methods. We hope the information provided will be useful.