When a buyer objects, you may think your sale is heading south. But in fact, often the final stage for buyers in the buying cycle involves justification. Your buyer wants to address any outstanding questions they have — or they suspect their boss to have — before shaking hands on a deal.
Is now really the right time for us to buy? Do we really need this solution? Is your solution all that different from the others? Do the potential gains justify the cost?
Remember, as a salesperson and, more importantly, a trusted advisor, you are seeking to serve your buyer, not to sell. Maintain this mindset even when the buyer pushes back — even if you feel like you have provided your buyer enough information to make a decision. How you handle objections can determine whether or not you continue to foster the trust and value you have previously earned.
Objections are signs your buyer is ready to engage you as a solution provider.
Salespeople must stop viewing objections as a sign something somewhere went wrong. The word “objection” carries negative weight with it. But in order to even form objections, buyers have invested time and energy in seriously thinking through your solution to their issue. They have (or at least have started) to embrace their problem. They are starting to think through the potential gains and have envisioned your solution in their life.
Once you address objections, your buyer is just steps away from engaging you as a solution provider.
As such, embrace objections with confidence and with care. Do not answer objections timidly, but likewise, never be abrasive. Instead, use the objection they voice to get to the heart of their concern. Seek clarification where necessary, and focus your conversation on helping them achieve peace of mind.
Objections are opportunities to eliminate risks in your buyer’s mind.
As much as objections are signs that a pursuit is progressing, they do highlight risks that may keep your buyer from taking that leap.
Try to uncover the source of your buyer’s objections early to understand their perceived risks.
Often, risks are rooted in:
- Misunderstandings
- Past bad experiences
- Your solution’s weaknesses
- Your competitors’ strengths
Objections are handled best with practice.
Remember, prospects are likely to raise objections during the buying process. There is often nothing you, the salesperson, can do to avoid them. The larger the rewards, likely the larger the investment — and the bigger the risk.
These objections provide critical opportunities for you to discover the real reasons the prospect may not buy from you. Anticipate your buyer’s objections and rehearse positive reframes that are relevant to their concerns and perceived risks. At Mereo, we follow a proven formula for reframing objections:
- Listen attentively — Express genuine empathy. Do not contradict or argue with your buyer.
- Acknowledge the objection — Restate your buyer’s objection to validate your understanding and neutral acceptance.
- Respond to the heart of the concern — Reframe the objection to your solution’s strengths, value proposition and differentiators where possible while engaging their wrestle-point.
- Support your objection reframe with proof — Maintain a confident posture in your response. Use storytelling with client value stories or numbers to provide your buyer with complete confidence in choosing to move forward with your solution.
As a salesperson, you will meet objections time and again. Use these moments to serve your customer and uphold your solution’s value — and master the art of reframing your buyer’s concerns to shed light on your positives.
LEARN HOW MEREO CAN HELP YOU MOVE YOUR BUYER THROUGH THE BUYING CYCLE