Sales Manager Part Three
Common Objections continued
a.) I want to think about it. Or, we never make a decision without sleeping on it.
b.) We plan to shop around and get other prices
c.) The price is higher than I expected.
d.) We can’t afford it.
e.) We’ve never had a problem. This is a safe neighborhood.
f.) We have great insurance. So if something is stolen we’ll get a new one.
g.) We have a great watch dog.
h.) We have a gun, we’ll shoot the burglar.
i.) We have a nosey neighbor next door who watches everything.
j.) We have nothing to steal
If we know what objections we salespeople in the security business hear on a daily basis as we sell our products, shouldn’t we be prepared to answer those common objections?
Let’s put it another way. Let’s assume we are professional baseball players. Upon doing the research on the team we’re getting ready to face, we learn that the oppositions pitcher throws curve balls, sliders, change-ups, and fast balls. Should our team practice hitting curve balls, sliders, change-ups and fast balls? Of course, we surely don’t want to go into the game unprepared.
If we were professional golfers, wouldn’t we want to practice hitting balls out of the sand, on up hills slopes and down hill slopes if the course we were getting ready to play had plenty of those challenges? Of course we would.
A sales manager’s job is to focus his or her salespeople on the challenges they will likely face making sure they are prepared to face those challenges. And handling common objections and closing skills is an important part of selling success.
Here is a question you sales managers need to be asking yourself. Do all of your salespeople know how to properly answer the objections listed above? Are you sure? Just asking your salesperson isn’t going to get you the answer.
My experience tells me that when I ask salespeople if they know how to deal with the objection “I want to think it over,” which is, in my opinion, the most common objection heard, they will most often say yes they do. However, if I ask them to show me, to answer the objection after I say I want to think about it, they fumble the challenge. If I accompany them in the field on a sales call and the prospect voices an objection I’ll find out how they really handle an objection in a real life situation.
Don’t let pride get in the way of success. Sales managers must make sure their salespeople are truly equipped to sell, and that means being prepared to generate leads, make polished presentation, answer commonly heard objections and close the sale.
When salespeople are faced with one of the above common objections or even one that isn't mentioned above, it is critical to their long term success they know how to answer the objection in a way that increases their odds of making the sale. I believe one of the best ways to accomplish that goal is to learn and practice the 8 step closing pattern.
The 8 step closing pattern turn the handling of the objection into a friendly and caring conversation. You won't appear to be arguing with the prospect, on the contrary, you will appear to understand and even sympathize with the prospect.
In a future Blog I will share the 8 step closing pattern with you. Or you can hear me handle the common objections using the 8 steps on my CD, "Handling Objections & Closing the Sale."
Every salesperson should have their own CD to listen to in their car as they drive to a sales appointment. I guarantee if they do so they will close more sales.
Lou Sepulveda Consulting & Training
985-778-1571
Book Title by Lou
The Formula for selling Alarm Systems
Surviving in the Security Alarm Business
Managing to Sell
Gerencia de Ventas Efectiva
Order Lou’s New CD – Handling Objections & Closing the Sale
Note: If you would like to read previous Blogs go to http://lousepulveda.blogspot.com
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