Throughout the sales process, the key to obtaining the desired outcome is effective answers to the multiple objections potential clients offer at every stage. From taking a meeting to finalizing a deal and every stage in between, the majority of clients will present numerous objections along the sales process–and this is something you know in advance. But far too many organizations and sales professionals still walk into objections without having a preplanned response, when having such a strategy is the most effective response.
The Five stages of overcoming sales objections
Know your client:
For any sales team, the goal is to get the deal; however that is only achievable by overcoming objections, so it can be said that the sales team’s mission is to overcome objections to get to the final deal. The important aspect of this is that the team knows sales objections are coming. But to understand the kind of objections that may be put in front of you, understanding the client, their goals and expectations are essential. Knowing the client is vital to putting the next stage into practice.
Anticipate the Objections:
Because we know that any sales process includes objections from the client, the first task, before any meeting takes place, is to identify what they may be. Establish the points your team will make about the product or service, and then assess the objections possible to each one. To do this well, think outside your own approach to business, some sales objections may not be the direction you would take personally, but others will.
Develop appropriate responses:
Knowing the likely objections is just the first stage; the next is to develop responses to those objections. The goal here is to have an immediate answer ready, even giving the impression that the objection is welcomed so that the solution can be discussed. Effective responses not only overcome those sales objections, but they are also a very good way of displaying the added value of the product or service to the client.
Maintain Professionalism:
Now you understand your client, the likely objections they are going to provide, and the answers you will use to overcome them, your team is ready for the meeting. During the meeting it is important to maintain a professional approach, remembering that objections are not a reflection of the sales approach or personality of the sales professional, they are simply an inevitable part of the sales process. Respond as planned, always knowing that each objection is one step closer to the deal itself.
Achieve the goal:
Overcoming sales objections is not the ultimate goal, that is to get an agreement, a meeting with stakeholders, or to accomplish another specific task. It is important then to implement those strategies to overcome objections, but also achieve that goal. With all objections overcome, it is crucial to use that advantage to secure the meeting objective quickly.
Preparation is key:
As with any aspect of the sales process, preparation is key to having an effective objection response, and this preparation should be integrated into the sales process for every situation. The Playbook allows this approach, both in terms of understanding clients and preparing suitable sales objection responses in advance. In this way, your sales team will always be ready for objections as part of the established sales process itself.