MyNextClient

For many sales reps, objections are arguably the most dreaded aspect of the sales process. Characteristically, we view objections as barriers between our presentation and the close; as indications we were not successful in convincing the client of the value of our proposal; or as efforts by the client to position for a hard negotiation. To some extent, there is truth in these perceptions, but only to some extent. There is another possibility, though, that we should admit. Objections may be viewed as the process by which the client tries to convince himself to buy, when to buy, and how to buy.

How-to-sell books invariably include a chapter on objections. Most talk about “handling” objections. One bestseller even discusses “preventing” objections! These approaches do the sales rep and the client disservice. Objections should neither be handled nor prevented. “Handling” leaves the client with the impression he was a victim of a mechanical technique with which the sales rep was forcibly imbued in sales school. “Preventing” is not even possible; it is presumptuous to believe a rep has that much control over the process. We cannot prevent a client from feeling this way or that about our product or service; we might only prevent a free expression of the client’s feeling, but the underlying thoughts are still present. Indeed, trying to prevent objections will have an unintended effect—the client will feel left out of the process and will be less apt to buy. It is precisely the client’s free expression that we must welcome and encourage. In fact, the very word “objection” should be eliminated from the lexicon of sales training. What is commonly viewed as “objection” ought to be regarded more precisely as the client’s exploration of building a relationship with us. Free expression encourages the client to engage us in the sales process and to share information that we can use to build the deal or to reinforce it.

When a client offers what we traditionally viewed as an objection, we should view it  instead as a sign of interest and an opportunity to continue to build trust. There are, of course, times when “no” means “no”, but this is a decision, not an objection. Hidden in every objection are clues to the client’s view of our product, and of the relationship he sees with us. By judiciously listening empathetically, summarizing what we are hearing, questioning openly, and referring to other clients who faced similar obstacles to those the present client seems to be facing, we can turn a dreaded phase of the sales process into a productive, positive exchange of information that brings us closer to a business relationship.