Objections and overcoming…Maybe it’s…
Objections and overcoming Roadblocks to success
There are those self proclaimed sales ‘experts’ who tell us that objections are just the buyer saying, “Tell me more”. Then there are those who say objections should be sidestepped and pretty much ignored. Truth is both are partly correct – but mostly wrong!
Let’s start with that first one. It’s certainly possible that the buyer is expressing his or her doubts that we can actually deliver on what we’ve proposed. So perhaps reinforcing that idea with more proof of how we’d do it is in order. This however is where that second experts’ somewhat correct opinion comes into play. Yes, we do want to sidestep the objection – but in a way that moves past it versus clashing with it – and our buyers’ now openly stated concerns.
That’s accomplished by first acknowledging it … then rephrasing it like this: “If I understand you correctly, you’re concerned that cutting your costs by 20% seems unrealistic. Is that correct?”
Assuming they say yes, you might then want to continue like this: “We’ll truthfully if I was on your side of the table, I’d feel the same way. But let me explain exactly how we can accomplish that savings and maybe even more”.
Oh, and if they say that’s not what they meant, you’ll now learn what they really intended. Either way you’re ahead. Those steps of acknowledging the objection, clarifying its’ intended meaning, explaining how we’d do what they feel may not be realistic and then getting back on track with our planned presentation is how it’s done by the real experts.
Maybe it’s…in the can
When we think of canned pitches, we’re likely to visualize a presentation that’s delivered in a manner akin to that lady at your church who does the readings and fancies herself an orator. Her delivery is stiff, lacking in passion, the right tempo and probably intonation. At the other end of the spectrum are the lines in your favorite movie delivered by an actor that are moving and that sound completely authentic.
The major difference between them (aside from the actor being a pro) is preparation. If that lady had actually practiced that reading and polished her delivery, chances are her delivery could have been compelling rather that pedantic.
A canned sales pitch is pretty much the same. If it’s practiced and polished, it can come across as original and compelling. And, because it’s a “set piece”, we can fine tune it both for the occasion and personality of the buyer. One more thing: A canned pitch frees our mind a bit so that we can do a better job of reading the situation. That greater attention to what’s going on in that conversation can allow us to adjust our approach when its’ necessary.