Those Pesky Stopping Objections
Everyone remembers those days, a decade or so ago, when one of the most hated creatures was the infamous Telemarketer. These villains would, allegedly, wait until you were sitting down to dinner with your family after not having had lunch and want to bore you endlessly with a worthless product that you had never laid eyes on. No matter how you attempted to get off the phone, they talked on doggedly until you were forced to yell: “NO! NO THANK YOU!” and slam down the receiver in self-defense. Today most of us lack receivers to slam at all and with No-Call Lists and improved sales tactics, the existence of this type of sales approach is on the decline. Still, many of us still cringe remembering this stereotype of selling. However, there are positive things we can take away from the telemarketer generalization. We can learn how to handle stopping objections, because we have actually used them ourselves.
At times it is getting started with a sale that can be the most challenging, especially when the potential client would prefer to delay the discussion or stop it entirely. There are a number of ways in which they will attempt to do this, some of which come from legitimate concerns and some of which are merely stalling tactics. Once you determine what the real objection is as it is being raised, then you will be able to better answer it and continue with the sale.
Perhaps one of the most common ways a customer will attempt to stop the sale is to say: “I really have no use for this product.” If you have done your homework properly and are following up on solid leads, this is not likely to be the case. Before you shake your finger at him or her and shout “Liar, liar, pants on fire” (never a good sales technique), stop and think about what is really behind this particular objection. Is that the customer does not really have a firm grasp on what the benefits of your product are? Do you need to provide more accurate and through information? Is it that there are concerns about the costs and this “I don’t need it” will soon transform into “I can’t afford it”? After all, a lack of money or an objection about price is also some of the most common objections that you are going to come across. A potential customer may also claim that he or she doesn’t have the authority to make the decision. You can spend quite some time being shuttled back and forth between various individuals while they argue about whom really is in a position to hear your pitch. It’s frustrating to say to the least.
When you encounter these types of statements, designed to stop your sale in its tracks, take a moment to consider what the real objection is. Do they perceive the competitors’ product to be superior? Is there a pricing concern? Is there a concern that you can’t meet their specific needs (just as having six units ready by next Wednesday)? When someone says: “I don’t really need this,” or “I simply can’t afford it,” or “You would have to talk with Sue about this; I can’t sign off on it,” don’t just wave the white flag and go home. It may be that a sale will not be possible, but first take a minute to ask a few questions to see if you can address the issue that is really leading to the hesitation. You will find that many times you can overcome their concerns by providing them with the important information that they were missing. If you really do need to talk to Sue first, or if it takes them a bit to decide if Sue is the one you should talk to, stay pleasant and don’t miss an opportunity to sell to each person you talk with. Don’t be waylaid by a stall tactic, like the ones we all used on those poor dinner-time telemarketers not so long ago. Stay positive and keep your customer informed. Chances are good that you will be able to close that sale after all!
