To help you reach your sales goals
Objection Handling
Four Sales-Moving Tactics
Mar 30th
Four Sales-Moving Tactics
Here are four tactics you can use to move the sale along faster–and ways to counter them when they’re used on you:
“Done Deal” Act as though you already have an agreement, without asking for approval.
How to Counter: Delete any clauses, or object to anything you don’t like. Stick to your limits; focus on the final results you want. Don’t pay any bill that’s not right–however “final” its presented to you. Appeal to a higher authority–the owner.
Apparent Withdrawal Make the other person think you’ve withdrawn an issue, when you really haven’t, so you can get a concession or change in position.
How to Counter: Threaten to retreat, too. Appeal to fairness. Ask, “What if…” questions to test their resolve. Let them withdraw and see if they return. Try walking out.
The Squeeze Regardless of the price you hear, say, “I’m sorry, you’ll have to do better than that.”
How to Counter: Ask what price is needed to close the deal. Find out the problem. Defend your price/total package. Don’t cave in too fast. Ask, “How much better do you mean?”
Standard Practice Infers this is the norm–that everyone does it–and that you should go along without question.
How to Counter: Realize that nothing is standard. Ask for special treatment. Keep asking for what you want. Test everything. Act visibly unimpressed, but not rudely.
More Ways to Handle Objections
Nov 3rd
More Ways to Handle Objections
Restate the prospect’s response until you get a “Yes” response.
“In other words, Barbara, you’d like to add the telemarketing follow-up, but not just at this time. Is that right?”
“In other words, Barbara, you’d like to add the telemarketing follow-up, but not just at this time. Is that right?”
Suggest the prospect consider what others are doing.
“I can understand your feeling that way, Bill. At the same time, I wonder if it wouldn’t be a good idea to consider the experience of other manager who have the system, and have been pleased with the results.”
Agree with the prospect.
“You’re right, of course, George.” It is an expensive first step. Have you thought about how this program could give you 500 qualified leads in less than a month?”
Blame yourself when the prospect draws the wrong conclusion.
“I must have given you the wrong impression, Betty, to make you feel that way. Actually what I meant to say was-”
Confront gently the prospect’s idea–and with courtesy.
“For some reason, Bob, your current follow-up doesn’t seem to be meeting your needs as much as you’d like. This approach can solve your problem better because–”
Offer more choices than the prospect realizes.
“It’s true, Betty, that we offer the most complete direct sales response process available anywhere. We can also help you at every step-from the time you first contact the customer until you close the sale.”
How to Soften and Overcome Objections
Oct 20th
How to Soften and Overcome Objections
· Objections are simply requests for more information.
· They’re really “steering signals,” that point the way to
your success.
· Plan and practice your answers and work them into the
conversation.
Suppose prospect says, “Your idea (service, suggestion, etc.) costs too much.” Here are some strategies you can use to overcome this objection–and others: “We don’t have the time”; “It’s not in our plan”; “Our people are not ready for it”; “We’re used to another model”.
1. Re-phrase in the form of a question, then answer the question on your terms, not the prospect’s:
“I wonder if what you may be saying is, ‘What makes this program worth the 20% higher price’? Let me explain it this way–”
2. “Yes, and–”
Never say “But”. Say “And” instead. Then add information that actually overrules the objection. “Yes, it does cost more. And at the same time it produces 20% more reliability.”
3. Compliment the person. (He’s done his homework and wants to stump you.)
“You’re absolutely right. Staff time really is important. Only someone who’s examined the facts as you have will see that a less expensive approach will require more staff time to follow up on leads.”
4. Ask for less. (When it’s clear you can’t have everything you want, make an offer that’s more acceptable.)
“I can understand your reluctance to authorize the full campaign right now. At the same time, you’d probably like to get started soon. Why don’t we go ahead and start Phase One as a ‘pilot’ project?”
6. Feel-felt-found. Show you understand their feelings; tell them others have felt the same way; then show what the others found. Here are the three sentences using “feel”-”felt”-’found,” and three more with different words that aren’t so obvious:
“I understand how you feel when you say that…” (Or, “I understand your position when you say that…”
“Others have felt the same because…”or (“Others had much the same position at first.”
“And what they found was…” or (“And when they considered the long-range benefits, they realized that…”)
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