subject: Handling Sales Objections Like a Pro [print this page] In sales, we hear things like this all the time:
"Sales objections are opportunities in disguise."
After sayings like that are drummed into our heads over and over again, either we begin to believe them or we become numb.
Are you numb?
If so, it probably means one of two things. Either you find yourself frustrated by an inability to overcome objections, or you are indifferent to the idea of objections being opportunities for the right reason. And what's the right reason?
Consider this:
"Real sales pros don't encounter sales objections all that often
because they've learned how to avoid them in the first place."
Today's sales professional really needs to embrace thinking like that. Without it, there is a great risk of failure in the area of learning and developing an effective grasp of the sales process that is being used.
With time and practice, thinking sales pros learn to anticipate and address obstacles in advance. This can only happen with a strong commitment to expanding product knowledge, and not just for the ones your own company sells. That same commitment needs to be applied to the products, services, markets and structure of the prospects and customers you serve.
Through a better understanding of what your customers do to add value to their products and services, you will develop the ability to predict what it is about your product that might cause your prospect to hesitate. And by identifying, discussing and illuminating those issues up front, you will be taking significant steps toward minimizing the sales objections you would otherwise encounter on a daily basis.
None of this suggests that you can completely eliminate objections. But if you can eliminate ordinary ones by anticipating what they may be, you'll be placing yourself in an excellent position for success when the more significant ones inevitably crop up.
