If you treat your prospect’s concern like an objection, you may lose the deal before you’ve earned the right to win it.
Recognize That Most Objections in Sales Are Actually Buyer Concerns
It is rare that your prospective client objects to something you propose. If you find your contacts objecting to something you propose, you likely believed your contact was ready for the next part of the sales conversation when they were not. In some cases, objections arise because your ask is premature.
Objections are often a sign that you are moving too fast, but they can also signal a buyer’s real, underlying concerns.
Tell me if you have heard this one: “We are going to need some time.” Or this one: “We will get back with you after we get through this quarter.” The odds of the contact calling you at the end of the quarter are the same as the odds of you winning the lottery.
Sales Conversation Missteps That Threaten Buyer Relationships
Your buyers are trying to make a rare, strategic decision. The stakes are high. If they get it wrong, their company will suffer, people could lose their jobs—not to mention the negative impact on your contacts’ careers. They could face an even bigger problem they need to fix, and the circumstances of that decision will be even more stressful. They need to get this right the first time.
When buyers make what seems to be an objection, they are not really objecting to what you are proposing. Instead, they are expressing a real concern about their decision and are worried about making a mistake that will reduce their status inside their company. They cannot afford to fail, so they need certainty that your proposed solution will work. They also need to have faith in you, as an authority and expert who can advise them on how to approach their problem.
Much is made about overcoming objections, but this is the wrong mindset. When you attempt to overcome what you mistook for an objection, you are likely to miss your client’s underlying concern. At worst, this can make you seem pushy or self-oriented. At the very least, glossing over an objection will make it impossible for your client to move forward.
Without meaning to be adversarial, you can threaten the new relationship you are trying to establish. Part of your job as a consultative salesperson is to give your contacts the certainty they need to solve their problem. You can only develop a relationship with your clients when they trust the advice you give them, and when all their questions have been answered. This includes questions you believe you’ve already answered, and those the client hasn’t asked directly.
Empathy in Sales Requires More Than Good Intentions
You hear a lot of talk about empathy, but few salespeople are capable of executing empathy effectively. Empathy would have you putting yourself in your prospective client’s situation—that rare decision they are making.
It can be difficult for salespeople to take this perspective because we face these decisions every day. It can be hard to imagine the fear, uncertainty, and anxiety your clients are facing. You know that you can help the client improve their results, so you feel confident and prepared to face the problem. But your client doesn’t know that you will be able to execute for them—especially if they were burned by one of your competitors. Objections are their way of communicating that they lack confidence in their decision.
When talking to contacts about their problem and the strategic results they need, experienced salespeople should already understand the root causes and trends that are holding the client back. Share these insights with your client and back up your information with credible sources and data. Take the time to explain things, answer questions, and learn how your client does things. When clients raise objections, they need you to help them believe that following your guidance will bring them better results.
Sales Techniques to Handle Concerns with Confidence and Clarity
When your contact expresses an objection, don’t act like an average salesperson and try to overcome it. Set aside your self-interest and focus on the difficult feelings your contact must be facing. No matter what your contact says—even if you recognize it as an objection—treat it as if the contact has a real, important concern. To help your client, you will need to give them the clarity, certainty, and confidence to move forward.
Here Is What To Do Instead
When you hear, “We are going to need some time,” you might respond by suggesting that “It sounds like you have some concerns.” Follow up with something like, “I am not certain that we can help you with your concerns, but I’d like to try, even if we need to spend more time with you and your team—we are not in a hurry. you can take the time you need to be confident that this is the right decision for you, your team, and your company.”
Give the client time to respond. They may voice a specific concern that you can help them with. They may have nonspecific doubts or not feel quite ready to share them.
If they respond positively and seem open to discussing things more with you, ask them if there is anything specific they would like to go over. Sometimes it can help to recap the executive summary you shared in the first meeting. That should have outlined the challenges and opportunities they are facing. This is a good starting point to explain the risks of the status quo. Non-decisions are common because people are afraid to make a change and own the potential negative consequences. When you remind your contacts of the costs of not making a strategic change, it can help them focus on what about that change feels most risky to them.
But if they shut down the conversation after you let them know you want to help them with their concerns, don’t push it. Let them know that you realize that making a change—especially at the enterprise level—is daunting, and that you will be there when they are ready to talk more about it.
