Let's take a look at a few common sales objections:
-That looks too complex for me = time. -We don't have any budget money left = money -We already have a supplier for that = time and/or money -I don't have the staff to support that = time + money -Sorry, we don't need that = time and/or money -I can't talk with you right now = time
In all of these examples, the seller hasn't demonstrated his worth or value to the prospect. So if someone gives you a sales objection, then he is really telling you that you haven't shown him anything of value to him. You haven't justified to him why he should expend his precious resources on you.
If you've read any sales books, or been around selling for awhile, you might be thinking "sales objections are great - each sales objection moves me one step closer to closing the sale." I know that I was taught that years ago in IBM Sales School.
In traditional selling, this is true. Your supposed to get in there, make your pitch, and fight down the sales objections until you get an order.
Consider an alternative - just avoid sales objections completely.
It is possible.
How?
Find out the pains, desires, and values of the prospect. Show them a solution involving your prospect/service that meets these. Find out precisely what they want by asking questions.
Use this knowledge to propel the sale forward. Propel them toward what they want to have, eliminate, or most value. The prospect will sell themselves, and will be able to resolve their own "sales objections".
If you think about it, your easy sales were like this. Your hard ones, or the ones you lost, weren't.
I want to make one more point here while I am thinking about it. Finding your prospect's pains, desires, and values is somewhat different than discussing and presenting benefits to him. Benefits are great for marketing and online selling (because these are non-interactive).
Use benefits for your marketing and online selling efforts. Use questions to determine the true pains and wants when selling. Find out what people and businesses want to avoid, have more of, or desire most. Then show them how you can help them get what they value most.
I am a big believer that great salespeople generally realize their greatness, rather than being borne that way. OK, sure we've all heard somebody in sales who told us that they've been in sales all their life. It all started when they were a kid, selling lemonade from their lemonade stand for a dime, or selling magazines door to door. But this is really more a reflection of the family environment that they grew up in that may have encouraged or necessitated this than anything else. Even if you didn't sell seeds or magazine subscriptions door to door as a kid, you still have a chance at greatness in sales.
I gave this topic some thought because of a call I received today from one of my readers. She mentioned how the perception she had of salespeople growing up, was different than what she felt were her own personal strengths. So I thought today, that I'd share with you what I believe to be the primary characteristics of outstanding salespeople.
