Sales rejection and objection; does it matter which comes first? In sales, these two emotions keep 90% of salespeople from prospecting. Our fear of rejection may have begun in the distant past when being rejected by your tribe meant you were kicked out of the cave and the T-Rex’s next meal.
Baptism by Fire
Maybe hearing the word no associated with a negative connotation when we were children keeps us from wanting to hear it as adults. Hearing the word “no” as a kid was rarely ever associated with something positive. It is no wonder we have an aversion to hearing the word no as adults. Whatever the reason, we need to get past the feelings of fear when dealing with these obstacles to making sales. One way is what I like to call “baptism by fire.” Diving in and driving past the no’s in the sales process and overcoming fear can lead to success in sales.
Do Your Homework
How do you plan for purposeful prospecting? Having a plan for successful prospecting starts with knowing your future customer. Researching the customers business and professional interests get you ahead of the game when building rapport and trust. Most salespeople shy away from checking out the prospect’s social media presence on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. These platforms, in addition to the usual Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and the company website, provide a personal look at the person behind the decision maker. You would not want to say that you know they are a fan of hiking or golf, but you can use this in the context of relationship building.
Be Human
I heard a saying the other day, “Sales is not B2B, or B2C its H2H (human to human) this is a great way to sum up, the foundation for selling. Take the time to get to know your prospects on a virtual level before you meet them for real. A recent workshop I conducted presents a great example of the power of research. I was teaching a non-profit that helps with childhood diseases how to get others to support this worthy cause. One of the folks that researched their potential donor found on Facebook that his granddaughter suffered from the same disease that they are supporting efforts for a cure. This person introduced themselves and explained the results their non-profit had achieved in finding a cure. Without question, this person donated to this worthy cause.
Be Prepared to Hear No
How often do you get the same five objections? There are usually five that account for 90% of all sales. Think back on your past deals, what objections did you encounter? Knowing what the prospect might object to can prepare you for 90% of objections that occur in the sales process. Be prepared with a solution before the objection occurs. This might sound like this; “some clients have an issue with paying all at once if this is a problem, I wanted to let you know we have a great financing program.” Experienced sales professionals know how to prevent these potential landmines in the sales process before they occur.
Don’t Push
When you try to convince, prod or push someone into making a decision, it will usually backfire. There is a difference between advising and high-pressure selling. Take the knowledge you have learned about the five significant objections in your sale and use this information to be an advisor. I often start a sales conversation with “This may not be for you.” These words set the stage for the other person to know it is ok to say no. This also feels more like educating than selling. The other person will usually hear me out when I let them say no right from the start of the conversation. The caveat? Be prepared to deliver exceptional value after this statement.
Count the No’s
How often do you prospect and stop after one or two attempts? Usually, it takes far more efforts than what we are willing to exercise to reach a decision maker. The demons in our heads tell us they are on the other side rejecting our attempts and sidestepping us at every turn. The truth is in our attention-deprived society they have probably forgotten about you in the blink of an eye. Even if they were initially interested, something or someone probably stole their attention away. There is no way to get around the fact it takes far more focus and diligence to reach decision makers in the attention economy. I have experienced it myself after 20 or more attempts to connect, that person will finally respond and say, “thanks for hanging in there, I have been swamped.” count your efforts and keep on trying until you get a no answer.
Objections Crushing Checklist:
- Be aware of your own emotions and drive past the fear of hearing no.
- Understand your customers world both professionally and personally.
- Know your top five objections in the sales process and be prepared to address them before they arise.
- Count your no’s. Remember we live in an attention deprived world and it may take twice as long as in the past to connect with a decision maker. Stick with it until you hear a no.
- Don’t Push
No one likes to be sold to, instead educate, advise and help. Permit them the opportunity to say no right from the start to set the stage for relationship building and trust. Make sure you understand their unique buyer value and don’t sell, educate.
Be Great and Prosper
Nan
If you want to know more you can find me here:
https://www.hnhsalesconsulting.com/
