In order to effectively overcome objections, we must first, understand what objections truly are.

Some objections are simply knee jerk reactions or merely things customers have been conditioned or programmed to say to sales people. Things like, "I'm just looking" or "How much discount can I get?" or "What's your best price on this one?" (when they haven't even landed on a specific unit or item yet) or "I don't want you to waste your time because I'm not going to buy anything today."

Experience has taught us that, most of the time, these are simply illusions, and not really true. Sometimes they're even sincere attempts to just throw us off. Remember most customers have been mistreated somewhere else (haven't we?) and they think they have to protect themselves from us.

Some objections are out and out lies, like, "I need to talk with my wife first." or "I can't do anything until _________ happens." or "You don't have the color I want." We have to remember that these are not malicious lies, but rather defensive lies. We can't take them personal, and we have got to understand them. It is important, particularly at the beginning of our career, and all the time thereafter, to realize the distinction between personal rejection and conceptual rejection. It is also very important to insulate ourselves against both.

Other objections don't necessarily mean, "No," they just mean "Not yet." They are simply requests for more information. Poor needs determination or just plain short cutting will create the need for our customer to call a time out in the form of an objection. We need to give our customer enough relevant information, i.e., build value, so that the benefits of owning outweigh the cost of ownership.

Some objections are actual conditions of the sale. If these conditions can't be met, if these objections can not be overcome, then the sale does not happen. If these objections are overcome, then it affords us a closing opportunity.

Above all else, it's imperative that we understand that objections are a necessary part of the buying process. Objections are our friends. In fact, the only thing stupider than not being prepared for objections is hoping we don't get any.

Depending on which source you are quoting, the average customer will object or tell us "No" between four to seven times. Which means we, as salespeople, have to ask the average customer how many times? Yep, that's right, we have to ask five to eight different times for their business before they're even in a position to look us in the eye, tell us "No", and actually mean it!

The problem with most sales industries is that the average customer has to go to three or four places before they are ever collectively asked five to eight times for their business. That's because the average sales person fears rejection and only knows two closes. The average sales manager isn't much better either. They know on average only four different closes. That's only four distinct, separate closing strategies.

Now, as I mentioned before, experience has taught me that nothing works all the time and no one thing will work for everybody. That's why it's important to have seven or eight fall back positions or different ways to handle each of the most common objections or situations we encounter.

I can hear some of you now, "But Michael, that would mean I'd have to memorize dozens and dozens, heck...maybe even over 100 different word tracks!" My reply is, yeah, and what's your point? You must be committed to being one of the top in your field, or else, why would you be visiting this site? Being the top in any field requires lots of preparation and work. If we're not willing to do that, then we can't complain about what we get in return for our efforts. For those of us willing to put forth the kind of effort required to be the best, complaining won't be necessary. It's our choice.

Sadaharu Oh, the Japanese home run hitting king, and arguably the greatest hitter to ever live, used to consider the opposing pitcher his ally. Mr. Oh believed that, even though the pitcher's intent was to make him miss, each time the man on the mound would throw him a pitch, he would give him another chance to hit one out. No pitches, no home runs. And it's the same with us. No objections, no sale. We all would be more effective if we could develop this kind of empowering attitude, wouldn't we?

© Copyright 1999 by Michael D. Hargrove and Bottom Line Underwriters, Inc. All rights reserved.

Michael D. Hargrove is President of Bottom Line Underwriters Inc. and can be reached at the contact points below.