Why do people object to sales?
Sales objections are concerns, hesitations, or questions that a possible customer might have before buying a product or service. Salespeople deal with them at every stage of the sales process, as conversations with decision-makers teach them more about the customer’s wants, needs, and tastes (and whether their product can meet them).
You could also say that sales objections are the reasons a possible customer can’t or won’t buy your goods. Some common ones are:
“I don’t have enough money.”
“I’m pleased with my present service provider.”
“This item doesn’t seem like it will help me.”
“I have to think about it first.”
“It takes too long to switch to your answer.”
“I don’t believe in your business.”
Objections aren’t personal attacks on your company or sales team; they’re just a chance for the seller to figure out what’s stopping the sale and get past it. It’s a chance to listen to customers and learn more about their worries, wants, and tastes.
Like words
Issues with the customer
Problems with buyers
Breakers of deals
How to Handle Sales Objections: Why It’s Important
People rarely know everything they need about a product or service before buying it. Sometimes, people are hesitant, and it’s the salesperson’s job to address and ease those worries. Whether you close or lose a deal depends on how well you handle complaints.
Not only does it increase the number of sales, but it also helps sales reps build trust and confidence with their customers. Listening to them and addressing their worries shows that you care about what they say and want to find a solution that works for them. In the long run, this makes customers more faithful, lowers the number of people who leave, and could lead to referrals.
Different Kinds of Common Sales Objections
As was already said, there are different kinds of sales challenges. Some need more tact and ability to negotiate than others.
In general, there are five groups:
Good reasons to object
Places to Stand
Getting it wrong
There are biases
Arguments that can’t be met
Besides those broad groups, these are the most common examples:
Limits on the budget
The most common objection to a sale is a lack of money. This is partly because it’s the simplest to claim (and the seller can’t show otherwise). That’s why a possible buyer will probably use it, even if they don’t have a budget limit.
You can expect complaints about the budget when:
Your product costs a lot more than the ones that are similar to it.
A lot of goods have to be bought, which means the buyer has to spend a lot of money.
Someone who doesn’t have any buying power in their company is buying from you.
You’re selling a business product that needs a lot of IT systems to set up and keep up.
The buyer doesn’t have much money, like a small business owner.
A lot of red tape on the buyer’s end makes it impossible to make the deal.
Because spending problems can come from many different places, sellers need to take action to fix them. This can sometimes mean working with the buyer to make the necessary cuts or changes. At other times, it means emphasizing your solution’s worth and return on investment (ROI).
There’s No Need for Your Product
Not every person who might buy your goods is sure they need them. You might hear them say, “We’re happy with our current vendor” or “Our team already has a solution that works great.”
There isn’t much you can do to get someone to buy your goods if they don’t need them (or think they don’t). If they’re saying this to end the topic, you can still discuss it further.
It’s possible that they’re happy with their present provider, but there’s one thing they could do better. That’s your chance to find and show that your product can fill that need.
Not Important
People might not be very interested in your goods, even if they meet a need or solve a problem. Most buyers don’t fully understand their problem or know how to frame it in their minds. One of the worst complaints is a lack of urgency, which stops deals from moving forward even when there is a good fit.
Several things, such as a limited budget or a disagreement over the price, can lead to this complaint. The buyer might have been busy with something more meaningful and hasn’t had time to think about how valuable your product is yet. Then you need to tell them what will happen if they don’t fix their problem.
Or maybe they aren’t sure what to do or ready to commit to new options. In that case, you need to get them excited about what your product can do and how it will help them in the long run.
Not Trusting
People who want to buy your product or company may disagree because they don’t trust you or your business. They might say, “I’m not sure this is the best solution for our business,” or “I’ve never heard of your brand before.”
A buyer might not agree for several trust-based reasons:
They don’t know how your product works.
They don’t see how it fits with how they do things now.
They have had or heard about a bad experience with your business.
People in the market don’t like your goods.
The media had terrible things to say about your business.
They’re used to working with well-known names, but you’re new.
There are times when the salesman is to blame. They might not have been able to connect with the other person or show their knowledge during the talk. Sometimes, the buyer is just doubtful or unwilling to change.
In either case, you can get past this objection by giving the buyer social proof (like case studies or recommendations from other customers) and getting to know them.
Not Enough Power
The buyer has likely never heard of your product unless you’re selling for a big company like Salesforce or Oracle. People who don’t know something might not trust your business, goods, or yourself.
For this reason, you’ll have to put in more work to build trust with the buyer. That could mean giving them social proof (like comments from other customers), letting them try it out for free or in a demo, or being honest and easy to reach during sales.
A lack of power is another problem that can come up when dealing with possible buyers. This could be because the buyer doesn’t have the power to make decisions in their own company or because they need permission from many different groups. In these situations, you need to find the people who make decisions and work hard to get them to support your goods.
What to Do When Someone Objects in Sales
Outside things may cause a buyer’s objection outside their control. For others, it’s because they don’t trust or understand them. No matter the issue, it gives the salesperson a chance to show how valuable they are and help the buyer resolve their doubts.
The process for dealing with sales complaints is the same as for selling solutions in general. For sellers to understand why the buyer is objecting, they need to listen to them and work with them to find a solution.
Listen to what the prospect has to say.
To deal with sales complaints, you first need to listen to what the prospect has to say. As a salesperson, it’s your job to raise these concerns if they haven’t already been raised. Even though it might not make sense, complaints are essential to the sales process. They provide helpful information about the buyer’s thoughts and what might stop the sale.
Recognize the validity of the objection.
There is a lot of pressure to close the deal when you reject or disagree with a sales objection, even if you think the buyer is stubborn or trying to get you to stop. Instead of challenging them, thank them, let them know you see things their way, and ask for more information to ensure you’re not missing anything. An argument is better than a flat “no,” so you should be open to them and interested in what they say.
Know what the prospect wants.
There are several places where a customer’s complaint could come from:
An important worry
I don’t want to go through with the sale for a reason they’re not saying
I’m just putting it out there to see if you can talk.
For any reason, you’ll need to be able to figure it out and deal with it straight away. That’s why it’s important to know what your prospect wants before you can answer their concerns.
In this case, active listening and genuine interest are critical skills. It’s not enough to listen to what the possibility says. You need to listen to the buyer and ask them open-ended questions that help you understand their position better.
Show empathy by responding.
Show that you understand your prospect by nodding, saying “uh-huh,” or using other positive body language and words. To show that you understand, repeat what they said and ask open-ended questions to learn more about their worries. Giving the client a safe place to talk about their concerns makes it easier to address them and move the sales conversation along.
Make sure you’ve gotten past the objection.
You’ll deal with complaints as you move through the buying process with your prospect. At each stage of the sale, you should follow up with the client and ensure their concerns have been resolved. This will help you get to know them better and earn their trust, which is crucial for finishing the deal.
How to Answer Certain Objections
Some types of complaints come up more often for some businesses than others. A new company that sells an entirely new and different product often has to deal with a lack of trust. On the other hand, people who buy expensive products might have problems with their budget.
Here are some ways to answer the different kinds of sales objections:
How to Get Past Not Having Enough Money or Price Concerns
Proving your product’s return on investment (ROI) is the key to getting past budget and price complaints. Many times, “budget” means, “I’m not sure yet if this product is worth my money.”
“The price is too high compared to other items on the market.”
“Right now, we don’t have the money set aside for this.”
“Our budget is tight right now, so we can’t make any new investments.”
“The other parties can’t see why the cost is worth it.”
“We have a deal with another provider right now, and it’s cheaper to stick with them.”
You need to talk about your prospect’s pain points, what makes your product unique, and how your answer fits into the bigger picture for them when you hear something like this.
These things could be:
Showing how your product fits into their budget by providing a cheaper option or showing the possible return on investment (ROI) makes the purchase worthwhile.
They give them various pricing choices, such as discounts for signing long-term contracts or packages that can be changed to fit their budgets.
You are giving case studies and customer feedback to show how your product has naturally helped other businesses.
Understanding that your product is essential for their business’s growth and success, not just a nice-to-have,
Going into more detail about how much the problem costs.
As soon as possible during the qualification process, you should find out what accurate measure or goal the prospect wants to reach or improve. That way, connecting your product to a real problem will be easy.
How to Deal with “Lack of Need” or “Product Fit” Objections
A common argument is when the prospect says they don’t need your product or that it doesn’t meet their needs.
“We already have something like this that works for us.”
“I’m pleased with our present service provider; there’s no need to change.”
“Your product is missing feature X, which is very important to us.”
There are times when people have no idea what they need. Putting the problem in a way that makes your answer necessary is an integral part of sales.
To deal with arguments based on needs, you should do the following:
Find out their exact goal and how much it will cost them not to make it.
Tell them you can help.
Show them how they’ll reach their goal with facts and customer stories.
Ensure that the rest of your sales process fits what they’re having trouble with.
If this is a common objection, you might want to offer a free version of your product with some extra features.
If they can’t live without a feature your product doesn’t have, it won’t be a good fit. You can still be sure of this by asking if it’s a deal-breaker.
How to Get Past Objections About Lack of Urgency or Timing
The seller’s job is to make the customer feel rushed when they don’t already. Regarding sales complaints, a lack of urgency is pretty vague. They won’t say they aren’t putting your goods first. It will show in the way they talk and act.
A lack of haste could be caused by several things, including:
Corporate red tape and politics make it hard to decide what to buy.
The product isn’t a top concern right now because they’re busy.
If someone doesn’t buy your goods, there are no immediate consequences.
They don’t see how it would significantly affect their business plans.
To overcome these objections, you should discuss the possible costs and outcomes of doing nothing, like missing out on chances or falling behind competitors. Make it clear how your product fits their current needs and how it can help them get things done faster.
You can also make people feel rushed by giving them deals or bonuses only temporarily. But keep these for when they say they will—extending them repeatedly will get old quickly.
How to Get Past “Lack of Trust” Concerns
A common objection when working with new prospects or selling a product few people know about is a lack of credibility and trust. Customers are likely to be wary about spending on something they don’t know much about, and it takes time to build trust.
Here are some ways to get past concerns based on a lack of trust:
Case studies and comments from happy customers can help you show how well your product has worked for other businesses.
Please give them a free sample or trial of your product to see its usefulness.
Give references from happy customers who can attest to the quality of your goods.
Be open and honest about any problems or restrictions your goods may have. This will show that you’re not hiding anything and only want the best for your clients.
Share helpful information and content about your product and your prospect’s field to show you are an expert.
Smile, look people in the eye, and talk with confidence.
Also, try not to sound “sleazy.” People can smell their breath from a mile away. People will trust you more if you use consultative selling and act like you want to help them find the correct goods. Being friendly and outgoing also goes a long way here.
How to Get Past Objections Based on Lack of Authority
People outside your company don’t know who you are or what your company does. This is also known as “lack of awareness.” This is a common objection that small and new businesses get.
You can get past these in a few different ways. One of the best ways is to set up a Voice of the Customer program with the help of a sales training tool. You can learn a lot about your customers through these programs, which can then be used to boost sales and earn the trust of potential buyers.
You can also give away free trials or demos of your product to show people its usefulness. That way, potential buyers can try out your product’s benefits for free, making them more likely to listen to your sales pitch.
The best ways to teach your sales team how to deal with objections
Use a qualification system that is focused on the customer.
One of the best things about MEDDIC and SPICED is that they drive sellers to get all the information they can from buyers as soon as possible. In addition, they tell buyers to build relationships with each decision-maker based on trust instead of making a sales pitch right away.
To find the problem’s root cause, ask open-ended questions.
You could answer, “I won’t be able to get approval for this,” with “What do you mean when you say that?”.
Ensure the buyer doesn’t come up with another reason why they shouldn’t buy immediately.
You don’t need to keep talking to them. To avoid this, all you have to do is ask, “Besides X, is there any other reason you wouldn’t move forward with our product?”
In your sales demo, be detailed and on point.
In that way, you’ll make it less likely that people will complain or lack understanding later. If a client points out something they don’t like about the sales pitch, take the time to talk about it, and then ask if there’s anything else.
Ensure your sales team is ready for common arguments by giving them battle cards.
Battle cards are one-page sheets with common arguments and good answers, like cheat sheets for sales calls. They give the sales team quick, easy-to-understand knowledge that helps them answer objections with confidence and skill. Plus, you can use them to teach new sales reps the best way to deal with objections or remember old ones.
Your team needs to get used to the offering.
The more they know about and believe in the goods they sell, the more confidently they can handle objections. They will also be ready to answer questions and address customer concerns immediately instead of asking someone else and then getting back to the client.
