Business development professionals are often advised to improve their ability to handle objections. When a buyer has a concern, explain to them why it isn’t valid. The problem is that objections typically can’t be handled. The only person qualified to handle a buyer’s objection is the buyer. We can’t sell buyers anything. We have to help them discover they want it. Handling objections is a polite way of arguing with our buyer. Its like ping pong. They tell us a problem, we spike it back by handling it. We are trying to beat each other into submission. The reasons for the objection are never discussed. When we let buyers handle their own objections it helps them discover why they want or need our product.
This sounds like a good idea, but how does one actually execute. The answer lies in asking questions. Let’s suppose the objection is, “The price is too high.” A typical response is, “When compared to our competitor’s price you can see that we are very competitive.” It’s a very unconvincing statement because the buyer is expecting it. They can return with another prepared problem. Instead of serving them exactly what they expect, try something they don’t see coming. Ask about the objection. “What did you expect the price to be?” “You’re saying that because you already have other quotes?” “So it’s not worth that much to fix your problem?”
It can be any number of questions depending on the situation, but the key is that it is a question. At the very least, we will get one answer that helps us understand where they are coming from. We discover what the buyer is getting at. Maybe they don’t have a budget for that much. Perhaps it is a ploy to see if they are getting the best deal possible. Maybe they just assumed it would be less. The only way to discover what they really mean is to ask.
When we ask questions, buyers have to explain their point of view. If we help them discover that their point of view might be skewed or, in some cases, totally inaccurate, we avoid a fight. They discovered it. We didn’t point it out. They handle their objection by finding its root. All we have to do is listen after we ask the question.
Often times, buyers offer objections to create stumbling blocks or stall. An objection is usually a way of saying, “I’m not comfortable with you, your company, or your product or service.” We can’t force them to be comfortable. We have to find out why they are uncomfortable and deal with that. When they discover it on their own, it is more impactful than us telling them something they don’t believe. Quit handling buyer’s objections and help them handle it themselves.
