Having a great Sales Presentation is essential in Telesales but it’s only the starting point for any Sales Process on or off the telephone. A compelling presentation should illuminate the features and benefits of the products and services you’re selling. However, the real work starts when you are Handling Objections and attempting to close the deal.
It’s been said over and over that the selling starts after your presentation ends, you know the part where you actually ask for the order. This is where the objections show-up and this is where someone usually ends-up in control of the sale. If you are successful at Objection Handling, it will be you.
How To Handle Objections
Let me say this right from the start – if you expect to deliver a long-winded sales pitch from start to finish without involving the potential buyer and then effectively handle numerous objections, you’re setting yourself up for a huge fail.
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Overcoming Objections Starts With You Listening
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Be Conversational
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Anticipate Objections
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Ask Questions
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Be Your Prospects Avocate
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Always Be Positive
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Ask For The Sale
It is never enough to just let your prospect tell you their concerns, you also have to hear and understand an objection for what it is. Many salespeople relegate the listening process to mere lip-service and stay quiet long enough for the objection to be said without actually hearing what is the real impediment to closing the sale.
If you pay close attention to your prospective customer, they will usually tell you what is necessary for them to make a purchase. Many believe Objections are Buying Signals and unless you are way off-base and pitching someone that has absolutely no reason to buy what you’re selling, you’d better pay close attention.
Use A Conversational Approach When Selling Over The Phone. It is really important in Telesales that at strategic points in your sales presentation you involve the prospect – be as conversational as possible.
Don’t come across like someone reading a script, the person on the other end of the phone will know. If you inject your personality into your conversation and engage your prospect it will create a favourable climate.
As you construct your sales pitch, identify areas where you believe certain objections could logically be raised. You must understand the objections and the answers to them so you can be ready to overcome them.
Be aware of all the common objections and have a complete set of solutions. This is where your Preparation Skills are put to the test.
For more check out: Objection Handling | How to Reduce Objections.
Ask your prospect questions throughout your sales presentation at strategic places to draw-out an objection so you can deal with it before you proceed.
You can pepper the answers of some common objections in your Sales Presentations. When you make a point which you believe handles an objection, ask a probing question. If you get a negative response, you must deal with it then and there.
There is no point moving forward if your prospect has an objection you can’t overcome.
Do this correctly and it will help you gather your prospects’ compliance throughout your sales process.
At every opportunity you must let the prospect know you are in his corner. If an objection is raised or the customer wants something, you have the opportunity to let them know that you will go to bat for him or her.
If you are looking out for the clients best interest and they know it, many sales objections will never come up.
When answering any type of Sales Objection it’s very common for salespeople to repeat, parrot fashion, the remark the prospective customer has raised. Never, I repeat, Never do this if the comment is in any way negative!
Prospect: I don’t have this expenditure in my budget!
Salesperson: I assumed you didn’t have it in your budget… but, what if I could?
When you repeat a negative conclusion or response made by your prospect, you are validating it and reinforcing that position in the prospects mind. This is such a common mistake and very simple to overcome. Remember, when you are Selling Over The Phone, every word counts.
Prospect: I don’t have this expenditure in my budget!
Salesperson: I understand, If we could put your Budget Aside for the moment – what if I could?
In the example response above we have shown some empathy for the clients situation and not reinforced his objection.
Try to eliminate negative words from your speech. No, Not, Can’t, Don’t, Won’t… you get the idea.
One of the most serious offences made by salespeople when dealing with objections is a relaxing of the rule – Always Be Closing. Every time you satisfy a problem in your prospect customers mind you must get some kind of commitment from the person.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be an immediate buying commitment but you have to close them on something, get their agreement, get them to say yes! This is what closing is all about. If you are overcoming an objection about anything, the resolution has to be an agreement.
Prospect: I don’t have this expenditure in my budget!
Salesperson: I understand! Let’s put your Budget Aside for the moment. What If I could set-up a convenient payment plan? Would you be able to fit small payments into your budget?
If you get agreement here, not only have you overcome the objection, you’ve closed on a payment plan which gets you closer to the sale! No agreement, you still have work to do or you’re done.
Objection Handling
When you are delivering a Sales Presentation you have the rare opportunity to control how Sales Objections are put forward. If you understand what the potential objections will be beforehand, you can satisfy the majority of them as you probe your prospect with questions throughout your conversation.
Involve your prospect, be enthusiastic, and positive. The more adept you are with Objection Handling, the better you’ll be at closing deals!
Jim
Telesales-pro.com is primarily concerned with B2B Telesales. Selling over the Phone to business is a highly specialized activity and depends on many Sales Techniques specific to Telesales.
Whether you are looking for Sales Jobs or Sales Leads, TeleSales-Pro exists to provide you with valuable Sales Tips and Resources.
If you are trying to build your Sales Skills, improving your Telephone Sales Skills will give you a great foundation in Sales. After all, as salespeople, we all want to be Selling more.
Learning to Sell over the Phone will help you understand the Sales Process and will enable you to improve your overall Sales Negotiation Skills.
If you have any comments, feel free to comment about anything you read on telesales-pro.com. If you want to contact me you can email me: jim@telesales-pro.com
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