Handling Objections - a simpler way
Phillip Khan-Panni FPSA
The Added Value Man, International Champion Speaker, creative copywriter
A solopreneur asked for my help with selling. He said, “I’m reasonably confident about speaking about my business, but I’m not a trained salesman, so I don’t know how to handle objections.”
He pointed me towards an article that offered more than 20 ways to answer a common objection. Frankly, I cringed. No wonder he felt intimidated.
I said, “There are only 3 kinds of objections, and you should aim to answer only one.” His eyes lit up. Let me share with you what I told him.
The three kinds of objections are:
- I don’t have a need
- I have a need but it isn’t (or doesn’t feel like) a serious one
- I’m not impressed by your solution (which includes price)
All three amount to the same thing: I don’t want to buy.
So what about all those books about clever ways to overcome or answer objections in a sale? I think they are about winning the argument, not necessarily about solving the problem.
My advice is very simple. Listen to the objections and keep asking, “Is there anything else?” When the objections stop, just ask this:
“What’s the ONE THING standing between us now?” Then shut up and listen. Write down that objection. That’s the only one you have to answer. If you can’t deal with it then, say you’ll go away and think about how to solve it for him and return with the answer on another day.
Remember, selling need not be adversarial. It's about identifying a need, underlining its consequences and offering a solution.
Great article, Phillip. I do think though that "selling need not be adversarial" doesn't quite hit the nail on the head. Why on earth should anyone imagine that selling might ever be adversarial? When you conduct sales conversations in a way that gets prospects handling their own objections and closing sales for you, when your only aim is to strike win-win deals with clients from heaven, and when you succeed in this, life is indeed sweet! P.S. I've been preaching "Ask, then shut up and listen" for years too.
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7ySound, simple, straightforward advice. Thank you, Phillip