Dealing With Objections

When facing high-inside-fastball objections, sales expertsrecommend you take a calm approach.

1. Hear the objection out. Don't interrupt, anddon't cut it short. Focus your attention on what's beingsaid. Take some notes (without cutting eye contact for more than abrief period) so you can capture all the details.

2. Don't panic. People who object are at least takingyou seriously. When you make a presentation and everyone smiles ateverything you're saying, you're in trouble. When peopleobject, they're looking for more information, or they want youto clarify their perception of your product or service. You shouldbe prepared for every objection with a killer response.

3. Find something in the objection to validate. Itdoesn't matter if it's well-founded or ridiculous--theobjection must be taken seriously. You want to credit thequestioner for mounting the objection. Acknowledge that you'rea new and essentially unproven company, for example. In fact,you'd have the exact same objections if you were sitting wherehe is. If you need a few moments to gather your thoughts, respondto the objection with a clarifying question: "What kind ofexperience have you had with your existing equipment regardingdowntime?" or "What's a doomsday scenario in yourproduction? Let me see if I can address it." This techniquewill also help you zero in on the true nature of the objection.

4. Be prepared. You've already developed a scriptwith answers to every objection, right? No? Now's the time topull that script up to the top of your mind and satisfy theobjection-raiser. Go through it calmly, getting your inquirer'sassent at every step of the way. When you're done addressingthe objection, make sure the individual feels comfortable with howyou handled it.

Excerpted from Knock-Out Marketing: Powerful Strategies to PunchUp Your Sales