Colleen’s Blog

It’s a friction point that holds you back from achieving sales success: buyer objections. If left unchecked, those objections will stop you dead in your tracks from being able to present a compelling proposal to your prospective customer. And that puts you at risk of landing fewer deals. The more objections a buyer has, the more likely it is you have a fact-finding mission on your hands.

Strategic pivots can help you during these times.

In this week’s Sales Leader, I examine the difference between an objection and a heckle. 

Your sales team needs to know how to pivot. Anyone can memorize a sales script - but it's an essential skill for salespeople to be able to handle all elements of a real-world conversation, including those dreaded objections. An unexpected answer, question or concern is no grounds for a sales rep to lose their composure. Their expectation should be to carry right on the with the conversation and pivot with another question. No, a "deer in the headlights" look does not bode well with instilling confidence in a buyer's mind.

I have been spending a lot of time in workshops so far this year and the number one thing sales reps ask me is how you move beyond the pricing objection and here is what I’m discovering.

You’ve heard it before. The dreaded “Let me think about it” objection is never something a salesperson wants to hear. Salespeople struggle with this objection because they don’t want to be “pushy” or “aggressive.” As a result, they usually thank the prospect for their time and move on. The worst part? They often never hear from the prospect again. The trick with this objection is determining whether or not it’s a real objection. Many prospects throw out the dreaded phrase because they want to get rid of you, while others really do need time to think. How can you tell them apart? Here is a highly effective technique you can use to uncover the real hesitation while giving you essential information so you can close the business.