The Difference Between an Objection and a Heckle | Sales Strategies

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

Objections Versus Heckles 

An objection comes after a substantive discussion. It's a legitimate question you have to answer. This objection may arise midway through the sales process or at the end after you've provided the prospective customer with a proposal or completed a product demo. More importantly, indeed, these objections/questions are legitimate because you are engaging in a conversation and the client requires further information before they can move forward.

In contrast, a heckle comes right up front and is designed to throw you off your game. You can't treat it the same way as an objection because, if you do, you will be engaging in a defensive conversation and you will be stuck dealing with a deceptive customer. 

What Does a Heckle Look Like?

A heckle, for most of you, is when the client asks you right up front even before you start the qualification process, "What are your prices?" That's designed to throw you off your game. What you need to do is deal with it professionally. Find a way to tell them that you do not know what the prices are yet because you have not had the chance to identify what they need or whether you're a good fit.

How to Handle Heckles 

Make sure the customer knows that you care about the issue of pricing by telling them, "You're smart to be concerned about price. How about we understand your solution or the solutions you're looking for before we commit to a price?” In particular, my favorite response to heckles comes from a client that works in Alabama. He answers heckles the same way every time: “I'm glad you asked me that. You're smart to be concerned about costs and if I do my job right, this won't cost you anything at all." He truly believes in his heart and mind that his products have such a dramatic return on investment for the problems his customers are having that it will not cost them anything at all. And it’s a smart way to handle heckles early on in the sales cycle because you will be able to transition into the substantive conversation you need to develop your solutions.