Overcoming Overcoming Objections

“Overcome all Objections”. “5 Tips for Slaying Every Objection” “ Overcoming Common Sales Objections: Don’t Take No For An Answer” “How To Overcome 18 Buyer Objections” “Overcoming Sales Objections The Easy Way” And my favorite, “The Secret to Overcoming Objections” (interesting concept that something they’re blabbing about all over the Internet is a “secret”.)

These and many other similarly titled books,blog posts, articles, webcasts, and real live seminars seem to be everywhere. Apparently there is a huge number of people who really don’t want to buy things from those selling them and an equally large number of people trying to make some money off those looking for ideas on how to force recalcitrant buyers to open their wallets.

I’m confused by this. Every time I see one of these attempts to teach people how to convince someone to buy something they don’t seem to want, I wonder why the sellers aren’t finding prospects who actually might be interested in what they’re selling. And why the sellers are doing such a poor job of explaining how their product or service will bring value much higher than its cost. And fill a prospect’s unfulfilled need.

I look up the concept of “Sales Objections” to see if I’m missing something. “Sales objections are defined as statements or questions raised by a prospect that indicate an unwillingness to buy.” That seems pretty clear. The prospect isn’t interested in what you have to sell.

The definition continues: “The objections include objections to price, product, the company, time, or competition.” Just what I thought. The prospect thinks you’re ripping them off, have a lousy product, doesn’t like your company, is so uninterested that they won’t spare you the time to listen, and thinks your competition is way better than you are. So I was correct in my thinking. But why the objections in the first place? Are the prospects correct in their thinking?

Perhaps your prospects aren’t really prospects or you’re awful at presenting yourself, your company, your product or service…or all three. Perhaps you haven’t articulated well how you’ll solve your prospect’s problem or fill their need.

The need to overcome objections is a result of your failure to thoroughly know and understand your prospect and their needs, leading to a lack of knowledge about how to communicate effectively with them. Or you’re totally off target and going after people who really aren’t prospects.

And now you’re going to try to con them into buying something in a way that will leave a bad taste in their mouth.

Think back to when you were on the receiving end of someone overcoming your objections. How did it make you feel? Warm and fuzzy or backed up to a wall with a knife at your throat?

There is a way to connect with people and wind up with sales while avoiding entirely that “objection” stage. You won’t need a bag of tricks to close the deal.

Put yourself in their shoes, understand their issues and concerns, show the benefit to them of whatever you’re pitching, but mostly be real and without guile. Understand the pain you can abate or the help that you can bring.

If you don’t connect with them, move on. Find your ideal customers and play in that sandbox. Decide to live in a world where all deals are win/win. A world where both sides walk away feeling that a positive transaction occurred, one that will lead to good things for everyone involved.

And if you find yourself looking for articles on overcoming objections, perhaps a new job should be in your future.