Don't Think Objections Are Necessarily Bad.

When we hear the word objection, we think of a negative situation. Usually it is because our customer has come back with a reason why they will not purchase from us. There is so much to learn from an objection that you would be missing out on a lot of information if you took them as being just negative.

This post will teach you how to properly handle objections, ensuring that your business and sales cycle remains smooth and unbroken.

An objection is not always bad (I know you're shocked). Some customers will not purchase from a particular business because they are choosing to not buy. It is a choice they have made. For example, this is the case when you have a client who is deciding between hiring your business or another company or individual to complete the task. If a customer feels that they would be better suited with the other company, then there really isn't anything you can do or say to change their mind once it is made up.

Our Mindset

There are many different outlooks on how we should react and handle objections. Some people view them as negative situations that need to be avoided. It is crucial that you understand that an objection itself is not a negative situation, rather it is the reasoning behind why a customer decided not to purchase from you.

This post will go over 10 different variables we can use to assist us with successfully handling objections. We will touch on what times of the day and days of the week are best to handle them, as well as how we should approach them to ensure they do not become obstructive.

The Ten Objection Variables

There are five types of objections:

1. Reason Rejected; Don't Get Angry. This is what happens when you decide to respond negatively after receiving an objection. Perhaps you do not like the way the objection is posed. Maybe you feel that the customer wasn't being honest with you, so you become angry and confrontational. The point is that when your emotions get too high and you start to verbally or physically attack the customer, this will most likely lead to a loss of business.

2. Safety Concern; Don't Try To Change Minds . If a customer appears to be hesitant about making a purchase because of something like lack of trust, their information being compromised through technology or their personal information being not secure, then there is no way for anybody but them to change those concerns. There is no reason for you to try and change somebody's mind.

3. No Need; Don't Try To Convince Them. If a customer has decided that they do not have the need for your service or product, then there is no reason to convince them otherwise. If a customer believes that they do not need your particular service or product, then their mind will be made up regardless of what you say or do.

4. Negative Experience; Don't Get Into The Details . There are some customers who will have had a negative experience with a particular company and will automatically assume that another company with the same business model will be just like the first one they worked with in some way, shape or form. Don't get into details about the last experience you had with this particular company. Instead, keep positive and talk about how great you are and how much you would love for them to work with you.

5. Don't Succumb To Fear; Be Positive & Maintain Your Cool . There will be many times when a customer is not ready to make a purchase on that very moment. If all of the above variables have been used properly and the customer is still hesitant, then there is no reason for you to get nervous, upset or start getting defensive. Stay calm and remain positive.

That's the basic gist of what an objection is, but there are many other factors that I will touch on that can help us correctly handle them in the proper manner. This post will also include information on how to successfully handle objections at different times of the day, when to approach them and how you should proceed in order for them not to become obstructive.

The Numerical Approach

There is a way to identify when objections are being raised during a sales cycle by calculating a number for you. This number is termed as the "Objection index." It is calculated by taking all of your reactions during your sales cycle and then subtracting two numbers. The first number is essentially the number of objections you have. The second number is the amount of times that you repeat yourself during your sales cycle.

Let's take a closer look at what each of these numbers mean. When you receive an objection, it counts as one for your total number. When you repeat yourself multiple times within your response to an objection, this counts as another point for your total number. Here is an example: I receive an objection from a customer where I repeat myself four times within my response to the objection. This would count as a total of six (1+4). If you calculate your number and it stays below ten, then you are doing well. If your number is above or equal to ten, then this indicates that you need to work on your ability to handle objections properly in order to improve your sales cycle.

2. The Time Of Day Approach

There are many different schools of thought when deciding the best time and day of the week to approach customers with inquiries about purchasing your particular services or products. Some people think that the most ideal time is morning. Others feel that the best time is afternoon. Some people feel that you should approach customers during their lunch break and some feel that you should approach them during the evening.

The reality is there are different times of the day when you will be more successful depending on what type of business you are operating with. For example, if you are operating a small local business with just one location, then evening hours would probably work better for your business as people would be more likely to come out and spend money in a local business instead of shopping online or some other e-commerce website. However, if you are operating a big business with many locations across the country or around the world, then it would be better to approach customers during some of their free time in the morning.

We can also use these different times of the day to identify which days of the week would be ideal for approaching our customers as well. So if there is a particular day that you are struggling with when it comes to getting new business, then try changing up your sales cycle and see how this affects your success rate.

Here is an example: A lot of people think that Mondays are horrible days to start off a week because most people feel that they need more time to rest and recuperate over the weekend.

Conclusion

So in order for us to better handle objections and improve our sales cycle, we must be able to identify these five different variables. Additionally, it is also a good idea for us to calculate our own "objection index" to make sure that we are doing well when it comes to handling objections throughout our sales cycle.

If you haven't already checked out the other parts of this blog post series, then be sure to check out the following links:

Should You Ever Break Your Chain Of Success?

How To Recruit More Top Talent Into Your Company

4 Critical Steps To Quickly & Easily Solve Customer Problems 2.