Supremely Successful Selling: Discovering the Magic Ingredient

Chapter 20

Objections Aren't Bitter if You Don't Swallow Them

CONFESSION IS GOOD for the soul.

I must admit when I first started in selling, I hated objections. I felt like the Tin Man cowering before the Wizard of Oz.

There I was, just finishing a flawless and dazzling presentation. And now I can just see my buyer winding up, ready to deliver a whammo objection.

I want to run for cover. What do you do when you stand at the crossroads and all of the signposts are gone?

But what I realize now is that objections are truly your best friends. They're often the way probable buyers mask their concerns about needing help or more information.

I now encourage objections. I do! Three cheers. I probe for hidden or unspoken ones. The sales call is round. What seems like the end may only be the beginning.

Here's what I know. You won't be able to sell your product until every concern is satisfied, no matter how inappropriate or trivial.

The objections may feel like a personal assault, perhaps even an attack. But they're not. Your first impulse is to be defensive, to strike back. But don't.

Remember, your job isn't to prevail, knock down, and win. That's not integrity selling. Your job is to resolve the objection.

I like the story of the foreman who was very hard-working and conscientious. But he hadn't received a promotion in 12 years. Asked if he had an explanation for his failure to advance, he replied: “Many years ago, I had an argument with my supervisor. I won.”

Your success will depend ...