These 3 Sales Skills Will Turn Objections into Enthusiasm

If you’ve been in sales for longer than a couple of minutes, you’ve likely grown accustomed to objections. Whether you’ve heard them from potential customers or current clients, objections are an integral part of the sales process.  [bctt tweet="How Do You Turn Objections into Enthusiasm? by Susan Sigda" username="StartupInst"]

A salesperson rarely encounters a definitive “no” in the sales process. At almost every step, however,  all salespeople encounter objections.  Understanding what’s at the heart of customer objections—and honing your skills for responding to them—will elevate you from a good salesperson into an excellent one. How you manage objections makes all the difference.

So what are some common objections you might encounter? A Salesforce commentator groups objections in a few categories: lack of knowledge about the product, a specific concern, a hidden agenda you don’t yet understand, or a lack of interest in your product or service.

Getting to the bottom of objections means probing carefully to understand what the objections are really about. Only then can you match the customer’s needs with your product’s features and get them excited about a solution.

Here are three pro selling techniques to help you manage objections:

1. Focus on the customer, not on yourself.

Maybe they are worried about their budget. Maybe their current solution is okay, but they're looking for better. Maybe their boss is pushing them to fix a problem. Whatever the case, it’s up to you to listen carefully and focus on your customer's needs and problems. Focus on establishing empathy; only then can you begin to frame a discussion about how your product or solution can help.

[bctt tweet="#Empathy allows you to frame sales discussions in a productive manner, says Susan Sigda" username="StartupInst"]

1. Make it a conversation. Stay authentic and be curious!

People love to talk about themselves and their businesses. A group of Harvard neuroscientists recently conducted a study which discovered that peoples’ brains get as much pleasure from talking about themselves as they do from food and money.  If you demonstrate true curiosity about your clients and their businesses, they will feel heard and validated. The trust you build will increase the flow of information from your clients and your ability to move the sale forward.

[bctt tweet="The #trust you build will increase your ability to move a sale forward, says Susan Sigda" username="StartupInst"]

1. Earn the right to advance and sync your pace with your clients’.

All closing is a series of small “yes”s from the client. "Yes" to the follow-up email that you suggest, "yes" to a meeting with someone else from your company or theirs, "yes" to a product demo. Make sure you hear the “yes” from your client before proceeding to the next step. And make sure that your pace and theirs is in sync—this builds on that trust and can lead to long-time customers and evangelists.

What makes sales exciting and fun is that you don’t have to begin as a salesperson. People who are open, curious and client–focused can become great salespeople. And even if you’re already an experienced salesperson, honing your sales techniques will always up your game.