Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/119220
SALES MANAGEMENT Handling Objections BY GRAYSON SCHWEPFINGER Inexperienced salespeople fear objections, but, on the positive side, objections are your insurance policy against being misunderstood. Without objections you have no idea how your presentation is being accepted by the prospect or with which part of the demonstration they are uncomfortable with. Most objections, which trouble you now, should disappear with good Matchmaker interviews. It is very difficult to separate managing objections and closing. After all, successful selling is merely a matter of eliminating objections. Once all of the meaningful objections are voiced and managed, the prospects are left with no alternative but to say, yes and thus buy your home. Do not mistake a condition for an objection. No money, no credit, et cetera, are conditions over which you have no control and are not objections. You can't answer a condition. Conditions must be changed in order to complete the sale. Many times what appears to be an objection is really a question. As an example, "I don't like this carpet..." is really asking whether it is available in another color. You might go to a trial close at this point. Say to them, "Why don't we return to the office and I'm sure we can find a color you will love." Unless the objection is very strongly stated you may wish to evade an objection the first time it is voiced. You must acknowledge that you heard the objection or they think they are on to something important. Say something like "That is a good point..." or "Do you mind if I answer that a little later on?" or "I'm not sure, I'll have to check on that", then move on into another feature. Many first-voiced objections are an attempt to regain control of the conversation and are not generally meaningful objections. By evading answering them, one of three things will usually happen: (1) it will be answered on its own later in the presentation; (2) it will be forgotten; (3) it will lose importance due to the enthusiasm over the rest of APRIL 2013 24 THE JOURNAL the benefits of the home. Do not argue. You might win the argument but lose the sale. People say no to everything when they are unsure of themselves or upset. Never handle objections with abuse or ridicule. Answering with, "That's the dumbest objection I have ever heard!", is not designed to make you the sale, even if it is true. No one wants to play the part of the fool. If there is a frequently objected to feature in a home, take it on before it is voiced by your prospects. If you answer an objection before it is voiced, it is a reason to accept the feature. If you use the same answer to handle the objection after it is voiced, then it becomes an excuse. For example, if a home has a small center bedroom, before its size is criticized, you might give the prospects a reason to accept its size before it is voiced. There are two reasons for this. First, if they won't accept the answer there is no point in showing the rest of the home. Second, get any objections that exist as far from the close as possible. In the case of the small bedroom you might try: "Let's start at the rear of this home. This manufacturer does something a little different and I would like your opinion." Open the door and tell them, "Notice the compact, efficient size of this bedroom. The manufacturer realizes that the children's bedroom is strictly a service room. After all, you have to fight them to go to their bedroom and then all they do is sleep in it. Since we do have a limited amount of space to work with, rather than waste it in a room that only gets a few minutes waking use a day, they elected to put the room out in the living room and kitchen where the whole family can enjoy it together. Doesn't that make sense?" Is this going to work every time? No, nothing works every time. But it will never work if you don't try it. People often object because they are terrified of making a decision. They are saying to you that they have this problem, which makes it hard for them to say yes to you. By answering the objec- tion in a slow, logical way, you make it easier for them to agree with you and say yes to the purchase of your home. Many times it is easier for prospects to object than to admit they do not understand what you said. They may just be asking for more information to clear things up. If you are not sure they understand what you are saying you can check by asking questions like, "Am I making myself clear? Perhaps I'm not saying that right, do you have any questions?" Never interrupt a prospect while he is voicing an objection. Even if you guess right as to what they mean, you have offended them. Besides, if you interrupt what they are saying, you could be right, but miss an additional point they wanted to make. Do not answer the objection. Repeat what they said in the form of a question. For example, they say, "It's too big." You respond, "It's too big?" or, It's too expensive." You respond, "It's too expensive?" This forces them to explain their position, which will give you more information to work with. Sometimes they can't explain why they objected and it disappears on its own. Change your prospects' frame-of-reference. If they object to the land being too far, answer with, "Isn't it true that today we tend to measure distance in time rather than in miles. When you remember the excellent highways to that land, it is really quite close time-wise, isn't it?" Until Next MONTH, GOOD SELLING! T J Grayson Schwepfinger is a nationally known speaker and member of the manufactured housing Hall of Fame. He specializes in sales and sales management training and can be reached for comments or more information at his e-mail schwep1@aol.com or his phone 610 533 4969. And his Website – graysonschwepfinger.com.