It doesn’t take much time to learn the common objections to our service. The seller who has been selling for six weeks already has experienced ninety percent of the objections he will face as a seller. What he doesn’t know is how to handle these objections. Scripting will help this new seller handle objections at a professional level, sooner.

Good accounts have salespeople calling them constantly. They have to give objections to uncover the great salespeople from the mass of mediocrity calling them. If they don’t, they will have too many salespeople calling them.

We know ahead of time what the major objections to our service or product are. There are standard objections that cross industry lines. Below are some common objections and options on how to respond to them. Tailor your objection responses to your market, your personality, and the individual customer you are dealing with.

Objection: I’m Happy with the Suppliers (or Products) I Am Currently Using.

Response: “That’s great. I don’t want to get in the way of the relationships you currently have. What I would like is the opportunity to become a secondary supplier for you. If you allow me to call you on an ongoing basis, we can get to know each other and if anything does happen with your current supply, we will already have a relationship. You will already know the quality of my products and service, and we will be able to hit the ground running without interrupting the smooth operation of your company.”

Don’t say, “If I can get product to you at a better price, would you consider buying from me instead of your current supplier?”

This sets you up as a price supplier. Remember,

Money Maker #11: If you steal business based on price, it can be stolen from you based on price.

“What do you like about your current supplier?” is equally weak.

We don’t want our customers talking about what they like about their current suppliers. First, many will become defensive when we ask this question. They will take it as a challenge. Second, we don’t want to spend any time talking about what our competition does right. That’s their job.

The opposite of love isn’t hate. The opposite of love is indifference.

Rookies shut down or are shaken by objections. Professional sellers embrace them.

Money Maker #55 Professional sellers know that if they can overcome the objection, the order is theirs.

If your customers will tell you what they don’t like, you can begin to fix it. Try these turn around techniques to Close on objections.

Objection: Your Price is Too High

Customer: “I can’t buy that because your price is too high”

You: “If I can work on the price for you, would you buy it from me?”

Or

“What price works for you?”

Objection: I’m Not Buying Right Now

Customer: “I don’t need any of that right now.”

You: “When will you be needing it?”

Objection: The Market is Terrible

Customer: “The market is falling, I can’t buy right now.”

You: “When do you see this market turning around?”

This approach will sometimes invite a counter. In other cases it keeps the negotiation going so you can live to fight for the order. In any case, it is a heck of a lot better than, “Well OK, I guess I’ll call you next week.”

These turn-around questions on objections keep the customer talking and thinking out loud about how they can put the business together with you. These turn-arounds work on any objection, be it shipment, stock etc.

Objections show interest. Don’t run from them, run to them.

If you are too high, there must be a price that works. If your shipment is too far out, there must be a shipment that will work.

Want to learn more about this and other Sales Doctor secrets? Click here to buy Selling Lumber: Sales Secrets of a Lumber Broker and tune in each Friday at 4pm PST to the Sales Doctor Radio program. In Portland on 1410 am or around the world online at SalesDoctor.biz.