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Article Title: Overcoming The Objections That Keep You From
Achieving Massive Success
Author: Kurt Mortensen
Word Count: 1776
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=112666&ca=Marketing
Format: 64cpl
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Easy Publish Tool: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=112666
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Realize that most objections can be resolved before they even
arise. Cost is often the first objection that is put up, but
usually it�s not the true reason, deep down, for rejecting a
product or service. Nothing de-energizes your persuasive
efforts more than lingering doubts and concerns that remain
unresolved in your prospect�s mind. No matter what you�re
selling, all objections can fit into one or more of the
following categories. Read on�.
No matter what you�re selling, all objections can fit into one
or more of the following categories:
1.Fear of failure��Can I do this? Will this really work?�
2.Lack of support�spouse, parents or friends unsupportive
3.Can�t make the commitment�don�t have time, conflicts with
existing obligations, childcare concerns, etc.
4.Not enough motivation�the discomfort of the prospect�s
current situation is not great enough that s/he wants to make
changes
5.Financial concerns�fear that the prospect can�t afford it or
will be extremely stretched trying to. Is it worth the
investment?
Notice that I listed financial concerns last. Cost is often the
first objection that is put up, but usually it�s not the true
reason, deep down, for rejecting a product or service. I�ll
explain more about this topic later. With an idea of where
objections stem from, let�s talk about when the optimal time is
to handle them. As I already mentioned, the ideal scenario is
for all your prospect�s questions and concerns to be answered
as a natural course of your exchange�not after you�ve gone
through your entire presentation.
Nothing de-energizes your persuasive efforts more than
lingering doubts and concerns that remain unresolved in your
prospect�s mind. When you are �interviewing� your prospects,
use your open-ended questions to help them open up and shed
light on any possible areas of concern. With this approach, you
are opening the door to bring up and cover such issues on your
terms. This persuasive strategy is not a matter of
manipulation; by virtue of the roles you each play�you as the
one offering a solution and the prospect as the one seeking a
solution�it is more practical and effective for both parties to
get what they want.
There are two challenges at play when, after you�ve gone
through your presentation, a prospect still voices concerns.
First of all, you did not discover enough information to
accurately anticipate and diffuse concerns while they were
still seeds in your prospect�s mind rather than rooted plants.
Secondly, if the prospect has to bring it up and begins
questioning you, merely by nature of the dialogue, you are now
on the defensive. This flipping of roles will never place you
in a strong persuasive position. Worse, if you do project even
a hint of defensiveness or insecurity toward your prospect or
product, that in and of itself can breed more doubt in the
prospect�s mind than perhaps the original concern did. How
awful to lose a sale based on mistaken perceptions! And yet,
these details make or break sales all the time.
Let�s talk about price for a moment. It seems to be everyone�s
top concern, doesn�t it? Independent researchers found that 68
percent of prospects admitted that price was not the
determining factor, but they also admitted that they knew by
experience that stating that the price is too high is the best
way to get rid of a salesperson. Price, in fact, is seldom the
sole reason for buying or not buying something. When asked the
reasons why they did buy something, 94 percent of interviewed
customers mentioned non-price issues as being the most
important factor for their purchase.
If you think about it, it doesn�t make sense to buy something
just because the price is good. What if it�s not something
desirable, useful or necessary? Would you buy it just because
of its price? When you do a good job of helping people see how
your product will improve their lives, change their lives or
move them from their current situation to their desired
situation, price is usually the least of their concerns. It all
goes back to the emotions�the pain of their current situation
sharply contrasts with what they want and hope for in the
future and is thus the true motivator. At that point, you could
name almost any price and they would buy. I say this not to
suggest in any way that you should take advantage of that
psychological tendency but simply to underscore that price is
not the issue.
Now, let�s look at the worst-case scenario: Even after the best
presentation you could muster, your prospect still has issues.
If you ever find yourself in this situation, there are a number
of considerations to bear in mind. First and foremost, ask
yourself if this is a conflict you can even resolve. Suppose
you find out the real reason why your prospect is hung up on
the price is that s/he just declared bankruptcy. In that case,
obviously, no matter what you do or say, you have no control
over the situation. If it is an issue that is solvable,
however, then let your prospect talk. Just hearing her/him out
will diminish her/his need to contend over price. Conversely,
if you become upset, impatient or condescending, you will just
make your prospect cling to the price issue.
Always remain calm and empathetic in the face of resistance.
This behavioral strategy will come across as more professional,
credible and trustworthy. A calm and caring demeanor also gives
your prospect room to save face if s/he changes her/his mind.
Never back your prospects into a corner. It�s a good idea to
start out at square one and review with your resistant
prospects the many different ways in which your product meets
their needs.
Help your prospects step back again and see how your product
will move them from their current situation to their ideal
situation. If, in the end, they remain adamant, never close the
door. Extend to them the opportunity and invitation to come talk
to you again should they ever change their mind or have further
questions. And lastly, don�t beat yourself up. There are those
people who are just going to resist, even if you said and did
everything perfectly. This rejection is usually based on their
own past experiences and perceptions, so don�t take it
personally.
How do we handle those common put-offs like �I need to think
this over,� �I need to sleep on it,� �I have to talk to my wife
first�? If your prospects are insistent, respect their wishes,
but be sure you�re following up again within twenty-four
hours�forty-eight hours at the absolute most. If you let too
much time lapse between your initial encounter and your
follow-up, you communicate to your prospects that it�s not
important. Then they feel like they�re off the hook. If you�re
not the one calling them, it is very likely you�ll never hear
from your prospects again.
A key thing you have to remember when following up is that the
emotion of the original dialogue has dissipated. You must bring
it back in order to close the deal. This is why sales that
aren�t closed at the first meeting are harder to close down the
road. It�s somewhat of an irony, but the shorter the sales time,
the better. The longer a prospect has to �think about it,� the
less likely it is that you�ll have a deal. So remember that,
when following up by phone, you�re going to have to exert that
persuasive energy all over again to recapture your prospect�s
excitement and enthusiasm. Moreover, you will no longer have
the advantage of being able to do so in person. Also, you have
less time to do so since your conversation by phone will
generally be shorter.
One effective way to minimize the likelihood of sending someone
home who still hasn�t made a decision is to make a very clear
�qualifying statement� right up front. A qualifying statement
occurs when you define at the outset exactly how you are going
to spend your time together. Additionally, you define what your
expectations are for each other and what you hope to get out of
the meeting. In essence, you are �qualifying� your time
together and how it will be spent. An example of a qualifying
statement would be: �Mrs. Smith, what I�d like for us to do
today is find out exactly what you�re looking for, get all of
your questions answered and see if this is a good fit. If we
both feel good about it, we�ll get the ball rolling for you. If
it�s not a good fit, we�ll be up front about that, too, and
maybe I can make some other recommendations for you.�
Qualification is an excellent approach because it disarms your
prospects. You�ve told them exactly what to expect, so they can
relax. They won�t be caught off guard when you begin asking lots
of questions because they�ll understand why you�re asking them.
Also, using the word �we� is often helpful instead of �I� and
�you� so that your prospects feel like you�re collaborating
together.
By using the �we� voice, you will come across as more of an
advisor than someone who is trying to sell your prospects
something. Most importantly of all, this approach is designed
to give you an answer, one way or the other, in that very same
meeting. In other words, there won�t be any loose ends
remaining when you and your prospect walk away from each other.
Here is another example of a qualifying statement: �Let�s make
an agreement, Mr. Jones. I�m not a high-pressure consultant, so
you don�t have worry about me trying to get you involved with
anything you don�t want. All I want to do today is show you how
to increase your income in your business and how it will work
for you. Please do me a favor and let me know today if this is
a good fit. Fair enough?� From this point, walls of resistance
have been removed and you are well on your way to closing the
deal.
About The Author: Kurt Mortensen�s trademark is Magnetic
Persuasion; you should attract customers, just like a magnet
attracts metal filings. Claim your success and learn what only
the ultra-prosperous know by going to
http://prewealth.com/mistakestoavoid and get my free report "10
Mistakes that Cost You Thousands."
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