MEETING AND FORESTALLING OBJECTIONS
Opposition is the physical culture of determination.
You must have the courage of your convictions, and if you have
theories you should be able to put them to a practical test.
Don’t canvass too much with your legs—use your brains.
There are two kinds of objections which are met by all salesmen—valid and
invalid. Naturally, it is impossible to overcome valid objections. It
would be a mistake on the part of the salesman to try to overcome them.
The important thing is for him to recognize that they are valid, and to
abide by the decision of the prospective customer.
Very frequently, however, what appear on the surface to be valid
objections, are merely excuses. Never accept an excuse as a real
objection. Do not come out bluntly and tell the customer that he is
merely making an excuse, or that he is hedging, but, rather, switch the
selling talk on to a little different track, so that he will see there is
no real, good reason for the stand he is taking.
It is not so easy to meet such objections as—“The goods are not suitable
for our needs,”—“The price is exorbitant,” or “We cannot afford to buy
now.” But in some cases, objections of this sort may not be really valid;
often they are merely excuses to put off buying. Here is where the
salesman must show his power of reasoning and persuasion. He should make
clear to the customer that, at first thought, these may seem to be valid
objections, but that, in reality, if he will only think of such and such
points and reasons, he will see, after all, he should buy.
No doubt there is far more trouble constantly arising on this score than
there should, because the salesman cannot gently guide the mind of the
customer to where all objections are forgotten. It is human nature to
object, find fault, and pick flaws, and the salesman must be prepared
both for the real or valid, and for the unreal, or invalid objections.
Above all he must be prepared beforehand to answer, and to answer clearly
and logically, the many very common objections which are brought up in
connection with his line of goods.
The older, more experienced salesmen and the sales managers, usually,
have thought out the most effective answers to the objections that are
ordinarily made. The young inexperienced salesman must go to them for
advice. He must be posted, if possible at the start, on the right answers
to, let us say, the ten most ordinary objections that are heard in his
line of business.
One of the most successful life insurance managers in the United States
has given to his men a standard answer to this very common objection, met
by salesmen when trying to sell life insurance,—“I would like to take the
matter up with my wife.”
The salesman is taught to use the law of non-resistance, and to say:
“That’s a very good idea, Mr. Blank. This is such an important matter you
certainly ought to have your wife’s opinion about it; but, allow me to
suggest that before you take the matter up with her, it would be best to
have our doctor examine you, to make sure that you can pass the physical
examination, because, if you told your wife that you were going to take
life insurance, and you then failed to pass the examination, she would
be very much worried about you as long as she lives.” The prospect will,
almost invariably, say—“Yes, you’re right about that—I think I ought to
take that precaution.” It is needless to say that nine times out of ten,
after the doctor has made the examination, it is quite easy to close the
sale, whereas it would have been impossible, or very difficult, had the
matter first been taken up at home, and a lot of objections brought up in
the absence of the salesman.
Some say that you should never risk antagonizing a customer by departing
from the law of non-resistance. Ordinarily, this is sound logic; but just
as there are exceptions to every rule, so there are certain types of men,
with whom at least _seeming opposition_ or an attitude of “take it or
leave it” will be most effective.
There are men and moods and times when only a good knowledge of human
nature and a thorough sizing up of a customer will enable the salesman
to get what he goes after. Also there are occasions when the most expert
salesman will meet at least temporary defeat.
By the time you have exchanged a few sentences with your prospect, you
can size him up fairly well and can get a pretty good idea of what
you are up against, and how difficult a task is before you in order
to interest him, to change his thought, to neutralize his natural
prejudice against every one who has anything to sell, and against you in
particular. There is a natural barrier, at first, between two people who
meet under such conditions, and it depends largely upon you as a man,
upon your talk, your ability to open up your nature, to show the best
side of yourself, the attractive, the popular, magnanimous side, whether
you gradually change the prospect’s opposition to indifference, his
indifference to interest and his interest to desire to possess what you
have to sell.
You should never argue with a customer in the sense of quarreling or
disputing with him, but there are times when you must reason with him, to
show him he is wrong. Do not, however, make a customer feel “cheap,” or
humiliated, or anger him by opposition, especially in matters outside of
your business.
I have in mind a salesman who had practically closed a big order with
a prospect when some allusion was made to the political situation. The
salesman reflected upon the administration, and the prospect jumped on
him with both feet and became so angered that he positively refused to
give him the order.
Now, this salesman was not there to discuss politics or to convince his
prospect that he was on the wrong side of any public question. He was
there to sell his goods and not to talk politics.
No matter what happens never lose your head and never, under any
circumstances, show resentment or disappointment or allow yourself to be
drawn into an argument. There is always a temptation to have the last
word, and it is of the utmost importance that you should leave a pleasing
picture of your call. Otherwise when you return the association of a
disagreeable experience may bar you out.
Some sales managers do not believe in paying any attention to objections.
They say it is best to make the salesman so familiar with his goods, and
so enthusiastic about them, that he will forestall all objections, or
overcome them by ignoring them, in the sense that he will not try to
answer objections if they are made, and he will not talk or act as if he
expected any to be made. There is a certain amount of sound philosophy
in this attitude, but it is my opinion that a salesman will have more
confidence in himself, and will be better equipped for many emergencies,
if he has been thoroughly coached in the most commonly met objections, by
having good, sound answers right at the tip of his tongue.
Never meet objections by cutting prices.
It is the easiest thing in the world to prejudice a prospect’s mind by
offering to cut prices. He will think you are doing it to get his first
order, and that you will make it up the next time. He is watching you
with “all his eyes.” His perceptive faculties are on the alert, ready to
catch any unguarded word, the slightest contradiction, measuring up the
improbabilities in your argument. In other words, he is trying to find
holes in your proposition. It is human nature to brace up against a new
salesman and to try to down him with objections. Don’t destroy confidence
at the start by price cutting.
Remember, objections are, generally, mere excuses. More than half the
time they are not sound reasons for not buying. Therefore, do not take
objections too much to heart. Know how to answer them satisfactorily, but
be careful not to magnify their importance.