Want to know a secret about objections? There are really only two types:
- Real concerns that need to be addressed, and, once you do, you can then close on, and,
- Smokescreen objections hiding something else (like the real reason your prospect isn’t buying).
Now here’s the trouble for many sales reps and teams: The most frequent objections they get are smokescreens and yet they try to overcome them as if they were real objections.
And that never works.
So, the question is: How do you know if you’re dealing with a real objection (one you can actually deal with and have a chance of overcoming), versus a smokescreen objection that you will never be able to overcome? (Unless you find out what is hiding behind it.)
And that’s easy if you use the technique you’ll see in today’s article. Before you read it though, let me quickly remind you what a smokescreen is: It’s when your prospect gives you an objection, like price, when in fact, there is something else holding them back (like they aren’t sold on your solution, or their partner isn’t sold, or they are looking at other options, etc.).
So, the smokescreen is really just a dodge hiding the real objection.
The first step to dealing with a smokescreen is to first figure out that is that you’re dealing with one!
So here is your technique:
Whenever you get an objection—no matter what it is—always say:
“And in addition to that, what else is holding you back today?”
That’s it! Simplicity is always best, and what this technique does is isolate the objection….
Any other answer than, “Nothing really,” means that the objection they just gave was indeed just a smokescreen. And you’ve got to now dig deeper to find out what is really holding them back.
If, however, they say, “Nothing,” then you need to have a few proven closes ready to deal with and overcome the objection and “sell” them on your solution.
As with all our techniques, don’t take our word for how effective this is—use it and see for yourself how much further into the sale you get.
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Happy selling!