Your price is too high!” “It costs too much!” “I can get a better price from a dealership down the road.” “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

Objections are a natural part of the selling process. Do not be terrified of objections; embrace them. As you work with a prospect, understand that as he begins to move from thinking about a purchase to having a genuine interest in buying, it is only natural that conflict will arise in his thoughts. That conflict is what we call an objection, and our job is to help the customer by knowing what to say to help eliminate, or at least reduce, the stress of making a purchase.

Always Agree with the Customer

When it comes to handling objections, one of the mistakes most salespeople make is getting into a battle with the customer over his statement. Ultimately, this causes the customer to either doubt himself and his ability to make a decision at that moment, or to doubt the salesperson and his ability to understand the internal conflict he, the customer, is having. As a salesperson, when you hear an objection from a customer, the most important thing you can do is to agree with him that what he is thinking and saying is valid.

Start Your Transition

Once you and the customer are in agreement, your goal is to begin to transition him from his original objection into helping him understand what his internal issue really is. Let’s say the customer’s objection is price.  A great question to ask is, “About how much do you feel the cost is outside your budget?”  At this point, either the customer will say, “I don’t know”, or he will give you an amount. If he says, “It’s about $500 more than I want to spend,” then assuming you are far enough along in your presentation to make a close with this customer, you might ask the question, “So, if I can find a way to reduce your investment or make up the $500, are you in a position to make a decision today?” If the customer says, “Yes,” then you move into the negotiation & closing process.

Remember to take time to sharpen your selling skills. Do you know what questions you will ask to best qualify prospects when they walk through the door?  What objections are you likely to encounter, and how will you handle them in a way that helps the customer make the decision to move forward?  Just as important as sharpening mower blades on equipment, it is important to sharpen your sales skills in preparation for the season ahead.