Why you need to STOP focusing on “overcoming” objections. Part 2

In part one we discussed the basics of why we need to stop focusing on overcoming objections. Now in part two we are going talk about the obstacle that is probably the toughest for sales people to correctly identify, AND overcome, but it really shouldn’t be. It’s the perceived obstacle. That is the obstacle that exists only in the head of the sales person. The good news is that it is easy for sales managers to spot if you know what to look for. For most this is the obstacle that comes up in almost every appointment or phone call. The key words to look for are statements like:
• Why does no one have time to meet with me?
• Our product is too expensive.
• Why can’t we cut our price so we can compete with XYZ.
• I lost another deal because our product can not…
• Why do all my clients ask me…

While it may be true that your prospects are busy, or your product is a bit more expensive there is nothing we can do about it, and if everyone you talk to has this issue, but the rest of your team seems to get a long fine despite the issue you probably are the one with the issue.

You see when you have a perceived obstacle in your head you sell differently the minute you start talking about it. You will start to skirt an issue, soft sell price, or otherwise behave in ways that will demonstrate that you have some kind of lack of confidence in your product, and your prospects will pick up on this immediately. If you believe your clients are all to busy to come see you, you will set up the question so that it is easy to say they are too busy. You need to have 100% confidence in yourself, and your product, and be able to pass on that belief to your clients. If you close, and your client says I’d love to but you are a bit more expensive that XYZ you need to have some compelling reasons why you are better than XYZ. If your own internal conversation switches to well they are cheaper, or dang it this always happens, you will loose deal after deal.
So how do we deal with this issue? The first step takes a little self reflection or maybe some diagnosis from your manager. Once you know what your perceived obstacle is, you need to inform yourself. Why is your part a bit more expensive? Are you 100% made in the USA vs. overseas? Do you have a better customer service plan? Is your product more reliable or made of higher quality parts? How do the trade journals or consumer product ratings folks rate you vs. the competition? You may find that despite your higher cost no one can compete with YOP, or that the feature everyone keeps asking for is a fad not worth having.
The short answer is you need to become an expert on not only your own product, but all similar ones in the market place. Not to “sell against” the competition, but to assist your clients in making the right decision. Presenting yourself as an expert will not only help you overcome your own objections, but the confidence and expertise you bring to the table will make your clients more confident in your presentations.

I would love to discuss either in the comments or on the forums what perceived objections you have dealt with as a sales person or manager, and how you over came them. In my next post we will discuss misinformation, and how to deal with it.