Objection Handling - Mindset First

Objections. Stalls. Delays.

For the future potential client the risk of saying, “Yes” doesn’t outweigh the risk of saying, “No”.

We all get objections.  

Yes, even those gurus we admire who are making millions of dollars in their programs still get objections.

Can you avoid them?

 Yes, emphatically yes - but that’s a post for a different day.

Barry Rutten is the Objection Avoidance / Objecting Handling AUTHORITY.  If you can sit at his feet and gain his wisdom you will never look at objections the same way again.  Seriously, reach out to him to see if he has his course for his SAVER™ Method training up and running!  [email protected]

We collaborated in his own online business for over 5 years, and before that, he was my Director of Sales when I worked at a major insurance carrier company, so I’ve been blessed to be in his orbit and absorb his methodology around this topic for many years.

Over time, I’ve put my spin on it so it resonates in my business and with my personality.

What I’ve learned is the key to effective objection handling is to recognize it is first and foremost a mindset issue.  

It is extremely common that when we get an objection, we take it personally.  

We have a visceral response.  

It’s emotional.

Heart rate increases.

Faces and palms get sweaty.

Breathing changes.

Body language changes.

The tone of voice changes.

We get defensive (fight or flight) because our Reticular Activating System was triggered.  The good old lizard brain! 

Our knee-jerk reaction is to go into defensive mode by making a statement or we rush to “educate” the potential future client and we turn it from a collaborative conversation into a combative one.

First and foremost, the key to handling objections is to work on OUR mindset.

An objection is, at its core, either a request for more information or a response to something said or not said/done or not done.

It is not about YOU personally.  

We tend to take it personally because, for most of us, our worth and value are wrapped up in our product/offer.

If this is you, we don’t have time to dive into why objections feel personal for you, but if you’ll allow me… I’d like to suggest you may want to journal about why objections feel personal.  Seek to understand the old story you are telling yourself or identify the core belief that you are personally being rejected, attacked or judged when you hear an objection.

Objections: Keep Calm and Don’t Take It Personally

During the live conversation, or even when received via an email in response to a proposal, when an objection is voiced it throws us off of our “game” and we immediately want to defend or educate and can lose our conversational way of asking for the investment.

Don’t panic!  It’s just a collaborative conversation. 

Stop Selling!  Let go of making the sale.  Truly, let this go. We’ll get back to it later, I promise.

Instead of continuing to try to “save the sale”, try to find out what’s causing them to feel the way they do that caused them to voice an objection.

Sit back in your chair.  Breathe.  Watch your body language. (even if no one is looking!)

Suppress the urge to respond with a defense or rush to “educate”.

Don’t assume you know what they mean and take their objection at face value. 

Read that again…Don’t take their objection at face value.

Don’t argue!

Don’t respond with a statement.

Instead…

Always ask a question following their objection.

Be curious!

Do NOT use the word, “Why?” - Barry, and other leaders in sales, teach that “Why” is a challenging word and puts them on the defensive.

Instead try, “How come?” or other short questions.  It works!

“I’m curious, can you tell me more (about that)?”

“What do you mean (by that)?”

“[Objection] can mean different things to different people. Can you clarify what [objection] means to you?”  

“Compared to what?” (Barry’s favorite around “That’s too expensive”) 

This shifts the burden to the potential future client to clarify their objection so there are no assumptions on your part and you can get to the real reason behind the objection.

Put the sale away for a moment until you can clarify what the objection meant and seek to understand their feelings, then offer them an alternate or clarifying perspective that directly addresses the real objection and then transition to get back to the original conversation.

For most it is just a matter of asking questions about the outcome they desire, how come it is important to them, clarifying that your solution delivers the promised outcome they seek, and, ultimately, do they feel the risk of them saying, “Yes” outweighs the impact on their business if they say, “No”. 

Next week I will walk you through the Take “A PAUSE” Method for the toolset to handle the objections to get you back on track in the conversation to ask for the investment in your product/solution.

Yours in success,

Kimi Brown

The Joyful Contrarian

Sources: The Question Behind The Question | Barry Rutten, CFP® The Insurance Sales Doctor