How to Handle Sales Objections in 6 Steps

How to Handle Sales Objections in 6 StepsHow to Handle Sales Objections in 6 StepsMany ausverkaufpeople think of objections as a badeanstalt thing, but thats missing the big picture. If a prospect raises an objection, thats not necessarily a negative. At the very least, the prospect is interested enough to engage in conversation with you, instead of politely smiling and saying, No thanks. Actually, the fact that someone is bringing up a concern means that you have a chance to find an answer for them. People who are completely uninterested in buying your product would not waste their time objecting. Or completely uninterested prospects will sit through your presentation in silence (with arms folded) and then send you away. As a salesperson youre probably already aware that the body language of folded arms translates to the door is closed, stay away. The important thing when you hear an objection is to address it right away in a thorough and professional manner. If you dont resolve the specific objection, the prospect wont be able to move any further along in the sales process. And, whatever you do, dont take his or her objection personally. There are six easy strategies to help you keep things professional and try to resolve the prospects objection. Listen to the Objection Before Handling It Dont jump all over the prospect as soon as he or she says, But what about...? Give the person a chance to explain the concern exactly. And dont just tune out the prospect. Instead, truly listen activelyto the homilie being delivered. Communications experts say you should listen 80 percent of the time and talk 20 percent of the time. Its also important to validate your listening skills by making a clear, appropriate statement back to the prospect to show that you were listening. For example, if the prospect has said that several of the features were things she did not need, you respond with, Tell me what features and benefits would work better for you. Perhaps we have a d ifferent model that suits your needs better. Say It Back to the Prospect When youre sure the prospect is done talking, look thoughtful for a moment and then repeat back the gist of what theyve said. Say something like, I see that youre concerned about maintenance costs. Is that the case? This shows that you were listening and affords the prospect the opportunity to agree or clarify. If the prospect responds, Its not so much the cost Im worried about as the downtime, then you can address (hopefully resolve) that issue Explore the Reasoning Sometimes the first objections arent the prospects real concern. For example, many prospects dont want to admit that they dont have enough money to buy your product and will raise a host of other concerns instead. Before you launch into answering an objection, try this strategy ask a few exploratory questions, such as, Has product downtime been a big issue for you? How has it affected you in the past? Draw the prospect out a bit, allowing t hem the time to broach the money issue. The longer you engage with the prospect, the more comfortable they will become, and the more they will open up to you. Ultimately, you may also be able to offer several solutions, including providing financing, developing a payment plan, explaining the return on investment, or discussing the value Answer the Objection Once you understand the objection completely, you can answer it. A customer who raises an objection is expressing fear. Your biggest task at this point is to alleviate that fear. If you have a specific story, such as an example from an existing customer, by all means, share that. If you have concrete statistics, or a current news story, share them. Hard facts, and something the client can look up online, will make your response more authentic. Check Back With the Prospect Take a moment to confirm that youve answered the prospects objection fully. Usually, this step is as simple as saying, Does that make sense? or Have I a nswered all of your concerns? If they answer affirmatively, you can move on to your next step. If they seem to hesitate or act uncertain, this signals that you may not have fully resolved their concerns. If this happens, go back to an earlier step and try again. But, dont be shy about it. Simply say, Lets back up for a moment and see if we can clear up all of your concerns. Redirect the Conversation Bring the prospect back into the flow of the sales process. If youre in the middle of your presentation when the prospect raises their objection, then once youve answeredit, quickly summarize what youd been talking about before you move on. If youve finished your pitch, check if the prospect has any other objections, and then start closing the sale. The good news is, objections are not a sign of rejection. People want to feel good about their purchases, whether business or personal. They want to be sure they made the right decision. Sometimes an objection is really the prospect sayin g, Tell me why your product is so great, so I can feel good about my purchase.

Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Speak Too Soon

Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Speak Too SoonSalary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Speak Too SoonAnswering the salary expectation question right might be the wrong answer.The Ten Commandments of Salary Negotiation (parte 1) Salary expert Jack Chapman offers 10 lessons on salary negotiation in the vein of the Ten Commandments.There is one, and only one, time to discuss salary in any detail when they say theyre ready to make you an offer.What if the employer asks about it before theyve made you an employment offer?Youll want to answer because we are all rewarded in school for answering questions. We eagerly raise our hands and offer whatever information we can. But in salary negotiations, if you give the right (factual) answer, youll often be giving the wrong answer - the answer that costs you money.Why wrong? The usual outcome of talking too soon about salary is that you get screened out, or you get screened in but lowballed.Delay disclosing your salary expectations until yo u know youre on the short list.At the start of the interview process you dont have enough information to know what the jobs worth or what its potential could be. You could agree to a smaller salary than the job is worth.If you dont lowball yourself and you arent eliminated outright, you may be eliminated later when it comes down to two candidates and it turns out you cost more.Wait until theyre serious about hiring you. And when are you sure theyre serious? When they make you an offer.Postponing the answer without upsetting your interviewer requires tact. To put off answering the salary expectation question, youll need your own personalized phrase something you can say with confidence and that sounds like you.Having that statement well prepared and rehearsed can gain you thousands of dollars.Read other installments in this seriesPart 1 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Speak Too SoonPart 2 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Regret Salary DisclosurePart 3 Salary Negotiation Tips Let the Employer Make the First Salary OfferPart 4 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not AgreePart 5 Salary Negotiation Tips Know How Much Money Youre WorthPart 6 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Covet Thine Own Benefits and PerksPart 7 Salary Negotiation Tips This Is the Job Thou CovetethPart 8 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Worry about Earthly EconomyPart 9 Salary Negotiation Tips Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of Thy Salary in VainPart 10 Salary Negotiation Tips Honor Thy Wealth and Prosperity

Are You Over-Preparing For Your Interview

Are You Over-Preparing For Your InterviewAre You Over-Preparing For Your InterviewWhen ansicht sound interview tips are taken too far, your chances of getting the job suffer.The job interview is your time to be the very best version of yourself. This means lots of preparation, studying interview questions and answers, reading up on the company, and getting as much advice as possible. While there is plenty of good advice out there that can help you along during the process, there is bad advice, too. As you gain more experience, you can learn how to weed out the good from the bad.These pieces of advice seem well-meaning and advantageous, but can easily be taken too far.Do your research on the company before the interview.This advice is a double-edged sword. Yes, you should be researching what exactly the position youre interviewing for is, what the company is looking for, what the company does, and the general goals of the company. Most of this can be found on the about page of the com panys website and in the job description. What you dont want to do is over-research. Yes, thats possible. If you try to read every single detail about the company you will only succeed in overwhelming yourself. If youre overwhelmed, you will be stressed, which will show during the interview and hurt your chances at landing the job.Talk about salary.Theres advice out there that advocates talking about the salary up front and offering your willingness to negotiate. There are suggestions that you are more likely to get the job if you show you dont need to be paid as much as other candidates. This should never be done during the first interview, unless initiated by the interviewer. Bringing up salary shows unprofessionalism, as well as a cockiness that can turn employers away from you. The interviewer may notlage even be considering you for the position yet- why jump the gun in asking about how you will be compensated?Just relax.While you dont want to be completely stressed out during a n interview (this will show), you also dont want to be completely calm and carefree. If you are too relaxed during an interview, you may come off to the interviewer as aloof or arrogant. You might give off the impression that you arent worried about getting the position, believe you are better than other candidates, too good for the company, etc. Instead of being completely relaxed, make sure you are putting effort into showing your genuine interest in the company and position.Dress for the job you want.This could be helpful if the job you want is the exact one you are applying for, but thats not always the case. You should always match your attire to the company and position you are interviewing for. If you are interviewing for a construction job, you shouldnt show up in a suit and tie- a nice pair of slacks and a button up shirt will do. Over-dressing and under-dressing can severely limit your chances of landing the job. It not only shows that you arent professional, but that you also might not fit in well with the company.Be yourself.While you should never lie on your resume or during an interview, you also want to present the best version of yourself as possible. If this is a customer service job, you want to present yourself as outgoing and helpful, even if you are typically an introverted person. You want to show that you will be able to fit in with the company and with the people that work there. If you are applying for a leadership position, it helps to be assertive and ask questions during the interview- questions that youve thought of and practiced ahead of time.Get there early.Yes, you want to get to your interview around 5 to 10 minutes early, but arriving too early can hurt your chances at the job just as much as arriving late. This could be for a variety of reasons. For one, it may show that you have nothing else important to do with your time. While you may not, this isnt something to let the interviewer know. It may show that you cant follow di rections very well or forgot the actual time of the interview. If you get there too early, staff may be annoyed with feeling like they have to entertain you, bring you refreshments, or talk about the company.Just make up your experience/references/skills.A lot of people think that if they can just get the job, they will be able to learn the skills necessary to do the job well. While this may be true, lying or fabricating experience will not get you anywhere. Most likely, the interviewer will find out about this when they ask you questions that you cant answer. Not only will this cost you the position you are applying for, it may also cost you any upcoming position at the company. If this is a tight-knit industry, these hiring managers may know others at relevant companies. Before you know it, your name could be on the no-hire list at numerous companies.Explain why you lost your job or are jobless.You should always give a very quick explanation that puts your unemployment in a positi ve light. However, you should not linger on the subject for too long or over-explain. Chances are, you will say something that will be off-putting to the interviewer. You might bring up your grievances with your past boss, which is taboo. You might talk badly about co-workers, which may lead the interviewer to believe you dont work well with others. Keep your answer short and succinct, then guide the interview in another direction.