You may not be able to eliminate sales objections completely, but you can certainly minimize them.
Here are three ways you can preemptively reduce the number of sales objections you get from a buyer:
1. Know Your Ideal Customer Profile
When you strategically position yourself to focus on people within your target market, you will more likely get better receptivity. Take a second to consider this:
- Who are the current customers who are great for your business?
- Who are the customers that are really making an impact on the bottom line?
They’re going to be the ‘poster child’ for your ideal customer. Determine the characteristics your biggest and best customers share, and you’ll be able to focus your sales efforts on prospects who fit your ideal customer profile – and spend less time on those who don’t. The less aligned your prospect is with your ideal customer profile, the more objections you’ll get.
2. Build Trust with Buyers
Taking the time to understand the customer’s sales objectives builds credibility. Jumping into a sales appointment by immediately pushing your own initiatives, without asking the buyer questions for proper alignment with their goals, will undoubtedly create objections.
A self-centered sales call leads to more objections. A customer-focused sales call leads to fewer. How? The salesperson is asking questions and listening. The information they receive guides what and how they present their solution – eliminating many common sales objections.
3. Qualify Your Buyers
Most sales objections emerge from attempting to sell to an unqualified buyer – someone who either will not, or cannot, buy. A qualified buyer will be different based on your industry, your target market, etc.
Work as a sales team to determine the specific qualifiers and then to stick to these guidelines. If someone doesn’t have the budget, chances are you’re not going to close, so don’t waste your time. If they are unqualified, move on.
Here are a few qualifiers to consider:
- decision-making authority
- credit rating
- serviceable location
- budget
- expectations
- time frame
Wrap-Up
If you still receive too much pushback, or often get a “no” – discuss your strategy with someone you trust, who can remain objective and unbiased about your efforts, and can uncover opportunities for improvement. You’ll always get sales objections, but taking the steps to minimizing them can have an awesome impact on your pipeline.