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grants you the right to advance the sale. Objections are also a means for customers to direct the conversation in line with their expectations. They offer a huge communication advantage. Rather than you yacking aimlessly (feature dumping), customer objections provide navigational signposts guiding you where the conversation needs to go. It helps both of you stay in sync and helps shrink the sales cycle. The absence-not the presence-of objections should be cause for concern. One of the surest signs of a bad or deteriorating relationship is the absence of objections. The customer is either bored, not being candid, or is simply not interested.

It is important, however, to draw a distinction between objections and tough questions. The difference can be significant, yet subtle. Objections are expressed in response to a comment or information you provided. A tough question is asked to retrieve information from you. Treat the tough question as just that, a question to gain new information. Be straightforward and provide specific information that directly answers the question. For example, the customer might raise an objection right after you bridged a feature, challenging you to further validate the benefit, whereas a tough question may deal with a potentially difficult situation that many sales people mistakenly interpret as an objection. The customer will either be satisfied with your answer, ask another question, or generate a new objection. In either case, know the difference and employ the appropriate response.

Five-Step Strategy

Lets look at an appropriate response to managing objections, guided by the five-step strategy.

1. Acknowledge and validate your customers objections. Dont stick your head in the sand and hope they go away or the customer forgets about them. Even postponement of the objection may result in a negative perception or reaction from your customer. Some sales seminars have suggested that it is best to ignore the objection, that its only important if the customer brings it up more than once. Wrong. The next time they think of it may be after youve left and your competitor is in the customers office, more than happy to address the very objection you ignored. Show respect and empathy by immediately acknowledging the concern. Simply say, Yes, I can understand your concern, or, Other customers initially felt the same way, or, Thats a fairly common concern in our business. I will be happy to address it. Remember, always express empathy and sincerity, and never get defensive. Watch your nonverbal responses as well. Turn the objections into positives by regarding them as gateways into your customers thought process. Objections are really just your customer voicing concerns and explaining primary expectations and needs. Be sure to hear between the lines. Take the time to think about what is being said and the way it is being said. Sales representatives too often leap on an objection before the customer has had a chance to finish talking. The customer barely gets ten words out and the sales representative is already hammering away at a defensive response: I have to show hes mistaken, how could he be so misinformed? Its a panicky reaction that often sabotages the sale and the relationship. The best defense is a good, professional offense.

2. Clarify your customers specific objection. Paraphrase with questions that help you understand the objection. Though some customers are adept at voicing needs as needs, others voice their needs as objections. All objections can be used to your advantage, once you realize that you are gaining valuable information.

Identify their objection as either factual, based on logic, or emotional, based on personal perception and biases. Objections are usually motivated by one or the other. Factual objections are much easier to deal with because incorrect information or incorrect perceptions can be corrected. Facts are objective, universal, and inarguable. Emotional objections, however, are extremely difficult to deal with. They are subjective and often merely an excuse or smoke screen. They usually dont follow sound reasoning and may take patience and persistence to overcome. They sometimes conceal a hidden concern that you may never be privy to. Once again, effective use of conversational probes will eventually get you to the root cause of the objection. As you ask questions, stay relaxed, listen carefully (take notes) and appreciate that youre about to learn something important. As a last resort, the eventual resolution may have to be to flag it as a C account and move on.

3. Respond to the objection immediately and solve the problem. It represents the customers predominant thought at the moment, so make it yours. Remember, your customer is probably expressing legitimate corporate curiosity, not launching a personal attack on you.

Satisfying the customers objection or concern may be as simple as mentally scrolling down your menu of features and presenting the one that will eliminate the objection. The feel-felt-found method is an effective strategy to manage objections. The sequence is important and should sound like this: I can understand how you feel... other customers felt the same way . . . but once onboard with us this is what they found . . . Provide details about how other customers benefited from their decision to buy from you. A testimonial letter may strengthen your case. You can actually demonstrate that other customers realized their initial opinions were unfounded after they tried your product. This is an excellent method, especially for Socializers and Relators because they tend to care what other people think.

4. Validate that the objection has been satisfied. Dont assume that you have satisfied the customers concern. There is nothing worse than plowing through the sale, leaving behind unresolved, unanswered objections. If you dont resolve them, your competitor will.

To validate acceptance of your response, simply ask the customer, Have I satisfied your concern? By answering yes, the customer grants you permission to carry on with the sale. A no answer may indicate that further clarification is necessary.