A well-known full-time online marketer once told me they don’t handle sales objections at all. Present the product clearly. The customer either wants it or they don’t; there’s no point in “arguing.” That’s one way to operate your business.
But here’s what I’ve learned from the other side of the table.
I’ve been one objection away from buying more times than I can count. And every time, the outcome depended on what happened next. When the objection was addressed, even clumsily, I continued to pay attention. When it was ignored, I left. The poorly handled objection still moved me forward, because I could see some effort there. Silence told me I was dealing with someone that said, “take it or leave it, I don’t care.”
Here’s how I see it: an objection isn’t a barrier to the sale. It’s the sale knocking.
The customer has already done the hard part. They’re telling you where the gap is in your pitch. That means they are engagement, which is what you were working towards. Your job isn’t to prevent or ignore objections. It’s to make sure every objection that comes up gets a response, even an imperfect one. And if it doesn’t come up, try to anticipate what it could be.
A clumsy answer beats no answer. Every time.
RW
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