In this second installment of our new blog series, Overcoming Objections, we’ll dive into the tricky business of identifying a “soft objection” or a “smokescreen objection” from a real one. When making cold calls, these soft objections will come in many different forms. You may hear:
- We’re all set!
- We’re good the way we are
- I don’t want to waste your time
- I want to think about it
The ability to recognize these smokescreen objections and respond appropriately will allow you to ask the right question to uncover the true, underlying objection, which will undoubtedly fall into one of the six categories. A personal favorite question to ask when confronted with a soft objection is “how do you mean exactly?” You’re inviting your prospect, in a friendly and engaging manner, to re-state their objection, but in a more detailed, and therefore informative, way. A perfect way to see this technique in action is to try it on your friends and family. For example:
Q: Hey, do you want to go out for sushi tonight?
A: Thanks, but I don’t feel like it.
Q: How do you mean exactly?
A: Well, I had sushi for lunch today, so I don’t feel like having it again for dinner.
The effectiveness of this simple question in gathering more information and revealing the true objection is incredible. Your friend isn’t declining going out to dinner entirely—just going out for sushi. Armed with this information, you can pivot accordingly, and meet your customer where they’re at. As long as you’re careful to use this technique only on “soft” objections (using it on a true objection can quickly turn the call hostile)–you should be golden. Check out how our reps practice this technique in our morning Learncore warm-up sessions!
Sales Executive Jeff
Sales Executive Louis
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