I was once told that when a customer gives you an objection that the selling really begins. The theory being that there is interest by the customer but they need a reason to buy. Their objections are there for you to help them justify buying.
Well, I object!
Sorry to cut your head off with that answer.
When a customer asks a question, it is just that… a question. Sadly many salespeople see it as means to dig deeper and present harder. You see they have been trained to do a number of steps to overcome the objection and win the sale. Instead they simply talk past the customer – the one politely listening and nodding – that wishes the torture would just end. Most times, the sale is never made and another customer is annoyed.
Doubt me? Be the customer and go engage in a sales conversation. Ask a question and watch how the salesperson goes through their steps. You will be amazed about how they never really answer your question. That is because they are overcoming an objection.
If you are in sales, do you do the same thing?
The way you see people is the way you treat them. – Zig Ziglar
Does It Come In Blue?
So how do you overcome the sales trap of overcoming the “objection”? Easy, recognize that a question is just a question. That is a question is a tool used to learn more, to become better informed, and to weigh the pros/cons of a decision. If you believe a great sales call is a stellar conversation, then you know that questions are an integral part of great conversations.
Imagine you are at a car dealership looking at a brand new car. You are listening to the salesperson present all the features that this car has. You ask a question, “Does it come in blue?” Which answer would you prefer?
A) Yes it does! We’ve got one on the lot right now, would you like to test drive it?
B) How do you feel about the color blue?
C) Yes.
D) We’ve got over ten different colors to choose from; blue is one of them.
Is this your sales process?
If you are a standard salesperson than three of those answers will do. Most of them answer the question as an objection and do not seek to find out more from you. You might like blue, hate blue, or simply don’t care. What you do care about – what 99.9% of all customers care about – is being listened to. Therefore there is only one choice above that is correct.
To answer a customer’s question you first need to understand the thought process behind the question. So by answering the question with a question you are demonstrating that you are listening and seeking to better understand the needs of your client. You are using the tools of a great conversation. The answer your client gives you will determine if it is just a question or some deeper need.
Remember, you only have to succeed the last time. – Brian Tracy
Sales Is Not A Process
Each sales call you have with a client is unique. You cannot place a process upon it. Sales calls do not follow an algorithm. A sales call simply has a beginning, middle, and an end. What happens in between is different from sales call to sales call.
When you treat sales as a process you might as well be telling your customers that you see it like an automatic phone system. The ones that ask you to listen to options and make choices. (Oddly those options are never what you need when you call.) The same automatic phone systems that follow an algorithm designed to make it difficult for you to actually get in contact with a human being. I have yet to meet a person who enjoys going through that torture.
If sales calls are not a process then the questions a customer gives you are not objections to be plugged into a flow chart, but a means to engage you, the salesperson, in a conversation. Your job is to listen and seek to understand what information the customer needs to make an informed decision. Heaven forbid, you might even have a conversation with your customer!
What are your thoughts on objections vs. questions?
Erroin A. Martin 
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