How to handle objections

Nobody wants to hear “no” in response to a request for business. Very often, unless you’re participating in a formal RFP process, instead of being told directly that you’re not getting the business, you’ll get either an objection or dead silence. Silence may feel less uncomfortable than an objection that is by definition negative feedback. Unlike silence, however, an objection means that you still have a chance of getting the work. 

Why? Simple: an objection is another step in conversation. Sometimes it’s the final step in closing the door on a business opportunity, but sometimes it’s possible to meet and negate the objection.

An objection might be something like “your fees are much higher than we were expecting” or “I just don’t think you have the experience we need for this.” In essence, an objection (or a surface-level objection that you probe and clarify until you’ve reached the crux of the objection) is a window into your prospective client’s thinking process. When you receive an objective, your goal isn’t necessarily to overcome it but to understand it fully and to respond as well as you can.

To gain insight into how to respond when you receive an objection, read 4 Steps to Overcoming Sales Objections, a quick tutorial in the stages of conversation that should follow an objection.  It’s a short, high-level description of the steps to follow, with the opportunity to download a white paper that goes further into How to Handle Sales Objections.

When you’re confident that you know how to address objections you receive, you’ll be much more prepared for the fundamental tasks of discussing a prospective representation and asking for the business.