Using Advanced Techniques To Handle Objections

If only ciustomers would convince themselves to buy after they have said "no". That is exactly what you can achieve using an innovative sales technique called a reverse.

This technique should be one of many tools you take to every sales situation. It can be very effective provided the proper foundation as been set. By that, we mean that no objection technique will work if you have accidentally alienated the customer or if you have not done a great presentation with lots of trial closes. We discuss these techniques more fully in other articles. Assuming the correct foundation has been laid, reverses work very well.

A reverse is a way of turning an objection around and asking the customer to solve their own injection. To illustrate, let?s look at a common objection and then see how a reverse can be applied.

Customer: "Your product is just too expensive. You are $400.00 more than I can get the same thing from Company X and we just cannot pay that premium."

Salesperson1: "Fine. You get what you pay for and you will regret buying cheap. Good day."

Salesperson 2: "That's just our list price. I will give you $400.00 off."

Neither if those techniques is effective very often and technique #2, while the most common, lowers the sales price without committing the customer or getting closer to the sale.

Let's look at that objection using a cushion and a reverse.

Customer: "Your product is just too expensive. You are $400.00 more than I can get the same thing from Company X and we just cannot pay that premium."

Salesperson: "I understand and I agree that price is important." (This statement is a ?cushion? designed to lower buying resistance by agreeing instead of arguing) "Even though you are correct that our price is $400.00 more than our competitor, our company is chosen by hundreds more businesspeople like you than our competitors as their supplier. Why do you think that is?"

This tactic reverses the need to answer or reply from the salesperson, back to the customer. It is important that you do not say anything else after using a reverse?no matter how long it takes to get the customer to speak. It is a simple and gentle way to use leverage to put the answer back in the customer?s court. Tension will mount (but it's a good tension) as the customer gets a reply ready.

Whatever the customer replies, you agree with it and close the sale. Here is the most common reply to the reverse.

Customer "I guess it's the warranty and customer service."

Salesperson "That's right; and I know that you too will find our service and warranty is worth far more than the $400.00 difference. I?ll get the paperwork started."

Remember that whatever answer they give is what you agree with and use to close the sale by writing the order without further discussion. At this point, do not go into a presnatation, show pictures or run through different nmodels. Just picvk up the pen and start writing the sales agreement.

Of course, no technique works in every sales situation. Some buyers will refuse to answer or will say something that does not lead to the sale. However, the technique works well in most cases if the customer wants the product or service and is looking for a way to justify the purchase.

This is a powerful and successful technique that can add 20% to 40% to your sales and income. It is an advanced technique and should be practiced to be effective. With all new techniques you try, we suggest you practice and then use them for 90 days before making a decision as to their effectiveness. It takes that long to be comfortable and successful with any new technique.

Cushions and reverses have worked very well for many of my clients. If you add cushions and reverses to your selling tools, I know you will find they are worth the effort.