Five Useful Steps on How to Manage Objections in Sales

"I don't have time", "I'm currently at work", "Can you call me later?" - does any of that sound familiar? That are just some of the few apologies that are usually used when calling potential customers. When this happens, you need to have a prepared answer ready.

But how do you successfully achieve this?

You are curious and want to learn how to deal with sales objections more smoothly. If you seek advice on how to do it professionally, you have come to the right place. I will now guide you through five natural steps that will encourage you to become better at sales.

Step 1: Practice, Practice, Practice

The first step is to practice and prepare as many responses as possible. When they hear a salesperson on the other end of the phone line, sales objections are often something customers turn to and will do about anything to end the conversation. Therefore, you need to master sales objections.

To become a champion at this, you need to write down a list of responses to various types of objections.

Step 2: Deal With Sales Objections Directly

The second step is to learn when you need to handle an objection. You can either act on objections when they occur or afterward. The most natural approach is to handle objections as soon as they take place.

For example, if the customer says: "Can you call me some other day?" your response should be: "It doesn’t take long to answer."

Step 3: Include Recurring Objections in Your Pitch

The next step is to deal with customer responses that occur over and over again. When this happens, the best plan is to adjust your script and approach the hurdle yourself. The most common reaction is, for example:

"Just send me an email."

One way to prevent this is by addressing the issue in your introduction. Here is an example:

"My name is Brian. I assume that you don't have much time right now, just like many of the other people I call, but please listen to what I would like to say."

Then the customer will usually listen to you. Another example is:

"We have chosen not to send emails. It is just a small matter we need to decide on."

Learn more about how to improve your performance.

Step 4: Postpone Objections

Step 4 is about how to deal with objections after they occur. The best way to answer is: "Can we please talk about this specific topic later?" Most customers will say yes to this, and you can continue your sales pitch.

Two of the most common examples are:

"I would like to answer this specific question after my presentation."

and:

"I understand that the price is essential to you, but can we please discuss this further in a couple of minutes?"

Preparation is, again, the very essence. When you are well prepared, it’s much easier to decide on the appropriate response.

Step 5: Prioritization is Key

Try to remember that you should manage questions and rejections right when they happen.

So make it your primary goal to handle sales objections as soon as they occur - and before and after when it's necessary.

Get more tips on how to improve your sales techniques.