A Novel Framework For Handling Sales Objections
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to present to a group of salespeople my go-to framework for handling sales objections. It got such a response I thought it was completely appropriate to share it with you here.
I’m certainly not the first to lean into this topic, but I think there are some problems with how this stuff is normally taught. Some teach it as if it’s a hostage situation. Others will rely on clever wordplay or scripted and rehearsed responses to your most common objections. There’s a lot of science behind those methods, and while they work well, I’ve never liked them. Here’s why…
Those approaches take you out of the moment and into a playbook. Your head is no longer where your feet are, and you’re losing the real-time connection with your prospect.
Selling is not an instruction manual to be followed, it’s a series of problems to be solved. While I’m all for tools that will help you solve problems, stepping out of the present moment only creates more problems.
My framework keeps you in the moment and helps you refocus the discussion on what’s most important. It’ll keep you on your toes, locked in, and engaged the entire time rather than having you search for the right answer. It’s also an acronym that’s easy to remember, and it reminds you of some simple math: you were given two ears but only one mouth.
I call this my EAR framework:
Ego: keep it in check
Acknowledge the issue
Return to the problem
Ego is the enemy
Traditional approaches to objection handling can have you trying to overwhelm your prospect with logic. These methods can quickly turn into arguments, and It think we all know by now that if you win an argument with a prospect, you’ve likely lost the customer.
I’m not suggesting that the customer is always right. That’s not usually the case. But the best approach is to avoid the confrontation altogether.
Remember that objections are not personal attacks. They usually come from either a lack of understanding, a lack of context for why you are the best solution for them or just an overall lack of comfort in moving forward with you. Relax. Nothing is lost when you get an objection, it’s just a signpost for where you are along the journey.
Their issues are legitimate
Interestingly, this aligns with Covey’s Habit #5: seek first to understand, then to be understood. I’m paraphrasing, but “a person will not allow you to influence them until they believe they can influence you.” When you realize the truth in that statement, a brand new world opens up in from of you.
My wife told me a long time ago (actually, before we were even dating), that all people want in this world is to be validated. I take advantage of every chance I get to do that for someone, especially when there’s some sort of confrontation. It defuses the situation before things get hot, and it also shows your customer that you don’t think they’re crazy (or stupid). I don’t recommend gaslighting your potential customers.
Repeat the issue back to them, validate how legitimate it sounds and that they’re not alone, and then move on to the most powerful part of this process.
They still have a problem to be solved
It’s not about arguing about your product at this point. You want to return the discussion to where all good sales conversations live- the problem your prospect is trying to solve.
Remember, the objection came from either a misunderstanding, a lack of context, or a lack of comfort in moving forward with you. Return to the drawing board and remind them what they’re trying to accomplish. You can retrace your steps in this way and, hopefully, create a better understanding (either for them or for you) and start selling again from a better point of leverage.
You’re not going to win every deal. That’s just not how it works. But with this process for taking an objection and using it as an opportunity to reframe the sales call, you’ll find yourself staying more engaged with your prospects and in a much better position to move the sale forward instead of losing it altogether.
