Overcoming Objections

Spent so much time with a lead, but all of a sudden the objections start appearing.

Here’s how to overcome them.

Nothing defeats an inexperienced person in sales faster than an unexpected objection.

Most people who sell invest hours perfecting their pitch, without a second thought to what comes afterwards. But even a perfect pitch can be ruined by poor objection handling.

If you’re losing sales to responses like “Your price is too high,” “Now isn’t a good time,” or "I need to ask my partner", it’s time to get serious about overcoming objections.

Equip yourself with the right statements, tools and strategies so you get better at overcoming last-minute objections. 

“I can’t afford it.”

When a prospect says your product is too expensive, it isn’t always about price. In many cases, they have the budget for your product, but you haven’t demonstrated enough value to justify the price. 

A quick solution to when someone says this is to ask them if they have a budget to go toward investing in their health and fitness or specific goal. This will keep the conversation going so you can work out the right plan for them. 

“It’s not the right time.”

When a prospect says your product isn’t a priority, one of three things is true.

1) You aren’t pitching to your prospect’s goals

2) Your prospect is masking their real concerns

3) They can’t see the outcome 

First thing’s first: Uncover what’s really going on.

Then you can personalise your approach based on their situation. In most cases, you just misunderstood what was really important to them. 

Finally, sell the outcome. Be confident in saying that “in 12 weeks time, they could have 'x amount of weight lost'“.

Remember: People buy outcomes. 

“I'll have a think about it, and get back to you.”

Your prospects may have good intentions when they promise to get back to you, but after this statement, it is more than likely you will never hear from them again. 

When you leave the responsibility of follow-up to your prospects, you’re basically surrendering the deal. There is a 5% chance of that person coming back and signing up with you. 

The best way to tackle this objection is to ask if there is anything you can help them with today, because most people who leave get cold feet and they don't come back. This is a shame because it could take just 12 weeks to get what they are after. 

If these people are still persistent, set another appointment to catch up, but understand the likelihood of them coming back is extremely slim.

“I need to speak to my partner.”

This will be the most common objection outside of finances.

This is just another easy out in most cases. The client can’t see the value and you haven't shown the outcome.

Have you noticed a bit of a theme starting to present itself here? 

When you come across this objection, there are a few different ways to deal with it.

Our go-to is to always sign them up on the day.

You could say, "Well what we can do is get everything signed up and have everything set to start in a week. That way you can speak to your partner and see if they are supportive of this decision."

You could also request another sit down with both parties to go over the finer details, however the likelihood of that happening is not high either.

“Give me a month, I'll come back.”

This objection could be an example of good intentions or another instance where we missed the mark.

The prospect may want to buy from you next week/month etc, but something’s going to come up. Next month turns into the following month, then that turns into next year...

When a prospect says they’ll buy sometime soon, find out if there’s anything that could happen to derail the deal.

If there is, create an action plan.

If there isn’t, walk them through the close so you both understand exactly what needs to happen next.

Show your interest in helping them achieve their goals and also let them know you will be in contact with them to see how they’re going.

“No, I’m not interested.”

There are different kinds of “no”s in sales. 

Early in the sale, it means “I don't know what I'm getting.”

Later in the sale, it means “There isn't any value.”

At the end of the sale, it means “I can’t see the outcome.”

Each “no” requires a different response. The key is learning to differentiate between your prospects’ rejections and responding accordingly.

It is important to have an action plan for objections before you go into any sales presentation. 

Know what to say when people say certain things and don't be afraid to explore why people aren't buying straight away. 

In most cases, you will encounter at least one objection, possibly up to three before you get a sale across the line. If you don't question someone's reasoning, you may miss an easy sale or you won't know what you did wrong for next time.