By Mike Yates

Embrace the objections of your prospects and customers
Right now and over the next few weeks, consider the regular objections you get from prospects as a positive step as well as an inevitable way to generate increased business.  Objections confirm a certain level of desire for your product or service and actually help you to better assess the next steps that you should take in a sales process. For the prospect, it's how you respond to these objections that help them determine whether or not to buy.  As I firmly educate business owners in training workshops “Objections are not to be feared, they are to be welcomed as they can be regarded as buying signals”

Hence the responses to your top objections (those you and your team hear most often) just can’t be ‘winged’ on the spur of the moment.  They should be noted, planned, prepared and rehearsed with a professional's level of attention.

What makes the best response to an objection?
First of all, show an appreciation for the objection to validate your prospect's concerns and then address the issue very directly. At this stage if you are defensive, evasive, manipulative or sarcastic then you just end up further away from your goal.  Leave the cheesy responses to your competition.

Role play the delivery of each response with your team members, as well as other individuals outside your business. Ensure you get genuine feedback, make appropriate changes, and then practice the delivery of each response until you have them locked in your memory and learnt by heart.

Consider yourself as your prospects problem solver.  Selling is about helping your prospects and customers solve a problem by identifying a need and then providing a product to satisfy that need.  Aim to be yourself, listen intently and want to help and give your clients an outstanding service.  When you need to be - be direct.

This article is contributed by Mike Yates, Business Growth Specialist, www.121business.co.uk