Overcoming Objections
Objections are a very important part of the sales process so welcome them. Too often when I am training recruiters I ask what an objection is and I hear words like “block”; “rejection”; “reason not to do something” etc. Relax a little because objections are actually a buying signal. The prospect needs more information before actually saying yes. In my experience if you make a sale without an objection something is bound to go wrong later!
Now that you are comfortable with the concept of objections, let’s look at how to handle them. I particularly like the “Feel; Felt; Found” method of overcoming objections. I have used it for many years with a great deal of success. It works like this:
“I understand how you feel” - This statement shows the prospect that you sympathize with him/her . You could alternatively choose to say something along the lines of “Thank you for saying that, I would feel exactly the same way in your shoes”.
“My other clients have felt the same way too” – This statement shows empathy. You are demonstrating that the prospect is not alone in his or her feelings.
“They have found that” – Overcome the objection giving an opinion other than your own. This is very important because otherwise your objection handling could become confrontational.
A practical example:
Overcome the objection “I use your competitor”
I hear what you are saying, many of my clients also used a competitor prior to working with me. They have told me that sometimes their preferred agency can’t come up with the talent they require. In that instance I have been able to act as a backup.
Practice makes perfect. Create an objection table and develop a script to overcome the most common objections we get. Then practice them until you are happy. That way you will be more confident when you hear one on the other end of the phone. Starting out in the recruitment business you can expect to hear the following objections:
• I have a preferred supplier agreement
• You are too expensive/ I want a discount/ your competitor does it for 10%
• I am too busy for a meeting
• I recruit myself I don’t use an agency
• We have an internal recruitment department
How objections help you
Learning how to overcome objections properly makes you a better communicator – that’s good for you and good for your business. Using this technique will avoid confrontation not only at work but also in your personal life as well.
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