The REAL Problem with Customer Objections

by Kelly Riggs

Handling customer objections can be a challenge.

But the REAL problem is trying to figure out the difference between a genuine objection – a legitimate barrier – and the kind of objection that’s designed to communicate something entirely different:

“I’m really not interested, but I don’t want to come right out and say so.”

Been there?

So, here is your thought process: Are they objecting to my price because they really have an issue with the price, but have some intention to buy if they can resolve the issue? Or are they just throwing out that same old tired response just to put me off because they’re really not interested.

Can you tell the difference?

Let me make it very easy for you. The vast majority of the time a price objection is just a general objection without any real meaning. But, if you take the bait and lower your price like an amateur, so much the better for the lucky prospect!

So you push a little harder. You throw out a couple more features of your product or service. Your offer a reasonable discount.

“Thanks!” says the giddy prospect. “That definitely helps. Why don’t you leave your card and we’ll get back to you.” And off they go to use your price to get a better deal from the vendor they currently use.

Worse, now you know for sure. It is most definitely not a PRICE issue. It’s a VALUE issue, and you have not provided enough value to make things interesting.

The good news is that this problem can be remedied. But solving it requires that you go all the way back to the start of your sales process and understand what you’re doing wrong at the very beginning. And, by the way, simply learning some tricky techniques for “handling objections” is not the answer.

Because a customer who is not interested will not be swayed by some tricky objection-handling technique and a new power close.

The thing to understand is that the oldest and most consistent negotiating tactic ever conceived is to question your price. Most people will ask for a better price even if they have already made up their mind to buy. It’s just what customers do!

And, to be clear, customers always want a better price. And better quality. And better service. And they will almost always claim they can get all of that – and more – cheaper somewhere else. They will consistently tell you you’re out of line.

Why?

Simple. Because it works.

Sadly, the vast majority of salespeople have never been professionally trained to sell. So, the only thing they really know how to do to compete with other vendors is to bargain with their prices. Customers know this, so, if they can get a salesperson to lower that price JUST BY ASKING, why wouldn’t they?

Yes, you should learn how to deal with legitimate objections at some point, but if you’re getting stuck on the same price objection over and over, you don’t need techniques, you need a process overhaul.

That’s the real problem with customer objections.