Why Objections to a Sale are a Good Sign

If you sell to other people you probably dread them raising objections. Particularly if sales is not your strength.

Learning how to overcome objections is a key part of sales training. But what's not always taught is that the objections themselves are a good sign.

Of course people in sales would prefer their prospect not to have any objections because it would make the sale much easier. But in the real world people do put up reasons why they shouldn't buy a particular product.

However, the presence of an objection should be seen as an opportunity, not a problem. That's not just management-speak. If a customer says: "But it can't do this" or "It can't do that", they're asking for a response. That's an open door for addressing their concerns, and it might be a way of finding out more about the customer's real issues or their understanding of the product.

What the customer really wants to hear is assurance that their issue will be addressed by the product. If they really didn't want it they wouldn't even waste time talking to you. That they're willing to invest in the engagement implies that they have a genuine interest, but also a genuine concern.

It may be that they're right and the product doesn't do what they want, and it's not appropriate for them. Perhaps a different (more expensive?) product would suit them better. Or maybe you've established that it's time for the conversation to end. Sometimes that happens.

Either way, try to look at objections as being positives rather than negatives. Think about the sort of questions you'd ask if someone was trying to sell to you. You don't raise objections just to be difficult; you do it to get clarification and to help you make the right decision.

Looking at objections in this way might just help you to approach your next selling engagement with more confidence.