Sales is a cliche driven enterprise with each having the half-life of carbon 14. (Always be closing.) The Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine December 2018 edition has a feature article titled The Art of Overcoming Objections. Sales industries have the same human nature challenge with objections as as we all do; we resist hearing them and endeavor to overcome them until someone else listens and delivers.
Our industry has Zillow as a fantastic example. In 1995 Realtor.com had the opportunity to own the public real estate information market. The public wanted more information. The modern tool for delivering the information to satisfy the demand (internet) was here, the industry attitude was still in 1983: data was not to be shared with the public. We overcame the objection to our right to proprietary information so effectively that Zillow became the solution and leader in real estate data trust.
I believe objections accepted and respected will take us a lot further than objections overcome. In fact, has anyone ever overcome your objection? I doubt it. More likely we end the defense of our objection, let the conversation move on, and find common ground with the next person who gives our objection some respect.
Sure there are some objections which are not legit, but seriously do we have to win over all objections? Is there some value in conceding the consumer just might have a good point? Of course. Instead of becoming the quick wit with all the answers to every idea we don’t accept, it’s much easier and reasonable to find the relevance and sincerely accept the objection as a smart solution to a concern of the customer.
Given the opportunity to overcome an objection, stop and ask yourself, “Why can’t this objection be legitimate?” and ask the next question of the consumer, “How can we resolve your objection in our solution?” Find a way to legitimize concerns, wishes, expectations, and move on to a cooperative relationship.
