Process for handling objections when doing phone sales

I hear people get stumped by basic objections all the time when making calls. I thought this would help.

It's a lot of content, but I think callers will find it helpful!

First, there are two types of objections - You need to know the difference between the two

1. Objections that happen when you are first trying to get a conversation going with someone.

These are the quick "brush-off's" you experience when trying to call to reach someone for the first time.

2. Objections that happen once you are actually in the sales process.

These are the more substantive objections that you get well into an actual sales process when someone is evaluating whether or not they want to work with you or someone else.

Since we are talking about doing initial sales prospecting over the phone, we are exclusively focused on dealing with the first type of objection, the "brush-off.

That's not to say that you don't need to learn how to handle the second kind of objection as well - you do. Handling these effectively are key to winning the deals you are in the running for, but they come later in the sales cycle.

Understanding the True Nature of "Brush-off" Objections

If we were dealing with the second type of objections, I would teach you that these objections often have real merit and that you need to learn from them. You also need to deal with them head on in a collaborative way with your prospects, not just try to move right through them.

But we are dealing with the first type of objections - the brush-off's - and your approach needs to be different.

To understand the approach you must take to handle these objections, you need to understand the true nature of the objections themselves.

The brush-off objections you are experiencing are really just the prospect trying not to let you take their time and attention. They didn't know who you were just 30 seconds ago before you called, and they aren't really interested in stopping what they are doing to hear what you have to say now.

They are not necessarily rejecting you or what you have to offer, they are just rejecting the idea of you taking their time and attention now.

That's why we call them "brush-off" objections.

How to Handle Brush-off Objections

The core principle of handling brush-off objections is to understand that you are in a fight for the prospects attention - at least for a very brief period of time - right now.

If you have someone on the phone, you must take advantage of the opportunity to capture their attention.

The best way to do this is essentially to "brush-off their brush-off".

The first, automatic reaction of most people will be to just respond with their brush-off objection without even really thinking about it or listening to your message.

You can't let them off that easy.

You've got to roll right through their objection and fight for their attention.

This is part art, and part science. You need to be assertive enough to not get brushed- off, but you also need to be respectful and not come across as a jerk.

At a high level, here is how you do it:

1. Agree with and empathize with the prospect
2. Use strong messaging to capture their attention
3. "Turn" their objection and continue your pitch

Pretty simple. Let me give you an example.

Let's pretend I'm calling a restaurant. A real conversation may go something like this:

Prospect: "I'm not interested."

You: "That's exactly why I'm calling. Most restaurant owners don't have the time to be interested in social media. Unfortunately, that's why so many restaurants struggle to take advantage of the power of social campaigns.

My most recent project with "INSERT RESTAURANT" resulted in a 35% increase in new visitors over a three month period - something every restaurant would love to see.

I know I caught you off guard today. I'd like just 30 minutes of your time when it's more convenient to show you how I can get similar results for you.

When looks good in the next couple of weeks?"

See how this formula works? I included all three parts of the formula I showed you.

It's simple, but very effective.

Learn to say it with confidence and you'll roll right through these initial "Brush off" objections.

Hope it helps!

Mike