You and the customer are getting along really well. She likes the products and she says the features fit her needs perfectly. She then asks the price. When you reply, her reaction is one of astonishment, or "sticker shock!" She says, "That’s a bit out of my price range." She voices an objection. (Don’t you just hate it when that happens!)

How do you react to sales objections? Do you welcome the objection? Do you encourage objections? Do you embrace objections because you know you’re getting closer to the sale?

Personally, I hate objections. I don’t like ‘em at all! However, I have come to appreciate them. By that I mean when a customer voices an objection he is also voicing an interest in my product. I can’t shy away from an objection…I must meet it head on.

To successfully deal with objections, you must first manage the objection before you overcome the objection. There are four steps you can use to deal with any type objection. By using this technique, you feel more confident and more competent as a sales professional. Let’s study the process.

The four steps are: Listen, Question, Empathize, and Test (LQET).

LISTEN

You should listen for content and for intent. "Content" is the wording of the objection. "Intent" is the feeling behind the objection. By listening for intent, you can judge the customer’s emotional level and determine the importance of this point to the customer.

QUESTION

You should question the objection so that you identify and clearly understand the customer’s concern. For example, you ask: "Help me better understand your concern. What do you mean, it’s out of your price range?" Or, "How much were you intending to invest?" Or, "What do you mean when you say, "That’s a bit out of my range?" The answer should identify the real concern. If not, you may have to ask additional questions.

EMPATHIZE

Once you clearly understand the customer’s concern, you can then empathize. This shows that you are genuinely concerned. An example is: "I understand how you feel." Or, "Thanks for sharing that concern with me."

TEST

You do not want to deal with false objections. Therefore, you should test the

objection to determine the real objection. You can ask, "Suppose this condition didn’t exist. Would we then have a basis for doing business?" Or, "Mr. Watts, if the shipping charges were not an issue, would we have an agreement?" If the answer is "yes," you can then begin presenting the benefits and advantages to overcome the objection. If the answer is "no," you then must move to the beginning of the process and question the customer’s real concern.

Remember to welcome objections. They show that the customer is truly interested in your product or service. Practice the LQET process. It works. It really does. But, it only works if you do!