As an insurance professional, working with objections can be difficult. The only way to grow is to show people that you’re a professional and offer suggestions to help them solve problems based on your products or services.We need to work through objections and not try to overcome them. When we try to overcome objections, someone wins and someone loses.
Objections are not only a natural part of the sales process, they help you to clarify what is on the prospect's or customer's mind. For you to help the prospect or customer with a problem, it’s important to understand what and where are the roadblocks. In other words, what concerns do they have about what you are offering?
Their perception is their reality. Asking questions is the way to learn where they are coming from, what their reality is.
Who
Consider the people you are going to contact. What is the best time to call them? Misunderstanding can cause a loss of rapport and potentially a sale.
What
Test yourself on all of the questions that could possibly come your way so you are fully prepared. Continue to learn regarding the offers and services you are providing.
However, when you receive an objection, it’s common to start explaining all the reasons why the prospect or customer should choose your offers and services. We’ve been taught by the “professionals” to respond that way. Well, guess what? It doesn’t work. If you are patient and listen closely, an opportunity will present itself for you to begin to ask questions instead of explaining. Ask first, then tell.
Why
Let’s face it, most people do not like being approached by a salesperson. Why? Because they have probably had a bad experience. Prospects or customers might believe that if they needed your products or services they would have contacted you. The reason for a sales call is to remind potential or past customers of what you have to offer and how you can potentially solve their problems, even problems they might not be aware of.
How
The best way to work with objections when making sales calls is to attend sales training sessions, learn from other people and learn from your mistakes. You should also care for your customers and take their feelings and families into consideration. When you do these things, you’ll have more success.
How many times have you heard the objection, "I'm working with someone else" or "I'm happy where I am"? It happens all the time, doesn't it?
If you want to engage the prospect, you must begin by asking questions. Stay focused on the purpose of the call and be persistent. However, you always want to leave them better than you found them. When you state the purpose of your call, be sure to listen. If the prospect reveals something to you, capture it. Don’t be so focused on your script and saying what you want to say that you miss an opportunity to engage the customer.
Formula for Success:
- Listen and don’t get defensive
- Begin to ask a series of questions
- Get of of the objections and focus back on the purpose of the call.
- Who
- Who are you currently working with?
- What
- What type of strategies have you implemented that will ____?
- When
- When was the last time you sat down with your adviser and reviewed your plan?
- Where
- Where are you in the process?
- How
- How long until you ____?
