Five communication tools for working with Customer objections

Consider this.

You are walking out of the supermarket looking like a lopsided balancing scale, laden with bags in each hand.  The right heavier than the left.

Accidently, you make eye contact with an over-enthusiastic sales person standing at a “pop up” stall. They are holding a wooden clipboard & are desperate for your name to be the next on the list for their subscription meal service.

“I don’t have this in me right now,” you think to yourself. 

While you are prepared to give them a wide berth & walk the longer route to the carpark, you can feel your right fingers turning numb from the weight of the “two for one” laundry powder special.  You need the shortest route possible & have no choice.

“Sorry, not today.” you say before giving them the chance to speak. Embarrassed, you hurriedly shuffle off looking at the floor.

We’ve all been there. 

In a moment that’s inconvenient for our minds.

Immediately we’ve put up a boundary protecting what is most important to us at that time; racing home to relieve a babysitter, or trying not to forget the overdue work email we’ve drafted in our mind.

On another day, our reaction might be different. Not today.

It’s easy to perceive a customer objection as a barrier.  Particularly when it’s delivered doused with emotion. Our customer, for reasons known only to them, is holding us at arms length. They want control of the conversation & for now, aren’t ready to hear what we have to say. 

Objections exist for a reason. They represent someone using their words to protect what’s most important to them or their organisation at the time.

For the person on the receiving end, they can be intimidating & off putting. Preventing them from pursuing the relationship at all.

To reduce the emotional turmoil, I’ve reframed the way I perceive objections. Referring to the process of working with them as establishing “working terms” with our customer.

Objections are simply our customers letting us know what their working terms are at that moment in time.

They are boundaries to work with, rather than barriers obstructing progress.

When faced with an objection in conversation, it’s up to us to unpick the emotions, assumptions, & experiences which have led to the customer’s stance.  It’s a process requiring patience & commitment to stay the course. 

Once facts emerge & we have constructive information, can we decide if alignment exists between us & our customer. We can also decide if the opportunity is worth pursuing.

How do we start the process of unpicking an objection with a Customer? As always, with a curious mindset & prioritising human connection.

Here are five conversation tips & an associated communication tool to support you working through customer objections:

1) Let your customer drain their “emotional swamp”

“Emotional swamp” is Peta-speak for, “getting it off your chest” or “having a rant”. Until hot air is removed from words it can be difficult to have a constructive conversation.

Tool: Use silence to listen in the moment & as emotion simmers, acknowledge the feeling conveyed. Validation makes a person feel heard & understood. It defuses remaining emotion.

2) Gain perspective

Objections are based on past information & events. It is important to understand the basis of a decision. Is your customer’s stance based on a single recent example, or a biased paper? Or does it reflect a growing trend?

Tool: Bring the conversation into the present to gain perspective. “Reflecting on this today, would you say your stance is based on a single example or a growing trend?” Presence slows drainage of the emotional swamp & shifts a mind from yesterday to today.

3) Remain forward focused

Questions prompting reflection can bog a conversation down in the past. Transitioning a reflection into forward focused conversation relies on question design.

Tool: Use calibrated questions. “Why” questions keep a conversation focused on the past. Calibrated questions starting with “what” & “how” keep a conversation focused on the future.

4) Learn how your Customer makes decisions

Working through an objection is working to change someone’s mind. Understanding how they reason & make decisions is crucial. Know your person.

Tool: Understand how your customer makes decisions. Example: For a person motivated by the logic of practicalities, lean into data. Whereas for a person motivated by logic of similarities, lean into compassion & stories.

5) Establish ongoing working terms & be patient

Your customer has re-routed your conversation. It will take time to get back on track or it might open up an entirely new opportunity you’d not thought of previously.

Tool: Set boundaries on your customer’s terms. Establish what is & isn’t OK for now. This is your opportunity to respect their wishes, create standards & build trust.

Cooperative customer conversations take time.

By focusing on progress rather than rushing to a desired outcome, we maximise the opportunity each conversation provides to build trust.

And we know, people buy from those they like & those they trust.

Peta

Sales Coach | Sales Training | Consultant

Mental health speaker for Beyond Blue

Author of My Beautiful Mess - living through burnout & rediscovering me

Founder of Momentum Mindset™ - six month online sales course with coaching support

Conversation Momentum is the second of three modules of the Momentum Mindset online course for sales professionals. Participants leave with a tool box full of communication resources (like what you’ve read here!) to support them in navigating customer conversations. Would you like to learn more?