Customer Objections - How to Deal With Them?

In the real world, a salesperson can easily find out what a customer is saying in a face-to-face conversation. It's harder online, and you may not even know what's stopping your customers from buying.

From this post you will learn:

What are the most common customer objections?

Customer objection to novice salespeople can seem like an unforeseen obstacle to success. Meanwhile, they are natural! Experienced sellers know that virtually every customer has doubts at one stage or another of the sales process. Therefore, they treat any dilemmas of this type as sales opportunities, and not problems that must be avoided at all costs.

At Istanbul University, from 1999 to 2003, 388 sellers from 9 sales companies were observed B2B. During the sales process, each of them had to deal with customer objections. They listed the following:

I have no time,
I need to think about it,
Please come back in some time
Please send me information (I need more information)
I will contact the Lord,
I don't know your company,
Competition also has to live off something,
We already have a supplier of these products (we are just resigning from suppliers, we have a trusted supplier, the product is provided by our friends, we do not want to resign from the supplier)
I do not like your offer (too expensive, I would like a discount, the competition has a better offer)
Your company is too small
I need to talk to the manager (I do not have permission for this)

The above objections from customers happened to virtually every seller, regardless of the industry in which he operates. When planning any sale, it is worth being prepared for the fact that such returns will probably end up in the end. What to do then?

Customers don't complete their purchase?

We will verify what may be the cause and advise on how to prevent it.

How to react to customer objections?

First, you will gain an advantage over some competitors if you react in any way to customer objections. It may be hard to believe, but some salespeople don't - they get discouraged when the customer hesitates. In an impersonal digital world, customers are sometimes impressed when treated individually. A phone call, a private message or a short video call can surprise them so positively that they forget about their objections.

When it comes to direct selling, there are two schools of response to objections. You have to feel which of them will work in a particular case or industry. The first is the so-called hard selling. Your salespeople are pushing you to sell at any cost. Sometimes customers decide to buy because they are too tired of this pressure, but the fact remains that you have another sold product on your account. This method allows you to "break through" virtually all of the customer's objections.

The less aggressive method is the so-called soft sell. Here, the seller acts as a friend and advisor. He treats doubts with understanding and does not put pressure on him when he hears objections from the client. Some customers will appreciate this natural approach. In both cases, go back to customers who previously had doubts and monitor what has changed. Suppose the customer cannot make a decision right now or needs to reflect. After a few weeks, one salesperson will remember in a friendly manner, and another will go on a direct offensive. It is important that your salespeople remember about the customer and do not interrupt the sales process in the face of his reservations.

How to overcome customer objections?

The most important thing a salesperson should know is that customer objections do not automatically mean that the sale will not take place. It is worth knowing the real cause of the objections. If possible, suggest a solution that the customer may like. When he does not have time, describe the offer to him in 60 seconds or make a preliminary selection for him. If he already has a supplier, get to know his prices and think about whether you can offer something better (although this is not always a problem - check what is non-price competition).

How well do you know your customers?

The seller's confidence allows you to dispel even hard objections from the customer. Indecision can also be felt, and the client may be irritated that you do not have a specific answer to his problems.

It might seem that in social media or on the store's website it is much more difficult to respond to customer objections than in the real world. Nothing could be more wrong. Communication strategy based on customer testimonials and content marketing is aimed at dispelling the doubts of consumers. If you post guides, answers to frequently asked questions and product information on your channels, you systematically respond to customer concerns. An appropriate promotion or an interesting offer will be the final argument that will convince an already convinced person that it is worth finally finalizing the purchase. All this is based on a subtle knowledge of the various stages of the sales funnel and customer pathabout which we already wrote on the Commplace blog. The more often the customer comes into contact with the brand (touchpoints), the more chances you have to dispel his doubts.

Tools that will help you respond to customer objections

You need to respond to customer objections on a regular basis if you meet them face to face. On the web, you have time to answer an e-mail or prepare a strategy to increase lead generation. It is worth having CRM software - it will allow you to save your objections and return to the client so as not to lose him. If you consciously plan a sales funnel, you know at which stage customers drop out most often.

The customer's objections are probably behind abandoned shopping carts or a short visit to the store's website. It is possible that in a competitor's store, the purchasing process is simpler and smooth. Customers prefer to shop there. Work on each individual element of the sales funnel to overcome specific customer dilemmas. As a result, you will improve the entire sales process.