How To Over Come Objections More Effectively

For unique situations in sales and marketing you will need a much more potent procedure. The Objection Procedure is such a procedure. The Objection Procedure is so effective, until you don't want to use it right away, unless it is absolutely necessary, or you detect a high emotional level within the individual. Use the lesser techniques first.

There is a reason for this: When an individual Stalls or objects, he/she is exhibiting a fear reaction. This reaction is emotional, not logical. In many cases, this fear reaction has very low intensity. Using a more potent procedure could increase the intensity. Hence, a less potent response is needed initially.

The individual just viewed a program that will benefit him/her. Therefore, it would be in his/her best interest to take advantage of it. However, because of fear (ignorance and uncerainty) the person needs to slow things down. He/she is fearful of making the wrong decision, or a condition exist that he/she is not prepared to reveal.

The techniques you learned in "Closing" are ideal for low intensity fear reactions. In most cases, these techniques are enough to persuade an individual to act or make a decision. For high intensity fear reactions, you must first reduce the person's emotional energy level before you can proceed to your Close.

The most effective way to accomplish this is with logic and reason. Therefore, you need a procedure that can introduce logic and reason back into the process in a friendly and supportive way.

After your second closing attempt, use the Objection Procedure. A fear reaction has arisen within the individual that requires defusing an emotional situation. The Objection Procedure allows you to use logic and reason in a relaxed, friendly and nonthreatening way. Never ever get involved in an argument or a "shouting match" with an individual in a sales, sponsoring, or recruiting situation.

If you lose your composure or professionalism, you are no longer in control. In fact, you are out of control and the individual is now in control of you and the situation. If this were to occur, you are going to lose more than a sale or recruit. In a small or midsized town or city, the bad feelings, ill will and repercussions, such an occurrence might cause, can end your career before it begins.

Therefore, before you let an individual anger you, or provoke you to act, or make decisions you will regret, regain control of the situation with the Objection Procedure.

First: You want to relax and stay calm. Don't panic or get upset with the individual. Your calm and relaxed attitude will help ease his/her unspoken fears. Encourage the individual to express himself/herself fully.

Second: Cushion the Stall or Objection before answering, by empathizing with the individual. IMG.Ws defines Empathy as sympathy without agreement.

Third: Smoke Out the real reason or concern the individual has about your offering by asking questions. You must determine as far as possible, why this individual is giving you excuses for not proceeding. He/she may be presenting you with a condition or trying to get rid of you as politely as possible.

Fourth: Isolate the Objection. Make sure this is the only reason or concern the individual has, and he/she is not hiding additional reasons or concerns for not proceeding.

Fifth: Relate to the individual's answer with a personal experience, someone else's experience, or a story that is relative to the individual's concerns. Use The Feel, Felt, Found Method to lower resistence and emotional intensity.

Sixth: Offer a Solution that will help the individual think more logically, rather than emotionally. Do not attempt to close until a solution to the individual's concern or reason for not proceeding has been accepted.

Seventh: Ask the Final Closing Question. If your solution is accepted, the Final Closing Question, 60%-70% of the time, will garner a sale or a new member for your organization. Therefore, take out an application and start writing. If this does not happen, and the individual continues to postpone his/her decision, thank the individual, gather your material, and head for the door. However; before stepping outside, use "The Door Knob Close".

If this were a sales situation, rather than a recruiting or sponsoring situation, you would Bridge to a 4th and even a 5th closing attempt before leaving, and still use "The Door Knob Close" before leaving. In fact, make it a habit to use "The Door Knob Close" before you leave any sales, sponsoring or recruiting environment.

When you recruit or sponsor, you want to apply friendly, nonthreatening, subtle, yet steady pressure. You need to do this for the following reasons: The vast majority of people:

1. Are followers not leaders. (Therefore, you must lead the way)

2. Are accustomed to being told what to do. (You guide by asking questions.)

3. Rarely overcome their personal doubts and fears. (They need your help.)

4. Confuse selfishness and self-centeredness with acting in their best interest.

5. Lie very easily and lying to avoid honesty is an acceptable practice.

6. Must be shown a way, because they may never find a way.

The reasons an individual can give you for not doing something are as numerous and diverse as there are people to say them. Sometimes an individual says it differently, but in actuality, they are all saying the same thing; "I am not accepting your offer and there is nothing you can do or say that will persuade me to accept it."

This is an absolute reality of sales, marketing, sponsoring, and recruiting; everyone is not going to buy, use, or join with you in a venture. Find the ones that will. The Objection Procedure will help you guide and lead those that are hesitant into making a decision and taking action that will benefit them and you.

The Objection Procedure like every aspect of the sales, sponsoring and recruiting process is mechanical. Like every mechanical process from building an aircraft carrier, to prospecting, pre-approaching, approaching, setting appointments, presenting your offer, closing, getting referrals and helping your team members grow their organizations; pieces or components are assembled in an organized manner to form a finished product.

Taking a closer look at the components of the Objection Procedure will help you understand why it is such a potent and effective method to overcome Stalls or Objections in any sales, recruiting, or sponsoring situation.

Encouraging: This aspect of the procedure is the key component that allows you to divert or diffuse emotional energy, be it fear or otherwise. The more a person talks, the more energy he/she expends. Believe it or not, an individual can actually become tired from talking. Therefore, by Encouraging the individual to express himself/herself more fully, the individual gradually burns off excess emotional energy and returns to a calmer and more relax state.

"Please, tell me exactly what you mean?" or "How do mean that exactly?" are good questions you can use to elicit a more comprehensive explanation from an individual. In most cases, this tips the psychological scale more in favor of reason and logic, rather than emotion.

Cushioning: Cushion means to soften. By cushioning the Objection with a softening phrase or sentence helps reduce tensions even further and psychologically puts you on the individual's side of the fence. Such expressions as: "I appreciate how you feel" or "I understand your concerns" can accomplish this very effectively.

You are empathizing with the individual, consequently, he/she no longer sees you as someone he/she needs to protect himself/herself from. This strengthens the trust bond between you and the individual that has been building and growing since the Approach that got you the appointment to present your offering. Even family members, relatives and people you know extremely well will respond favorably to empathy.

Smoking Out: Smoke Out means expel or drive into the open. What you are doing here is attempting to uncover or reveal the real reason why the individual is not accepting your offer. You want the individual to continue expressing his/her concerns by asking Open-ended Questions. "Why do you feel" plus, the individual's stated reason for not accepting your offer is the best method to formulate good Smoke Out Questions. For Example: "Mark, why do feel you can not afford to be healthier at this time?"

Isolating: Isolate literally means to separate from the others. Once the individual has expressed himself/herself fully, many times the real reason the person is not proceeding is revealed. Many times there is more than one reason why the person has hesitated. However, you need to be as sure as you possible can that you have uncovered the real reason/s. Therefore, begin a process of separating, listing, and pinpointing

"Mark, in addition to the reason/s you just gave me, are there any other reasons why you can't start being healthier tonight?"

When the person says or indicates that this/these is/are the only reason/s why he/she is not proceeding, then you relate to his/her paticular or concern/s. If you uncover a Condition, gather your material, thank the individual and leave. Do not use "The Door Knob Close" whenever a Condition is discovered. A Condition is a valid reason an individual absolutely can not take advntage of your offer at the time it is being presented.

Relating: Relate literally means to make a connection. Once the final reason/s for not proceeding has/have been revealed, you must connect with the individual emotionally and logically if no Condition/s exist. To accomplish this feat, relate to the individual's particular concerns truthfully and honestly. If you do not have a similar personal experience, use someone else's. Do not fabricate an incident or lie. Otherwise, you will lose all your credibility.

You: "Mark, I know how you feel, In fact, I felt the same way myself, but you know what I found?" {WFA}

"I found that once I started using A.C.T, I had more energy, felt better and actually lost weight. I woke up every morning exhilirated. My health improved, my kid's asthma went away, and our house is a much happier and healthier home. This improvement, alone, has save me hundreds of dollars in medical expenses. Why not give ACT a try?" {WFA}

In the event you don't have a similar experience that you can relate to the individual, or someone else's, tell a story. You can use any one of the stories in this information bin.

You: "Mark may I tell you a story to illustrate a point?" {WFA}

After you tell your story, or relate a similar situation, Offer a Solution.

Offer a Solution: By the time you reach this step in the procedure, you are once again in control of the situation. Now is the time to lead and guide the individual to a solution to the problem or concern he/she has with your offer. The general Rule of Thumb to use whenever you Offer a Solution is this: Always promise less than you can actually deliver, then deliver more than you promised.

You: "Mark our company has several programs designed to help people in your particular situation. We have the I-Want-to-Think-it-Over Program, The Referral Program, The Delayed Entry Program, The Half Price Program, The Sampler Program, The Demo Program, and our Free Program. Which one of these programs fits your particular situation?" {WFA}

After you have thoroughly explained the options and alternatives available for the individual to use and reached an agreement, ask The Final Closing Question.

Ask the Final Closing Question: The Final Closing Question is the question that asks the individual to take advantage of your offer. It is the same question you have been asking before, during, and after your Presentation, even though you may have stated it differently. Your Final Closing Question should always be preceded by: "Why not...

give ACT a try"?
give Cognigen a try?"
give The Free Store Club a try?"
give Over 2,000,000 + Can Pay You Money a try?"
give Secrets To Success a try?"
give VMC Satellite a try?"
give GDI a try?"

Then shutup! Don't say another word. The next person that speaks loses. In fact, whenever you ask a Final Closing Question, always remain calm, relaxed and absolutely silent. Even though the Objection Procedure is the most effective method you will ever use to overcome Stalls or Objections, it does not work on everyone. There are still people that will say no to your offer.

There is a reason for this: Humanity's strength and greatness lies in it's diversity. Individual choice is the cornerstone of human society. An individual has the Freedom to Choose, even if his/her choice does not benefit him/her or you. Accept this fact as a reality and actuality of life. Prepare yourself for this truth and move on to the next person. The person you do not recruit, sponsor or sell is simply an opportunity for someone else.

Relating or Closing Stories help you explain networking, relate more effectively to individual situations when you are using the Objection Procedure, increase understanding, and they help you Close. You can use a Relating or Closing Story at anytime during your Presentation if you feel it will help move an individual; either emotionally or logically, toward a more favorable view of your offering.

Your story will have greater impact if you ask the individual you are talking to, or whoever you are presenting your offering to give you permission. "May I tell you a story to illustrate a point?" ...is the best question to use in this situation. Then proceed to tell your story. You can use your own or one of the following:

The Mall Story Or

The Cash Register Closing Story

You: "Mark, may I tell you a story to illustrate a point?" {WFA}

"Suppose you received a notice in the mail today from a local mall, stating that as a promotion and publicity activity, they are going to place a giant cash register in their parking lot tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m.. Picture this: [Said with emphasis] They plan to fill that cash register with money, and starting precisely at 9:00 a.m., they are going to let people line up... pass the cash register one at a time... and take out all the money they can carry with both hands. When the cash register is empty... those left in line will be out of luck."

"Mark, where would you want to be in that line, first or last?" {WFA}

"That's right! You'd want to be first. Why would you want to be first?" {WFA}

"That's right! In order to be absolutely sure you got your share of the money, you would have to be first. If a lot of people got in front of you, there might not be any money left, and you would be out of luck."

"Well, Mark, that's what this income opportunity is all about. The full cash register represents your paycheck. Every time you get paid a lot of other people line up to take your money. The grocer, bill collectors, utilities, phone service, insurance, and a host of other merchants, all line up to take your money. By the time the government gets through, there is little or nothing left for you."

"Our income opportunity is all about earning more money for you, and that's what you really want isn't it?" {WFA}

"So why not give VMC Satellite a try?" {WFA}

The following Close is excellent for individuals that tell you they need to think it over, talk it over with someone, can't decide right now, undecided or just plain doubtful.

The Ben Franklin Closing Story

You: "Mark, may I tell you a story to illustrate a point?" {WFA}

"I know exactly how you feel, I felt the same way myself, but you know what I found? I found that I couldn't earn a penny by thinking about acting. I had to take action in order to make a difference in my life. You see... it's a normal reaction to hesitate and put off making decisions. Indecision is the most natural of all human problems. Statistics show, however, that the most successful people are those that are able to make decisions and act decisively, when the advantages of taking action are clear."

"No matter what decision you make, there are always going to be advantages and disadvantages. Buying clothes is a classic example. When you buy clothes you are going to be out of a certain amount of money. Washing, cleaning, and maintaining your wardrobe will also cost money. Do you agree that the advantages of having clothes to wear outweigh the disadvantages of keeping them clean?" {WFA}

"So how does a person decide that the advantages of taking action far outweigh the disadvantages of hesitating or not taking action? The answer is simple: We can use The Benjamin Franklin Decision-Making Method. Ben Franklin is considered one of the greatest decision-makers of his time. And... He was one of the most successful men that ever lived."

[Take out a ruled sheet of paper. Continue by saying..]

"Whenever Ben Franklin had to make a decision he would draw a vertical line down the middle of a sheet of paper, and a horizontal line across the top. On one side of the vertical line he would list all the advantages of taking action, and on the other all the disadvantages."

"Let's apply the Ben Franklin Decision-Making Method to this opportunity. I am going to list all the advantages, and you list all the disadvantages. [Count all the advantages and disadvantages] As you can see, the advantages of using our product and taking advantage of this opportunity far outweigh the disadvantages. So why not give Global Domains International a try?" {WFA}