Welcome to Thursdays with Cyn where I share my personal tips and tricks to hopefully motivate and inspire you to take just one small step towards your OWN e-commerce entrepreneurial journey.

The Title of today’s topic is: Nope, Nada… Maybe?

Today we will explore how to overcome objections and understand that NO response does not really mean NO when it comes to sales… it really means one of 3 things:

1. Not right now (I’m too busy to listen to you)
2. I don’t trust you (so I’m not going to listen to you)
3. I need more information (I don’t understand your offer)

Of course, there is the possibility of a NO truly being a NO… but a true NO usually comes AFTER the following:

1. They took the time to listen.
2. They trust what you are giving accurate details.
3. They have enough information to make an informed decision.

I’ve been in sales / sales management for my entire adult career. A lot of that time was spent pitching a product or service myself or teaching someone else how to.

What I’m about to tell you has proven to be very successful strategies for me. Through much trial and error, after a while, you learn the tricks of the trade. One major key to that success is learning how to overcome objections. 

But before you can overcome them, you must understand them, and understand that just because someone says NO doesn’t mean they truly aren’t interested in your proposition.

The process to learn how to overcome objections takes lots of practice. Rest assured, there is a method to the madness and there are ways to help you become more successful in turning those absolute “no’s” into a possible “maybe” or even a positive “YES!”.

So let’s take a look at how you can become more successful in your sales pitch deliveries.

Here are 5 EASY TIPS to help overturn a NO response: 

1. Create a list of all the potential objections you may encounter. Imagine yourself as the other party. Brainstorm every possible negative response and create a positive answer to each one.
2. Practice these answers so they roll off your tongue fluently showing you are prepared and confident about your proposal. Know the objections and resolutions to them inside and out. It goes without saying you must be honest in representing your product or service. You must have high integrity or you will fail!
3. AGREE with whatever they say as their first initial negative response! Acknowledge their concerns. Use the “felt/found” technique (“Yes, I hear ya! I used to feel the very same way but I found …..”). You are validating their concerns and building rapport by agreeing with them. This tactic alone will help diffuse their potentially negative mindset and buy you time to continue the conversation. The longer you can keep them talking, the more opportunity you create to change their mindset. View each “no'' as an opportunity to overcome their way of thinking. Remain calm and address their concerns politely. Do not become defensive, argumentative, or pushy. 
4. Ask them open-ended questions to clarify their position: “Tell me more about…”, “Help me understand why …”. Show them you are willing to listen to their concerns. Nod in agreement as they speak. You should already know the response to these potential questions/objections if you did your homework in Step #1!
5. Restate back to them their concerns in such a way that formulates a YES response. This will open their minds allowing them to hear more of what you are offering them: “If I could show you a way where (concern #1), (concern #2), and (concern #3) would no longer be a factor and you could enjoy the benefits of (state benefits in relation to their objections and a positive result in what you are proposing), would you be interested?” You are essentially using their words against them here. You are restating their objections (affirmation of their concerns) with a confident claim that you can overcome those objections. If they still say “no”, then the “no” is for a completely different reason than the objections they stated. This takes you right back to the beginning of this training:

Not right now (I’m too busy to listen to you)

I don’t trust you (so I’m not going to listen to you)

I need more information (I don’t understand your offer)

Let me repeat that…

If they state several objections and you overcome each of them to where they are no longer an issue, and they still say NO, then they were not the true objections. There’s another reason they haven’t revealed.

You have to strive to have honest conversations and dig deep for the root cause of their objections.  It’s ok if they still say “no”. You won’t win every single time. 

But you will get better at recognizing true objections versus “bs” objections which will help facilitate real conversations.

The more real and honest these conversations can be, the higher probability of success you will have. 

Step #5 shifts them into a positive mindset. As soon as they say or think a “yes” response, their mind will open to new possibilities. As long as they continue to say or think “no”, they have a mental wall blocking new information. So the object of the “game” is to get them to say a “YES” which will buy you more time to have meaningful conversation and open their mind to accepting your offer. 

These tips can be used in everyday life, not just in business!

Apply the same techniques regardless of the conversation you are having. Try it on your spouse or your kids! Great way to practice!

So how does this philosophy relate to your business?

In my world of e-commerce business management, I’m offering my services to help businesses expand into e-commerce. I have to help them see the benefits of using my services that will help their businesses grow. 

There are many negotiations that occur during this entire process so I need to be able to convey that working with me is a positive and I will be able to overcome any potential objections they may have. 

My pitch is the same. I know all the potential objections they could possibly come up with because I’ve done my homework. I have a positive response to each on how I can overcome them all.  

The only differences seen are the personalities of the potential clients and adapting my responses to match their style. 

Key point: always remember the LAW OF AVERAGES and never get discouraged when you receive a true NO answer (meaning you have already overcome all the potential objections).

The Law of Averages states the more often you try, the higher probability you will eventually achieve success. So all you have to do is figure out what your average number is before you receive the YES you are looking for. Think of this number as the goal and celebrate each and every NO response because you are moving that much closer to the goal which will give you the YES!

In my previous sales experience, this magic number was 20. On average, for every 20 NO’s, I would get a YES.  

So the closer I got to my magic goal number of 20, the more excited I became because I knew there was a YES just around the corner. 

Psychologically, maybe that’s why I was more successful around number 20… maybe my energy and enthusiasm was different at that point making me more successful… who knows??? I really don’t care how it worked… I just know it did work! 

Bottom line: 

A NO doesn’t really mean NO, or a NO - FOREVER. It’s your job to turn that NO into at least a MAYBE which will get you much closer to a YES!

Use the 5 EASY STEPS above to help improve your skills. After trial and error, determine your magic number.

Celebrate the NO’s because you are that much closer to a resounding YES!

So I want to hear from you...give me your thoughts on how you deal with NO’s when you are pitching your product or services.  Let me know if you have used these or similar tips to lower your magic number and achieve success faster. I’m excited to hear all about your tips and tricks!

So … that’s a wrap for today… I challenge you to go out and take just one step further towards your dreams and goals - whatever they may be!

Until next time…