Five steps to handling objections

- This framework has a few steps to it and it's a bit counter-intuitive. The first step is one that I call presence your emotions. It's important to get yourself grounded and not get triggered by the fact that the client has an objection. Get really comfortable with the fact that they are going to be asking questions after you present. They're going to have perhaps some resistance because they're trying to buy and this might be new information for them. The second step is to acknowledge that they've just said something and make it okay for them having some kind of an objection or resistance. Do this without judgment and with empathy. The way to do it, I prefer, is to say something like, "I certainly want." So if someone says, "I'm not ready to move forward," I can say, "I certainly want you to feel comfortable." What I don't do as an acknowledgement is I don't agree, "Oh, I certainly understand." I don't disagree. And in fact, I don't say I understand because then you will not be in a good position to ask the next question. The third step is to double click. Remember our old friend, the double click? When a client is resisting, they are offering a bit of information. If you simply double click, "how so, say more, can you be more specific, tell me about that," they'll dive deeper in. Sometimes they'll give you a little bit of resistance to even that, but just stay silent. Let the pregnant pause hang. Give them a moment to really think about what it is they're actually trying to say. Remember, this is all new information. You've just told them about a whole presentation, a whole solution, a whole product set. They're trying to bring it all into focus for themselves. They're going to have a little resistance and they might not have worked out what's happening for them or what the real question is. When you double click, it lets them go the next level. Now, once they start talking, the fourth step is to listen for those needs. Listen for the verbs. Listen for things that really are about what's going on behind the scenes, what do they need satisfied that will help them to make a decision to move forward. Then, play it back. So after you double click and get them talking, play back the needs that you hear. The fifth step is an easy one. Suggest, give them a new idea, solve the problem. This is the one that you and your team are really ready to do without too much thought. Or you might say, "We certainly hear you. We might need to go back to the office and work through some of the details." But what's important is overcoming resistance. Handling objections is more about listening than about solving the problem. You can't solve the problem if you actually don't know what the problem is. And often clients don't know how to tell you that problem without bringing it through this process. So stay super patient and stay with them right now and make sure that you don't get triggered and reactive and instead acknowledge and double click and get them to say more so that you can hear the new need. All in all, you've got this. Objections are your friend. It's a sign the client's trying to buy, so breathe and get curious.