Change ‘Overcoming Objections’ to ‘Addressing Customer Concerns’

 Change "Overcoming Objections' to 'Address Customer Concerns' [30:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

BuilderRadio interviews Robert August. S. Robert August Company, Greenwood Village, CO.

How much of your sales training has been focused on overcoming objections? If you’re like me, it’s a lot. “When the customer says ‘no,’ as the saying goes, ‘that’s when the selling begins.” Robert August suggests a new belief system:  Change the paradigm for the word ‘objections’ to ‘concerns.’

Sometimes the word ‘objections’ is, well, objectionable. It puts the salesperson on the defense. Changing our thinking so that we look for the customer’s real, heart felt concerns does just the opposite – it give us valuable insight into our prospect’s thoughts and feelings, and what we need to focus on to move the sale forward.

August believes that astute salespeople begin uncovering concerns right from the beginning. “We can shorten the closing process much more directly by understanding what their concerns are when we’re asking our initial qualification questions. It’s not about us, it’s about the customer. It’s about each of these home buyers and what they’re trying to experience.”

If we go through a rote presentation without understanding what the customer’s real concerns are, we come off as being insincere. However, when we uncover and address the issues that are important to buyers early and directly, we more quickly “get to the heart of the matter,” says August. “That’s going to help the buyer see that we’re more genuine and more interested in [their] specific needs.”

When we hear customer’s say, “I’m just looking,”or “I’m really not interested in buying right now,” those are opportunities for us to begin qualifying by uncovering concerns. August suggests an approach such as, “I understand you’re looking right now and you may not be ready to make a purchase, but what are you looking for that will help you make a purchase? When you see the right product, how will you know it’s the right product for you?”

As salespeople, we should be looking for ways to get into the minds of consumers so that we’re treating them as buyers and not prospects. When we understand their concerns up front as part of the qualifying process, then we can help them look at models or floor plans that address those concerns.

Other questions that August uses to get there are:

• “When you see the right home, how will you know it’s the right home?”
• “What are you looking for in your next home?”
• “Please describe to me your current home, and what changes you will make in your next home.”

The qualification process then becomes not just about the buyer’s ability to make the purchase, but why they will buy, what fears they have about moving forward, and what it will take to move them past their concerns and into a new home. The earlier we know these factors, the more quickly we’ll be able to present our product in a way that is specific to our buyers, addressing their personal concerns.

Buyer’s concerns, as well as their preferences, are most effectively drawn out with open-ended, interrogative questions, such as:

• “How do you like…”
• “What is your opinion about…”
• “What do you like about…”
• “Which is best for you…”
• “When is the best time…”

Another useful response we can give when a concern is brought up is, “That’s an interesting question. In addition to that, is there anything else that you’re uncertain about at this time?”  This question will often help expose any true underlying concerns that remain so that they can be thoroughly addressed.

Asking good, open-ended questions serves another role in the sales process, says August.  “The more the customer can hear [themselves] talk, the more comfortable they will become with us as salespeople.”  Comfort leads to rapport, rapport to trust, and trust to a sale.

Other sales tips that August advocates include:

Take notes. Write down what your buyers are telling you. What they tell you should be the focus and meat of your presentation. Don’t try to rely on memory. “The more I write down as a salesperson, the more the buyer is going to tell me. The more the buyer can tell me, the more I can understand the buyer’s needs and help them become a buyer with us.”

Keep buyers involved. The longer we remain with a customer, the better the chances we have of keeping them as a customer.

Just wait. Sometimes its best to put off addressing a concern until more facts are evident, particularly if the concern is raised to be argumentative.

Relax and listen. Hear the customer and don’t interrupt. We often feel we have so much that we want to tell our prospects. But, what’s really important is to let the buyer fully explain their concerns. When they do, listen. Get absorbed in what they are saying, and make them feel like they’re truly being heard. In many cases, once they’ve said it, they can forget it.

Be nice. Never be argumentative with buyers. Instead, if a customer makes a wrong or judgmental statement, respond with a question, such as, “Why do you think that?”or “How did you form that opinion?”  Winning an argument will rarely win a sale. Never be threatening, but give the buyer control of the conversation. Again, the objective is to get the buyer talking so that you can uncover and address their real concerns. If they feel in control, they won’t feel like their being ‘sold,’ but, rather, exchanging information that leads to a buying decision.

Feel Felt Found. A great response to almost any concern raised is the ‘Feel-Felt-Found’ method. It goes like this: When a prospect has stated a concern, say, “I know how you feel. Many of our current homeowners have felt the very same way. However, on closer examination, here’s what they’ve found.” This technique quickly establishes common ground, it validates their concern, and it offers a solution that others have found successful.

Go the Extra Mile. August says that many of the communities that he works with are making services available to buyers who have existing homes to sell. These might include access to their specialized low financing rates, as well as subcontractors to give a face lift to their existing homes. He finds that in many cases the subs, such as landscapers, painters, bath and kitchen installers, etc., appreciate the extra work. Not only does this facilitate the sale, it stimulates the economy on several levels and enhances the reputation and community standing of the builders that offer such services.

In the end, as always, great selling is about making it more attractive and satisfying for buyers to choose to buy from you than not to. Replacing the word ‘objections’ with ‘concerns’ allows us to adjust our thinking to stay on the same team with our buyers and avoid an adversarial approach. At least, I feel that way. Others have felt that way, too. What have you found?