There are a million objections people will give, but most of the time it comes down to just a few real objections. These are the objections we are trying to find.

Getting a customer to be open with you is key, but how do you inspire someone to desire to be open with you? 100% real and honest with you. If they give you the fake objection and you spend all of your time trying to solve that fake objection, at the end of the day they will not buy from you.

So it comes down to honesty. I’m sure you can think of a few people in your life that you have desired to be honest with. Think of one person that you wanted to give the dirt to, someone you didn’t know that well but when you first met them you just felt like they wanted to hear your truths. Why do you think that is?

1.) Trading honesty

Insert something into the conversation that you typically would not share with someone, do not say “I am going to be real with you” or “Let’s be honest” because that will imply that you haven’t been forthright the entire time.

2.) The guard drop

Laugh, make a connection, be a real person. If you are fake they are going to know you are fake.

3.) Kindness leads to commitment

Be kind the entire time, then when it is time to close you have earned a tiny tiny bit of bluntness, but don’t overdo it. Use your bluntness wisely.

4.) Tone

DOWNTONES. Not everything is a question. If you don’t know the answer of what they should do then why would they buy your product? You KNOW this will work for them.

5.) Listen well

Get a really good feel for what their pain points are, what is working for them? Work your sale around their needs and leave everything else out. The product will feel divine to them as they realize it’s a perfect fit. Ask questions that lead to a story, listen closely. Questions like “tell me about your current energy savings plan” or “tell me about your thoughts on energy usage”. Don’t insert yourself into these questions, have them elaborate on things they have already said and guide it towards the sale.

6.) Vocabulary

Use positive words and guide them towards buying. Don’t use negative words like: contract, problem, don’t, cheap, cost, price, competitor. Replace these words with: own, agreement, challenge, value, investment, etc…

7.) Paroting

Repeat back to them what you are hearing them say. This makes people feel extremely listened to and they will feel that you understand exactly what they need, rather than putting words in their mouth.

8.) Putting yourself on the line

This is a nice tool that can make or break a sale that has gone on for too long, the customer isn’t biting, so you begin to gear yourself towards a concession. Think about which concession is most applicable and say something like, “I know you have been saying that you have an additional door that needs a sensor, although it does not normally come with the system I am going to ask my manager if we can add this sensor on for you. This is something I am not supposed to do, so if I put my neck on the line and get this sensor approved, this will be the dealmaker right?”

9.) Cultivate short term thinking

Customers will not feel pushed to make hasty decisions if they are already thinking in the short term. This will require framing your pitch the entire time. What is the theme of your pitch? For some it is to have the customer talk to an account executive, for some it is to have the customer buy then and there.

Framing can be as simple as “when you have these panels in about a week, you will be saving about 40% on your energy bills” or “You’ll have saved $150 in June with your install coming up this week”.

Framing in sales is also called “assuming the sale”. Make the client believe that you assume they are buying, and that buying is the logical option. Believe it or not, inserting a few pushy sentences into your pitch will make them trust the process, so at the end they are already committed to buying.

10.) Keep it simple

Only say what is absolutely needed. Some sales people encourage a long conversation about how you both have goldendoodles, or you both love the same shampoo. Some sales people love to list out all of the amazing features about solar panels, and some people love to recite lengthy success stories about their other customers.

Bits and pieces of these types of conversations work. But ask yourself, how can I create a bond in the least words possible? Maybe it’s a smile, a wink, or a “I love your dog”! Maybe it’s a 2 sentence success story, without any fluff or a couple sentences about the complicated nuances of solar to build cred.

Saying too much can actually turn someone off, not only because they don’t necessarily want to chat with a stranger but because you might actually say the one thing that they are AVOIDING.

The most important thing to remember through the whole sales process is that even though there are many ways to be the best salesperson, the best way is to be genuine and believe in the product you sell. All of these tips become more useful with a goal in mind! Check out Gamify for gamification, CRM capabilities, geofencing, recognition and other sales solutions for your team!