Partners in Performance Blog

The #1 Mistake in Handling Sales Objections

Sales-ToolsThink about a recent sales objection that you’ve encountered, one that typically surfaces in your selling world. What do you do when presented with a tough objection? Do you jump in to answer it with a convincing statement?

If so, how is that working for you? Likely, not very well. Here’s why.

Telling is not selling

We know that questions persuade more powerfully than any other selling skill. We know that ‘pitching’ our ideas, products and solutions without getting grounded in clients’ needs beforehand makes it next to impossible to position … Read More

How to Turn Client Objections into Sales Success

Key-To-Sales-SuccessOne of the questions I get when training sales professionals is almost always about handling client objections. Sales people seem to dread this part of the sales process. That’s because they don’t prepare for them well, and don’t have a positive perception of objections. I look at them as a key learning device for uncovering the client’s needs. Yes, I look at objections not as barriers but as clues to achieve sales success through understanding what clients want.

I recently asked Jim, one of my colleagues, for an update on the … Read More

How to Avoid Being Stumped by Client Objections

Client-ObjectionsThe boy scout motto ‘Be Prepared’ couldn’t be truer for sales. Especially when it comes to handling objections. There is no excuse for struggling with the same client objections over and over again. And yet it’s astonishing to see that professional sales people don’t develop a proactive strategy for handling these common objections.

Reactive Objection Handling

In my work coaching sales people, I find that many follow this common pattern:

Dread objections and pray they won’t come up Get defensive when they surface Struggle with a response and lack confidence Don’t … Read More

What’s the Most Important Selling Skill?

ShoesWhich of these selling skills do you believe to be the most important?

Prospecting skills? Questioning abilities? Objection handling? Closing skills? Ability to deliver a great presentation? Get referrals?

All are important. But I believe there’s one that beats all the rest hands down. It’s the ability to put yourself in your client’s shoes. To think like they think and feel what they feel. And to see the world from their perspective.

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How Listening and Sales Go Together

An often overlooked sales skill is listening. And I mean really listening. To the point of “zipping it!” Listening is a pre-requisite for persuasion. If your client or prospect doesn’ t feel heard, they will resist your offer.

Here’s what I tell my clients who want better sales results: Listen with the intention to hear. So often we fall into the bad habit of listening with the intention to answer without really hearing what’s said. This is flat out dangerous. It costs you sales.

For example, when coaching sales people … Read More