Missing "Buyer Beliefs" cause the objections you get

This is the beginning of a special blog series based on the bestselling book, Objection Free Selling, in which we will explore how to Prevent, Preempt, and Respond to every sales objection you get. 

We'll start by demonstrating that missing Buyer Beliefs cause the objections you get and go on to discuss each of these beliefs. This is a very different approach and is one of the reasons why the book is now 43 months on the bestsellers lists.

First, let's define objections as legitimate criticisms about your products, services, company, and self, based on what the prospect currently knows. With this definition, it means that prospects can make “new favorable decisions” once they get new or redefined information that answers the “criticisms.” Let's begin with an excerpt from the book.

Your competitors’ strengths trigger objections. Industry concerns, company reputation, and other issues specific to what you sell can trigger objections.

Unanswerable objections are those with no direct answer. The prospect objects because they want something you can’t offer but your competitor can. Coming up, we'll review how to negotiate the "trade-off" to handle this type objection.

Let's begin.

Research with thousands of salespeople across industries demonstrates:

• Objections that stop almost all sales are common and repetitive.
• Specific Buyer Beliefs, when missing or weak cause these objections.
• There are many ways to establish these beliefs to prevent the objection from even entering the prospect's mind.

Test this:

• Before you buy something, what’s just one thing must you believe about it?
• If you don’t believe that, what objection comes to mind?
• But, if you did believe that, what happens to the objection?
• You just demonstrated that a missing Buyer Belief caused the objection and that when the belief is in place, the objection goes away.

Analysis reveals:

• There are ten of these critical Buyer Beliefs in which all sales objections can be categorized.
• Salespeople get most of their objections in just three to five categories of missing Buyer Beliefs.
• Learning how to prevent, preempt, and respond to a few objections in each category will handle all objections in that category.
• It doesn’t matter which sales model salespeople are using if sales stopping objections are getting through.
• You don’t need to change your sales model, just plug the leaks.
• The strategies and formulas we’ll discuss will with all sales models.

Buyer Beliefs

1. Need Exists

A need is a gap between the current situation (problem) and a more desirable condition (solution). Related objections when the belief “need exists” is missing:

·         Not interested.

·         Already have someone.

·         Don't need it.

2. Responsibility

The person has or shares the responsibility to fill the need. Related objections when the belief “responsibility” is missing:

·         I'm only getting the information for my boss.

·         My job is to qualify suppliers.

3. Authority

The person has or shares the authority to fill the need. Related objections when the belief “authority” is missing:

·         I need to talk with my _____ before I can make that decision.

·         My boss won't authorize anything.

The Buyer Beliefs “Responsibility” and “Authority” are combined going forward in this book because the preventing, preempting and responding strategies are essentially the same. They will be addressed separately when they are not the same.

4. Discomfort Felt

The needs the prospect has are strong enough to cause discomfort. Or, a known gain (Benefit) is not strong enough to motivate. Related objections when the belief “discomfort felt” is missing:

·         Just send me your literature.

·         Don’t have time to discuss it now.

·         We’ll get by with what we have now.

5. Need has Priority

The discomfort felt is great enough so that this need has priority over other needs. Related objections when the belief “need has priority” is missing:

·         No money budgeted, call me next year.

·         We have too many other things in front of this.

·         We need to think this over.

6. Type of Solution

The prospect believes your type of solution will be successful in satisfying the needs.  Related objections when the belief “type of solution” is missing:

·         We’ve never had good results with ____.

·         You don’t have what we need.

·         I need better quality than what you offer.

7. Capability and Credibility

You, your product, service, and company have the capability and credibility to satisfy the need. You have the necessary levels of trust and rapport. Related objections when the belief “capability and credibility” is missing:

·         We want someone in our industry.

·         How do you know it will do that?

·         I’ve never heard of your company.

8. Best Solution

Your solution, to the exclusion of competing solutions, will best satisfy the need. Related objections when the belief “best solution” is missing:

·         Don’t see any reason to change.

·         Why should I buy from you?

·         I am happy with where I am buying now.

9. Return on Investment

The price for the solution is less than the cost of the problem. Costs can be financial, subjective (hassle), or emotional (frustration). Related objections when the belief about “ROI” is missing:

·         Your price is too high.

·         I don’t have the time (subjective value).

·         Not in the budget.

10. Plan Will Succeed

Your plan to meet the need will succeed. Related objections when the belief “plan will succeed” is missing:

·         They will never buy into it.

·         It’s too much trouble to change.

·         This is a lot to think about.

Think about the last sale you lost. Can you identify which Buyer Belief(s) were weak or missing? Now, think about a sale you won. Can you identify any Buyer Beliefs that were weak or missing, regardless of whether you put them in place or not? In a business setting, what is the probability the decision-makers (team) would have bought without having all ten beliefs?

Our next blog will be about diagnosing which Buyer Beliefs are missing that cause your sales to stop or stall. Following that, we'll discuss ways to Prevent, Preempt, and Respond to them.

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Resources

Select this link to preview and buy the Book: Objection Free Selling

Select this link to preview and buy the eLearning course: Objection Free Selling

Select this link to connect and follow Dr. Robert "Bob" DeGroot, MEd, DCH on LinkedIn. 

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