"My way is troublesome, obscure, full of objection and danger." (Jer. Taylor 1667)

Plan ahead

When should you begin handling sales objections? From the very beginning of the selling process. It's part of your pre-call planning. You can short-circuit many sales objections and lessen the severity of those that remain through effective prospecting, fact-finding, probing and trust-building. By uncovering your prospect's needs, reaching agreement on those needs and presenting the benefits and features of your show that meet those needs, you will eliminate the cause of many potential objections.

Careful planning will help you avoid unnecessary objections that result when the value of exhibiting in your show is not communicated fully and clearly. Throughout the presentation, ask questions to be sure the prospect is following your points. Pace your presentation to match your prospect's ability and willingness to follow you. Once the prospect understands the value of exhibiting at your show, the objections that are finally voiced are likely to be real rather than excuses or smoke screens.

By doing your homework and listening carefully to the prospect's needs, you can create strategies to address likely objections -- dispelling many of the prospect's worries before they are even raised. In certain circumstances, you can directly head off an objection by bringing it up yourself. For instance, you might say, "Some people are concerned about the unions in this city, and I imagine you may have that concern too." Broaching the subject yourself demonstrates your confidence in your ability to handle the issue, gives you more control over the discussion and allows you to turn a disadvantage into a strength. But use your judgement; be careful not to open a can of worms.

Stay on their side

Have you ever found a friendly and apparently successful sales call suddenly fall apart once the prospect voices his objections? In one moment you're on the prospect's side -- but in an abrupt shift, you become opponents, one on either side of the net. The prospect throws you an objection, and you hit back an answer. He throws another objection, and you hit back again. This tit for tat continues as if whoever has the most stamina wins. Of course, in most instances, you lose.

If this scenario sounds too familiar, you may have made the mistake of moving out of the consultant, team-player role and into an adversarial position. The tendency to become the prospect's opponent is reflected in the very word "objection," meaning "a feeling or expression of opposition, disapproval or dislike or reproach." An objection is definite, negative and caste in stone. "I object" is an expression commonly used in America's courtrooms -- our culture's cherished arena for I win/you lose situations. In the courtroom the judge or jury determines who argued the best case and then hands down the verdict accordingly. In sales, your prospect is judge and jury. You lose if your prospect loses.

I prefer to replace the word "objection" with the word "consideration," meaning "careful thought or attention; deliberation or mediation; something that should be considered as in making a decision." One expects a businessperson to have considerations when making a purchasing decision. Yet considerations can be successfully addressed with appropriate information. Your main tool in sales is the power of the word; choose your words carefully in conversations with your prospect.

If you are fearful of objections, you might ignore critical objections or be intimidated when prospects state them. Timid salespeople sometimes become apologetic and almost seem to beg for the sale. Overreacting to objections by assaulting or begging the prospect is ineffective and unattractive. Remember, the prospect buys because of his needs and desires, not because of yours. Consider the consequences of a single drop of black ink placed into a glass of clear water. The water becomes dark. Similarly, salespeople often allow an objection to darken the entire sale.

Most people avoid taking risks, yet they know that business cannot grow without risk. You must provide your prospects with sufficient logic and proof that exhibiting in your show is a low risk, allowing them to leverage a relatively low cash expenditure against significant product or service sales. In fact, the greater risk lies in not exhibiting.

Passing the test

Many prospects throw objections at salespeople as a test. They listen to the tone and confidence of your voice to hear if you believe in your show. If you don't, why should they? No show is perfect. There can be legitimate objections to every show.

As a salesperson, you know your show's shortcomings and limitations. If your show has an Achilles' heel, prospects will use it against you. Don't allow your show's imperfections to hinder your success. If you believe that your show must be perfect to produce results, you will tend to overreact to objections. While I cannot overemphasize the importance of developing empathy between you and your prospect, some salespeople are too "nice" and quickly buy into a prospect's "story" about why he shouldn't exhibit. Those salespeople short-change their prospects, their company and themselves.

An objection is often a reflex defense mechanism. For instance, when asked in a retail store, "May I help you?" the automatic response is usually "Just looking, thank you." This initial expression of sales resistance allows the prospect to keep control, to avoid being influenced or seriously involved. "I'm not interested in exhibiting," or "It's not in the budget," are common knee-jerk reactions.

Sales resistance can be emotional and/or intellectual. Intellectual objections are usually legitimate concerns which you can overcome with proof and documentation. Emotional objections, however, are often expressions of your prospect's fears. Your job as a salesperson is to provide prospects with information that convinces them that your show will help them achieve their goals. Often, this information will help prospects justify their emotional or intuitive decision to buy -- or it will help them overcome their emotional or intuitive decision not to buy.

If your prospect is well-suited for your show, yet is resistant to exhibiting or cannot honestly pinpoint his objections, you may be dealing with an emotional issue. Emotional objections can be the most difficult to pin down. They are elusive and difficult to approach head-on. It may be that the prospect simply doesn't like the salesperson, or thinks he or she is unprofessional. Rarely, if ever, will the prospect tell this to the salesperson.

The most powerful emotional block to buying is lack of self-confidence. Many prospects are afraid of being wrong, of making a mistake. Many people have a negative voice nagging away in their minds that sabotages their ability to make decisions. Listed below are some common fears that create emotional stumbling blocks:

1. Fear of making the wrong decision: "I need to speak with my colleagues or boss."
2. Fear of making any decision -- the procrastinator: "Let me think about it."
3. Fear of change: "We'll just keep with our same size booth."
4. Fear of being cheated: "Will your show deliver what it claims?"
5. Fear of looking bad to associates/peers/superiors: "Let me speak with my associates."
6. Fear of acting without sufficient thought or knowledge: "Send me more information."

You cannot easily confront your prospect and say, "I know you are a procrastinator and fearful of change." Instead, reassure him that this is a good decision by providing reasons why it is to his advantage to make the decision now. Don't wait for this prospect to make up his mind -- he wants someone to do it for him. Provide him with testimonial letters that describe how successful your show has been for his peers. Recommend specific booth spaces so that he can simply agree with your decision. Reassurance and recommended action are your antidotes to fear and lack of confidence.

Prospects are experts in discouraging booth salespeople. It may seem at times that prospects have taken courses in how to turn salespeople away. But an objection isn't necessarily a "no." What appears to be an objection may mean many things, including "no," "maybe" or "tell me more." An objection can even be a "yes" -- an announcement of buying intention. The prospect may be asking for more information, or voicing a concern. Pay attention to the prospect's expressions, pacing and tone of voice. Your people-reading and listening skills will help you interpret what specific objections really mean. To help you maximize those skills, following are eight major types of objections.

1. Asking for more information: The prospect may be asking for additional information in the form of a question that may appear to be an objection. For instance, "Tell me more about your attendance" may be expressed as "I don't think you reach my prospects." In fact, prospects who don't ask questions before they buy are often the ones who cancel booth space later.

It is the more interested prospect that asks many questions. Most salespeople have difficulty with the expressionless "cold fish" prospects, and are delighted to work with prospects who delve into the issues. Given an opportunity, this prospect may answer his own objections and even sell you on why he should exhibit.

2. The brush-off: If the prospect throws objections before you even present your sales story, you may be getting the brush-off. For instance, you call a prospect and they immediately announce, "I don't believe in shows," or "It's not in our budget." You many have called at an inconvenient time and need to reschedule. This prospect may have learned, however, that these remarks are powerful enough to demoralize most salespeople who give up quickly and leave him alone.

Begin by giving the prospect a reason to speak with you -- an initial benefit -- and assure him that you only need a few moments of his time. Consider placing a specific time limit on your phone conversation and stick to it. Since only the strongest and most confident salespeople will engage this tough prospect in discussion, you will have few competitors.

3. Excuses: Prospects who have no intention of buying think excuses are the most polite way of saying no. "I want to think it over," is a common excuse. I've met people whose excuse one year is they don't have enough business and the next year that they have too much.

Your challenge with excuse-givers is to shake out the truth. Be direct and let them know you really are interested in knowing the truth. Excuses can be a symptom that this prospect isn't sold yet, or that you are not speaking with the true decision-maker. If the prospect says he "will talk to them about it," do whatever you can to talk to that decisionmaker yourself.

4. The smoke screen: Intentionally or not, these objections camouflage the real issue. "I don't like the city your show will be in," for instance, may mean you have not adequately explained the value of your show to this prospect. The prospect may have a hidden agenda, saying one thing and meaning another. You can't answer the objection until you find out what it really is. Your response to this objection will involve more questioning. A common indicator of the smoke screen objection is that the prospect will maintain his objection in spite of the overwhelming data you present to counter it.

If you suspect a smoke screen, ask the prospect, "In addition to this concern, do you have any other thoughts that would prevent you from booking space at this time?" You may find the real objection.

5. Rumors: Prospects may be giving you an opportunity to lay hearsay or misinformation to rest. You may also hear complaints that signal you that your competitor has been coaching the prospect in how best to object to you.

6. Reassurance: A prospect's confidence can waver; people want reassurance that they are making the right decision. Their voiced objection may be a disguised plea for help which really means, "I'm going to buy from you, but I need you to tell me I'm making the right decision. I'll tell you everything on my 'no' list and you, as the expert, tell me why I can scratch it off. Then I'll feel I've been responsible, and I won't have any lingering doubts."

Don't fail your prospect now. Review all the benefits of exhibiting in your show. Give them the positive reassurance they seek.

7. The valid objection: These objections raise logical and sometimes well-founded points about the limitations of your show. These are the objections that allow you to address the problem directly and to provide information and proof. Your prospect demands specific factual responses to such objections as, "Your attendance is too regional," or "Your show is more expensive than your competitor's."

8. "No": Your prospect has considered your presentation and has decided not to buy. Review your sales call. Was this a qualified prospect? Did you clearly present the benefits and features of your show? Know when to take a military retreat to return yet another day.

Common objections

To be prepared to handle any objection, begin by making a list of every one you've ever heard. Given the unique characteristics of your show, outline how you can use that objection as a selling opportunity. Your list will probably include some of the common objections in our sidebar.

Handling objections is the most delicate time in the sale, demanding grace and skill. Many salespeople ride roughshod over this part of the sale rather than slowing the process down and moving with care. Instead of listening carefully and attentively, many salespeople are busy forming their rebuttal. They're like a tiger ready to pounce on their prey. The prospect senses this anxiousness and impatience, and, in response, becomes more defensive.

Aikido, an Eastern art and practice of self-defense, teaches us that if you resist resistance, you create greater resistance. In sales, if you resist the prospect's resistance, you will also create greater resistance. The prospect must feel that you respect his feelings and his point of view -- that he has the right to say "yes" and "no."

Tim Gallwey, the author of The Inner Game of Tennis, describes what he calls, "The Suck of the Game." The suck of the game in tennis is to win the match; in sales, the suck of the game is to make the sale. In training championship tennis players, Gallwey instructs them to ignore the accuracy of their stroke, and to tell him which way the ball is spinning as it flies toward them over the net. After first resisting his instructions altogether, the player's game falls apart as they attempt to indicate the direction of the spin. With practice, however, the player can consistently announce the direction of the spin and, without any further instruction, finds his stroke improving. By concentrating exclusively on the position and direction of the ball, he has let go of the suck of the game -- winning -- and, ironically, improved his game in the process. To succeed in overcoming sales objections, salespeople must also let go of the suck of the game -- the goal of making the sale -- long enough to be completely present and engaged with each prospect. The following seven steps to overcoming sales objections are designed to slow you down long enough to work with the prospect rather than against them.

1. Hear them out: Don't assume that just because you've heard every objection under the sun that you needn't listen fully to your prospect's objection. He may have a unique twist. You must completely focus on the prospect to determine the real significance of this objection. Prospects are weary of salespeople who only pretend to listen, and are angered by salespeople who interrupt their objections to refute them. These behaviors are disrespectful and demonstrate weakness. Be confident, and show your concern for their feelings.

2. Consider your options: As you are listening, you can begin to consider your initial strategy to minimize, ignore or handle the objection. There are times, especially when hearing knee-jerk objections, you will want to ignore the objections and keep on selling. There are times when you will know that you cannot overcome the objection, but can minimize its importance in the overall picture. For instance, you may agree that you have higher booth prices than your competitor, but the attendees are higher-level decision-makers who spend more at the show.

3. Restate the objection: By restating or paraphrasing the objection, you show your concern for the prospect and get clarification in case you misunderstood his point. It also buys you useful thinking time. Some prospects even withdraw their objections once they hear them spoken aloud.

Paraphrasing the objection can provide you with a platform from which you can better answer the objection. For instance, if a prospect says, "Your prices are too high," you may respond by saying, "If I understand you correctly, you are concerned about receiving sufficient value on your investment?" Now, instead of dealing with the issue of price, you can sell the value and benefits of your show.

4. Question the objection: If appropriate, ask the prospect to elaborate on his point. You not only gain some valuable time, but during the discussion you may hear the answer to your problem. You will often find that the prospect did not understand a specific point, or that you did not communicate it properly. If you don't clear this up, the prospect will hold onto his objection and you will lose the sale.

5. Answer the objection: Many salespeople skip steps one through four and immediately answer the objection. However, by completing the first four steps, you gain an understanding of your prospect's point of view -- and also earn his trust -- enabling you to choose the most meaningful information for this prospect. Because you have been willing to listen to him, he is more likely to now listen to you.

6. Confirm the answer: Once you have handled his objection, check in with the prospect to make sure your response satisfies his concern. "That clarifies the point, doesn't it?" or "With that question solved, we can go ahead, don't you agree?"

If the client says yes, you can lead to a close. If the prospect doesn't feel that his objection has been dispelled, you have some choices. You can explore the objection further, you can see what else is on his mind, or if there are other, unstated objections in the way. You might ask a "what if" question such as, "If I could show you that the union problems have been eliminated, would you exhibit in our show?" If the prospect says yes, you have targeted the true objection. If the prospect says he isn't sure, then you still need to pinpoint the real problem. Or, he may now bring up his real objection. Your other choice is to point out to the client that even given his objection, the other benefits of exhibiting in the show outweigh it.

7. Sell benefits and lead into the close: Once the objections have been handled, review the major benefits for this prospect, and bridge to a close. Now that you have uncovered the prospect's needs, presented the value of exhibiting in your show, demonstrated how your show can meet those needs and set to rest any objections or concerns, closing the sale is a "fait accompli" -- the natural outcome of all that has come before. Ask for the order simply and directly.

Handling objections successfully can determine your success as a salesperson. You must know your show's strengths and limitations and be prepared to handle any possible objection. With the confidence that comes with being prepared, you will welcome objections as your greatest opportunity to sell. Uncovering and overcoming objections challenges you intellectually and emotionally. It requires that you know not only your show, but yourself and your prospect as well.

Sidebar: Common booth sales objections

To overcome booth sales objections you must first be prepared. Begin by making a list of every objection you've ever heard, and outline your response to each one. Here are some of the most common objections.

1. We don't do shows.
2. It's not in the budget.
3. I don't handle this decision.
4. We can't afford it.
5. We had poor traffic/sales last time.
6. Your attendees aren't decision-makers.
7. We haven't exhibited with you before.
8. Your prices are too high.
9. Your competitor's show better meets our needs.
10. I'd rather invest in advertising/direct mail/more salespeople.
11. We're completely satisfied with the other shows we're in.
12. l have all the business I can handle.
13. There aren't any good booths left.
14. We can't afford a big booth. We'll be dwarfed by the big guys.
15. My distributors cover the show.
16. Your attendance is too regional.
17. I don't like the city.
18. None of my competitors are exhibiting.
19. Let me think it over -- call me next week/month/year.
20. Our budget is spent for the year.
21. I haven't time to talk to you/handle this issue/make any changes.
22. There aren't enough selling hours.
23. I hate the unions.
24. I don't want to take salespeople out of the field.
25. Shows are too much work/too disruptive.

Sidebar: Seven steps for handling objections

Taken one at a time -- in order -- these seven steps will help you overcome most any booth sales objection. Remember, your goal is not to simply sell booth space; your job is to meet your prospect's needs. Follow these steps to slow you down long enough to work with your prospects, rather than against them.

1. Hear them out; listen actively.
2. Consider your options: ignore/minimize/handle.
3. Restate the objection.
4. Question the objection.
5. Answer the objection.
6. Confirm the answer.
7. Sell a benefit/lead into the close.