How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Page 335

Handling Objections
When you get people involved in the process, you will get some
objections. The way you handle objections will correlate with how
mentally involved people become with your message. The better you
become at handling objections, the more persuasive you will become.
When you become refined as a persuader, you will learn to love
objections. You will come to understand that when people voice their
objections, it actually indicates interest and shows that they are paying
attention to what you are saying. The key to persuasion is anticipating all
objections before you hear them. Fielding questions and handling
objections can make or break you as a persuader. Such skills will help you
in every aspect of your life.
Here are some tips on how to handle objections:
1. The first thing is to find out if the objection is something you can
solve. Suppose you are negotiating a large office furniture order
and the objection comes up about not being able to afford your
furniture. You then find out your prospect just declared
bankruptcy. Obviously there is nothing you can do or say that will
resolve such an objection.
2. Let your prospect state his objection: Hear him out completely,
without interruption. Wait until he is finished before you say
anything. Hold your response until the other person is receptive to
what you are about to say. This is the first time your prospect has
voiced his objection; he will not listen until he has said what is on
his mind.
3. Always ask your prospect to restate or repeat his key points.
Every time he replays his objection it becomes clearer in both
your minds. Letting him speak, particularly if he is upset, drains
emotion from his objection. Allowing him to voice his concerns
also gives you time to think about a response and helps you
determine his intent in bringing up the objection in the first place.
4. Always compliment your prospect on her objection. As a
persuader, you can appreciate a good objection; it dictates the
direction in which you should take your presentation. You don't
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