Item 16 -- Handling Objections

Have you ever noticed that no matter what you wish to do, there is always something you must do first? The Avon salesperson is no different. You must receive, break down, check in, and package the order before you can deliver it. And all the while you are doing this, the phone is ringing, the bills need paying, you must go to the school because your child is with the nurse and must come home, and on and on. All you own of the process is the pressure to get it done because you KNOW the customer is going to want that order tomorrow morning.

I like the real estate commercial currently running, where a person walks into the house, takes it sight unseen, doubles the asking price, and brings brunch along. The second in the series has the banker offering an intrest-free loan of larger proportions with oodles of time to pay. The punch line of both commercials is "If buying a house was this easy ..."

What I've just presented is a dichotomy to your sales activities. How wonderful it would be if every customer was willing to take what you offered, at the price you offered it, and had the money ready when you arrived, with nary a ripple. It won't happen. If you think it will, the song begins "Beautiful Dreamer ..."

No, you've entered the land of the "Yea, but ..." "It costs too much. I don't have the money. I won't have it until I get paid Friday (if you're lucky). I can get it cheaper at the swap meet. MY Avon Lady used to give me a 30% discount." Price and financially-related objections will be predominant in your business. If she can get it cheaper, perhaps you should buy there yourself. Or perhaps it's cheap because it's old or defective.

The manipulators must be dealt with firmly. In a sweet and unassuming way, you must advise them that you're in this to be profitable, else you'll not be able to be around to serve them. Money objections can often be handled by breaking things into elements. Establish a purchasing program whereby they can obtain the items they need on the schedule they would like, but at the same time recognize you can accelerate the process by extolling the virtues and benefits of the next product in line -- not the series, not the whole package -- just the next one. Create the desire for the second item in the purchasing sequence, and you will accelerate that sequence.

Objections to the product will be there, as well. "I am alergic to Avon" is an oft-stated one. "It makes my skin dry. I break out when I use it. I doesn't stay on when I put it on in the morning. I heard Avon uses xyz compound and it's against my religion. It goes bad if I keep it too long. What do you mean I should change my mascara every three months -- I haven't used it all by then." Product objections are explored below.

You'll also hear objections based on the company. "I paid my former Avon lady for an order 10 months ago and she never delivered it. My Avon lady went out of business. I haven't seen a book for months (e.g, years/decades). If I can't get it at the sale price of the last book I got (e.g., 6 months ago) I don't want it. What do you mean that the price is 2/$4.99 but one is $3? I want one for $2.50." This set of objections is loaded with dynamite, and caution is urged. We'll explore this one, as well.

There's probably some other categories of objection, but these pretty much sum up those I've experienced in my 9 years of doing this. I used to get upset at objections. That came from an insecurity of not being able to know how to handle them. Over time, I was able to postulate answers and alternatives that helped me over those hurdles, and tonight we'll delve into some of them.

There's an interesting perspective to learn here. Just because someone raises an objection, it does not mean that the sale is on its way down the tube. The presentation of an objection is often a time stretcher that allows the customer to do some thinking. That customer may not even be listening to your response. She needs some time AWAY from the main body of your presentation to think. In our recent interchange with the Chinese, you may have become aware that the Chinese President speaks fluent English. Yet, when diplomats converse with the Chinese President, they do it through interpreters. Why? Because it offers the time to think.

There you are, moving rapidly through your presentation (why? because if someone stops you, you'll forget your place), when the customer interrupts with a question or objection. The first emotional reaction is to feel frustration with the fact you've been interrupted. Sometimes it shows on your face. Sometimes it can be heard in the tone of your response. And sometimes there will be people to whom interruptions become a game aimed simply at seeing how you will perform under stress. Hopefully the latter are few, but they do exist.

But objections are good! Yes they are! Because the minute the customer voices an objection, that is tangible evidence that she is INVOLVED in the transaction. She may not be mouthing the right words or the words you wish to hear, but the grey matter is being exercised. And so long as that customer is involved, handling those objections can be taken in stride, assuming that you have a complete reference guide in your memory and the ability to put facts together on the fly. And if you don't have those capabilities, your documents have the former and we'll share how you can develop the latter. But it does mean that YOU will have to do something.

What, really, is an objection? Consider that it's nothing more than a statement from your customer that she wants to know more. An objection is not, by definition, a problem. A customer with absolutely no money in the bank or her purse presents an objection that IS a problem. But generally, people use objections to slow the process down.

But the customer with no money TODAY presents a condition that can be overcome. A customer who has an allergy to cologne has a condition that you cannot overcome. That becomes a losing scenario, and the quicker you break from it, the better your sales transaction, for you could lose other parts of the sale as well.

Understand this: you represent a quality product from a quality company. When people OWN it, they gain the benefit it was designed to deliver. Your job, then, is to present the benefits that are available to the customer, and today, only YOU can see that this customer can own those benefits. The customer has a need. If you cannot find a way to satisfy that need, three lose -- the customer, you, and the company.

It is not my purpose tonight to tell you what to say when the customer presents an objection. I couldn't begin to enumerate even all the objections I've heard, and you're certain to hear others, but there are some approaches and methods which may prove to be useful.

Approaches to Objections

When the customer presents an objection, she's right. In her own mind whatever the concern is, it has become so large that she cannot see beyond it. Remember, the objection is merely a request for information. Put a barrier up against that objection such that a hint of hostility is present in the conversation and you may well win the battle, but lose the war. Who was it that said "I'd rather be right than President?" That customer is going to win that war. Depend on it. Resist the objection and plan on losing the sale. Just remember that the NEXT Avon lady she encounters may be willing to provide the information you protected.

If you are successful to provide sufficient information to respond to the objection, it is important to handle it so very gently that the customer doesn't feel that she has been unworthy in your presence. Don't put your customer in the position whereby she is embarassed for having asked what in her eyes may be a foolish question. No, in its place, complement her on how well she presents her objection and invite her to consider this new piece of information you are about to give her. This has the effect of breaking apart the ownership of the objection and replacing it with the ownership of the new information.

In our discussion of questions, we talked about the fact that if the customer makes a statement it is, to her at least, true. Structure your questions in such a manner that she can answer her own objections. They wish to proceed with your mutual transaction, else they would have shown you the door. So once an objection is stated, gentle reverse questioning can impart that information. Try this on for size:

Customer: I heard that Bug Guard doesn't work as well as Off Skintastic.
You: Oh, really? Where did you hear that?
Customer: They had it on TV.
You: What did they tell you was in Skintastic that worked so well?
Customer: I don't know. They just said it worked better.
You: Would it surprise you if I told you they're right?
Customer: Yes. What do you mean?
You: You see, Skintastic has an ingredient known as DEET, and while it works very well, it doesn't last very long, must be washed of when you're inside, and it raises havoc with children. Are you concerned about what your kids put on their skin?
Customer: Yes I am. Is that true?
You: Scout's honor. Bug Guard is safe for the kids, safe for you, fully effective, longer lasting, and guess what, it's less expensive, as well.
Customer: Do you have any I can have today? My kids are going camping this weekend.
You: I have one with me. You'll probably want at least two. Could I interest you in my four-for-the-price-of-three special? Somebody is certain to forget theirs.

The customer was looking for information. It wasn't important to her that she defend the S. C. Johnson commercial she had seen on television, so don't put her in a position where she feels it is necessary to do so. She's not going to stick to the competitor's line if there is a possibility that her children could be hurt. Here she has made the request, received the information, accepted it, and acted upon it, all without being made to feel how wrong she was.

Methods to Handle Objections

1. When the customer makes an objection, give the customer the courtesy of hearing the objection out in its entirety. It's very easy for us to jump in and attempt to squelch the very valuable input we're about to receive. To begin with, if you don't hear the whole statement of the objections, there exists the possibility you could jump to conclusions, the wrong ones at that.

2. Restate the objection. Don't use the same words, of course. In the example above, by asking the customer where she heard that bit of information, I restated the objection by causing her to visualize the commercial she had seen.

3. The process given above was designed to get the customer to talk. In admitting that she had little detail, she left the door open for me to explain ingredients. I was successful to bring the objection into clear focus by concentrating on one, and ultimately several, weaknesses of the competitor's product. Did you note that I even gave the competitor his due by admitting that the harmful ingredient contained in his product was effective? Dangerous -- but effective. So's a hammer, by the way.

4. Answer the objection with explanation that is brief, makes sense, and highlights the positive features of what you have to offer. Nowhere in the example did I find fault with the other manufacturer for including an ingredient harmful to children. I simply drew a brief series of positively-worded reasons for going with my product. Also, acknowledge to yourself at least, that not every product will fill every need. Our Bug Guard, for example, doesn't come in a large bottle. Theoretically the container has enough for four applications. But that's the kind of weakness that becomes an asset. "Our bug guard is packed in containers that are easily carried in a purse or backpack. That could mean you need two of them. Tell you what -- why don't you get four, because somebody on that trip is certain to have forgotten to bring it."

5. When the customer's mind has entertained the new facts and she has decided to continue, note how she has now turned the focus upon whether I can serve her. This becomes my confirmation of her having answered her own objection. And it now becomes time to ...

6. Move into the next step in the process. Don't revisit the objection in any manner. If you do, you will appear to be putting down your competitor, which we of course want to do, but we don't want to be caught at it. So we say something on the order of "Moving right along .. how many of these would you like this afternoon?"

All that is well and good for product objections. What about personal or organizational objections?

Let's undestand that there is no way you're going to win if you join in the attack your customer is about to conduct upon your predecessor -- the Avon lady she used to have but who, for whatever reason, has abandoned her. You don't agree, feel sorry for, or disagree with the customer in any way. Bear in mind that you may not know all the story. Perhaps this customer has been a very difficult customer and your predecessor simply decided she didn't need the grief.

Or it could be that you know all the story and she doesn't know you know it. I had a customer once who sounded off about how the Avon lady who had serviced her for some months had just stopped coming to see her. She wasn't happy about that. You see, that other representative had inconvenienced this customer by dying! And the customer had not known.

Hear her out patiently and then respond with all the benefits she may obtain by dealing with you. Make gentle promises -- for books, for phone calls, for personal attention. Structure those promises into questions that seek affirmation. "If I could see that you got a brochure every campaign at least a week in advance, would that be OK?" "I like to call my customers a couple days before the order must go in to check in with them. On Tuesday, would morning or afternoon be more convenient?"

Now and again, your customer will vent her spleen over prior frustrations. Perhaps the customer is sour on Avon because she got a hair brush instead of a Valentine Bear and has joined the chorus of whining that we've heard a lot of here on the loops. What do YOU do? Well, what you do is to put the shoe on the customer's foot. You get her to picture the purchasing, production, and shipping problems that must be faced on a daily basis by a company that has worldwide operations. Now you put her in charge of overcoming a 200,000 unit shortfall within a two week period.

She may have some suggestions to make (perhaps they'll work). But no matter what she suggests, your response must be: "And that's precisely what Avon did. You can expect that THAT particular problem won't happen again." To relieve the angst, you might even show the customer your crossed fingers and say "We Hope!" Whatever the customer thinks Avon should do, your response must be that the company has taken those steps. Don't look now, but you just defused the objection. Most customers are mature enough to know that organizationally problems do occur and that a whole cadre of people -- managers -- focus their daily activities upon overcoming these problems.

Another way to approach this is to find a way to focus on major benefits while overcoming minor concerns. Here you will hear about the size of the package. The benefit is its portability. You will hear about the price. The benefit is its capability per purchase unit. You will hear about the ingredients. The benefit is how the vitamin or other compound can improve the texture of the skin, the appearance of the face, the color of the expression, etc.

Whatever the objection is, change the focus to benefits. You will do this with discrete questioning. "Are you interested to overcome the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles?" What middle- aged woman is about to say no? "Would it be beneficial if we could find a lipstick that didn't come off onto the coffee cup?" You'd learn very quickly about her experience with hot foods and then roll out your Perfect Wear to overcome the objection with performance. Finally, Avon has given you the ace in the hole to overcome any objection. "If I told you that if it didn't do what we said it will do we'd give you your money back, would you be willing to try it?" Now some of these are yes/no questions, it's true, but not say-no questions. We are seeking the intermediate affirmations that will make the final affirmation available. And you have just removed the risk from the purchase entirely. You have overcome the paramount objection. The customer is putty in your hands.

At some point, no matter what you have said, the customer will wish to seek some other alternative. You may have to let her go. But before you do, gently list the benefits available in the products, and where the customer has been open with the problems to be addressed, point out how your product will address and overcome those problems. Reiterate the positive statements made while you overcome the objections. Restate the 100% guarantee. More often than not, the issue will come down to money, and we'll focus more on that when we get to the words I wish to say about closing the sale.

So if they are going to go, you may have to let them go. But before they do, it's time to review any positive experiences you have had with the customer. You can reminisce about the time you came and there was a bee in the house. You can remind her about the great deal you were able to get her on a product of her liking so she could get a present off to her grandchild. You can share some experiences that you have had as you have serviced her account -- the day the car had a flat tire two blocks away. The extra calls to Customer Service you had to make to get that special Christmas gift.

People like many things -- but there is at least one thing they hate -- change. If this customer has been a regular, she's going to want to continue to be a regular. And you want her to continue to be your customer. You may not have the answer to her financial objections, but if you allow her to enlist you to work on her financial objection, she'll stick with you, if for no other reason than she'll spend as much in gas and time to get to the flea market as she will save on the product she might purchase a little less expensively at the flea market.

Every time a customer voices an objection you must, at your earliest convenience, record the objection and your response to it. If necessary, research the objection. Learn about the products you may not have focused upon. Call the company hot lines to learn what temperature is acceptable for lipsticks, how long a face powder will last until it dries out, or whatever. Once you have an acceptable response to the objection, write out the objection and its response on a 3-by-5 card and carry them with you just like you did in the days you learned French, German, or Spanish. Periodically review the cards. Practice with your answer. Build some flexibility into your interpretation of the objection and further flexibility into your responses.

You carry some of the finest products available in our field and represent a company that is at the pinnacle of our business throughout the world. You haven't a thing to apologize for. You have only to learn enough to educate your customer. And then you take upon yourself the responsibility to follow up that sale and get the customer to affirm her decision to purchase it -- thereby validating how you handled the objection.

There's more to come before we get to closing the sale. We'll begin to explore those in our next time together, when we try to figure out why we don't farm as well as we know how. Yes, you read that right.

Goodnight.

Ken the Man

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