Handling Appointment Objections
What's in it for you?
Handling appointment objections on sales appointment calls is a sales skill that every sales person and small business can benefit from learning.
No matter how good your sales skills are, you must be able to make sales appointments to use them.
That's why handling objections when appointment setting and cold calling is so important to you.
Think of your appointment calls, especially your cold calls, as the first stage of the sale.
Invest in learning how to handle sales appointment objections, and you'll be rewarded with more opportunities to use your sales skills and earn commission.
Why do we get objections to sales appointments?
Handling appointment objections usually happens at two places in the appointment making call strategy.
The first appointment objections will be raised at the beginning of the call.
Especially when you make cold calls.
They happen because the buyer doesn't yet see a benefit of listening to you.
In the early part of a call, the first few seconds, it's important to create interest with a possible benefit for the prospect.
A great sales tip to help stop early objections on your appointment setting calls is to have a really good reason for your call.
How to Cold Call
To get some effective ideas and sales techniques on how to do this open How to Cold Call and see what works for you.
Your objective at this stage is to get the buyer talking to you and take hold of their attention. Nothing more.
Your voice and tone, along with your words, will play a big part in grabbing their attention.
...How do you respond to a friendly positive voice on the phone. Buyers are only human, they do the same..
The next place you may be handling appointment objections is when you ask for the appointment.
The same reasons apply here. The buyer must see an advantage to them, a benefit, of meeting with you. You should present the benefits of meeting with you in the same way you present the products you sell. Sell the benefits to the buyer.
If the buyer sees no benefit - There is no appointment
Handling appointment objections The common objections
When handling appointment objections, explain that they will be in a better position to make that decision after you have met.
Explain the selling process you will use. Be open with them.
You will ask some questions about their business, and present the best proposal to meet their requirements.
Only then can they make an informed decision.
When handling appointment objections you are saying, See what I have to offer, what you might be missing out on, then make the decision.
I make a clear point on all the sales skills training courses I present for all these examples on handling appointment objections It's important to use your own words not mine.
You'll sound a lot more natural and get much better results with your own cold calling scripts.
They want to talk price on the call
Consciously decide how far into the sales process you can go on your appointment setting call when handling sales objections related to price.
Are there advantages to meeting face to face to discuss price, and other aspects of the sale?
If you are making sales appointments for someone else, then you probably don't want to get into the sale process.
Handle appointment objections so that you get around the issue and gain the appointment.
A good way to respond when handling appointment objections is to use the objection as a reason for a sales meeting.
Let them know that you will take the time to assess their needs during the appointment.
Then you can offer them the best, personalised, package.
Give the buyer a reason why you should meet, rather than discuss price on the phone.
Use a requirement for seeing the site, or being able to show and demonstrate your product as a reason to meet. Prepare your answers before the call if you often get this objection.
The buyer is too busy to meet with you
If this is true they will tell you at the start of the call?
If they have listened to what you have said, and then decided they're too busy, then how true is this objection.
When handling sales objections you have to make the sales appointment have greater potential benefit than what they have in their diary
...Have you never put off a diary entry because something more important came up .....make your meeting important.
Everybody is busy. If they weren't they probably wouldn't have a need for your product. Have you built up the benfits they may gain, and any consequences there may be to not meeting with you.
Handling appointment objections
Not interested
At the start of the call, why should they be interested? You've not told them anything yet.
Before they get the opportunity to use this appointment objection, give them a sales benefit. As early as possible tell them something they will want to know more about. This way you are handling appointment objections by pre-empting them with a benefit.
Present the fact that you are the largest supplier, or have something unique to offer. Show them what's different about you, your company, or your products. Then attach a benefit related to that feature.
Make it believable. Grab their interest, they won't give it to you.
Another way to grab their interest when handling appointment objections is to use a powerful reason for your call. This can have a fantastic impact on your sales appointment calls and is how many professionals make their calls work for them.
To see tips, skills, and ideas on using the reason for the call open How to Cold Call.
We already have a supplier
Most prospects will already have a supplier. Unless you have a brand new product, you will win most of your business from competing suppliers.
Handling appointment objections based on having a supplier is done by offering to show them what you can supply. The buyer can then compare your presentation to what they have now. They can then make a decision on future purchases.
Gaining a sales appointment is the objective. Selling your product is done in the appointment.
Don't try and compete with the competition while you're making the appointment.
Tips for handling appointment objections
The call should say to the buyer, meet with me. Let me show you what I can offer you.
Then you are in a position to make a decision on whether to buy. And you can use the information for future reference.
Handle the objection to sales appointments by going around it, and don't meet them head on. Your objective is the appointment. Not to beat down any objections the buyer raises.
There are some great cold calling techniques for handling sales objections in the Sales Appointments by Telephone sales course workbook. Consider what you feel this course could do for you by opening Cold Calling Techniques.
The objection is the reason for your call
If the buyer has had problems with your company in the past, that's why you're calling.
The company has made changes to rectify the issues and you can now offer something better.
The buyer is busy
If your service saves time, then you're phoning because you thought she would be a busy person, and you can help.
It's approching Christmas, Easter, or any holiday time. Handle this objection by saying, that's why you're phoning, to make an appointment now for after the holidays.
I'm not interested in your product
I'm phoning because many people, like you, didn't have an interest in our product, until they saw it. Give me an hour of your time. I'll show and explain it to you, then you'll know if your missing out on something you could use.
Don't ask the buyer why their not interested. I hear it all the time in call centers. Why are you not interested sir? Why do you think it's too expensive madam?
When cold calling and appointment setting you should not ask why. All it does is reinforce the objection. Repeating the objection has the same results.
Stay motivated and focused on your goal
Don't take rejection and objections personally
This is important when handling appointment objections.
It's your words and meaning they haven't agreed with. They have no feelings about you. But they will do if you take the call to a negative personal level.
Sound natural. Have a conversation. Communicate to the buyer that you think you have a product or service that may be of benefit to them. You can understand their objection. Work around it.
For more sales training on self motivation when handling objections Objections to sales.
Actions to increase your success handling appointment objections
Look for new ideas and new viewpoints on making sales appointments and handling appointment objections.
There's plenty available on the Internet. Set yourself some time aside each week for improving your sales skills.
Look for training and books that will help you build your sales skills, and increase your skills in handling objections.
The more objections you handle, the more appointments you make, the more opportunities you have to make a sale.
...Every 10% increase in sales appointments can be a 10% increase in sales made..
If you are a professional sales person, building your own business, or a full time appointment maker.
Learn to make good calls and your investment will be rewarded many times over during your career.
Become an expert and you will also have the valuable skill of being able to train others
...I did, and it's challenging, financially rewarding, and good fun..
Improve your sales skills on handling objections on appointment setting calls, and give yourself an advantage over the competition.
Look at Appointment Setting Training from a new viewpoint
Now you've brought handling appointment objections into conscious focus, take another look at the main sales appointment page, Appointment Setting.
Look at your appointment call script and see how you can add these ideas to it.
Consider your main objections and how you can pre-empt them on your appointment calls.
I manage and train sales teams for a major company.
I have developed a sales training course on How to make sales appointments that has been very successful for the teams I manage.
The course is available as an instant download and you can start using it on your computer today. If you want more information click the image or the link.
Free sales training on appointment setting
As a visitor to this website you can get the free sales training workbook course on sales appointment setting. A quick to use no nonsense approach to the basics of making sales appointment calls.
Try it out and see what you think. Get more information at Free Sales Training on Appointment Setting.
Start a new search - Learn more to earn more
For more sales training on making sales appointments leave Handling Appointment Objections and open the Appointment Setting main page
To gain more sales training on all aspects of making money froms selling leave Handling appointment Objections and open the Sales Trainig sales Tips Home Page.
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