The Comprehensive RBP Business Advisor Sales Guide: Mastering Objection Handling for High-Stakes Decisions
Welcome to your transformational journey as a sales professional! This guide will provide you with a strategic approach to handling objections, particularly aimed at high-ticket business owners. We'll navigate the complexities of selling and equip you with the necessary skills to not just make a sale, but more importantly, to guide your prospect towards making a well-informed, high-stakes decision.
To start, let's get one thing clear: In sales, it's not about selling per se; it's about building a relationship based on trust, understanding, and empathy. This means that your focus shouldn't be solely on closing the deal but on genuinely caring about your prospect's decision-making process. So, the question is: How can you guide your prospects to make the right decision?
To answer this, we're going to explore a concept called the Closer framework, which encompasses several crucial steps such as clarifying your prospect's intentions, labelling their problem, providing an overview of their past struggles, and finally, painting a picture of their desired future. Essentially, you're selling them the end result, the final destination, and not the journey to get there.
However, a significant part of this process is understanding and addressing your prospect's objections. Objections aren't necessarily a 'no', but often a prospect's way of expressing their concerns or their fears, or simply seeking more information. These objections are often distortions of reality, which we will classify under categories like Time, Money, and Fit.
The following guide will take you through a comprehensive Objection Handling Framework, meticulously designed to tackle these distortions of reality effectively. We'll deep-dive into several key areas including:
Towards the end, we'll discuss how to reaffirm that your prospect has made a good decision and how to ensure a smooth transition into the final stage: Crossing the action threshold and signing the deal.
Remember, sales isn't a battle to be won; it's a process that should leave both parties satisfied and reassured. This guide will help you master the art of navigating objections and guiding your prospects towards the right decisions, with the end goal of forging strong, mutually beneficial relationships. Let's begin our journey to sales success!
This guide will serve as a roadmap to elevating your sales performance, enabling you to tap into a wealth of opportunities that exist in our niche. As you may know, we are in a high-ticket industry, dealing with services that range from CRM audits and SumoQuote builds to higher-end services like Hubspot Builds and RevOps consulting. With over 107,000 roofing companies in the United States, the potential for generating business and growing your earnings is enormous.
In this guide, you will learn the critical skills and tactics for overcoming objections based on three key distortions of reality - Circumstances, Others, and Self. This knowledge is essential for every business advisor because these objections often present the most significant barriers to closing deals. We will explore frameworks and strategies that will help you guide your prospects through their objections and empower them to make informed decisions.
Why is this important to you? The answer is simple: your financial freedom. We offer a generous 7% commission on our services. Given the high-ticket nature of our products, this translates to substantial earnings for our business advisors. A typical salesperson aims to earn $100,000 per year, but with RBP Consulting, you have the opportunity to earn far more.
But we want you to aim higher, to challenge the typical salesperson's mindset. $100,000 per year or even a million dollars in the bank is not enough if you're looking for a life filled with choices and options. The real goal should be accumulating $10 million in savings. That's where true financial freedom lies. If you stopped working at 40 with a million in the bank, maintaining a lifestyle that costs $65,000 a year, the money would run out quickly. But with $10 million, you can truly afford the life you want.
This guide isn't just about improving your sales tactics; it's about setting you on the path towards achieving that lofty goal. By mastering the strategies outlined in this guide and using them to sell our high-value products, you can strive towards the kind of financial freedom that comes with having $10 million in the bank.
We invite you to immerse yourself in this guide, embrace the learning, and seize the opportunity that RBP Consulting presents to you. Your journey towards financial freedom begins now.
Below you will find the headings that we use to make this information easy to digest and understand. Again the goal is not to memorize but to understand.
Distortion of Reality: This refers to the type of objection raised by the prospect that distorts their perception of the reality of the situation. In this guide, we address three categories of reality distortions - Circumstances, Others, and Self and will provide a framework for understanding what is going on in the prospects mind and how to overcome these objections to break down their distortions and get to an empowered self who can make a decision. Whether they buy from us does not matter to me. All I care about is that we help them make a decision either way.
Represented As: This is the specific form in which the distortion of reality manifests itself in the prospect's objection. This is basically the stated objection from the prospect, in their own words or as commonly phrased.
Summary of Rebuttal: This is a condensed version of the argument or explanation you, as the salesperson, would provide to counter the prospect's objection. It provides a clear and succinct response that addresses the prospect's concerns.
The frame of prospects objection: This refers to the mindset or point of view from which the prospect is voicing their objection. Understanding this framework is crucial because it provides insight into the prospect's thought process and underlying concerns, allowing you to tailor your responses accordingly.
Objection Handling Framework: This is the structured approach or strategy you should adopt to tackle the objection effectively. It guides the conversation and provides a roadmap to navigate the objection towards a successful resolution.
Overcome Pathway Steps: These are the specific steps you should take to implement the objection handling framework. They provide a practical, step-by-step guide to overcoming the objection, effectively moving the prospect closer to making a purchase decision.
With a clear understanding of these headings, you'll be able to effectively use the guide to manage objections and close sales successfully. Remember, the goal is not just to overcome objections, but also to build a deeper connection with your prospects, understanding their needs, concerns, and perspectives. This is what ultimately leads to a successful sales relationship.
Chapter 1: Overcoming Circumstances Objections - Money as a Distortion of Reality
Money can often surface as a significant objection in sales conversations. However, it's crucial to understand that when prospects claim they cannot afford your solution, it's not always the literal interpretation of lacking funds. More often, it's a distortion of their reality. They're wrestling with their perceived value of your product versus the price. As a salesperson, your role is to navigate this distortion and guide the prospect towards seeing the real value of your solution. Here's a detailed guide on how to achieve that:
1. Why A Lot is Good
At times, prospects may perceive the cost of your solution as a stumbling block. To overcome this, pivot their perspective towards viewing a significant investment as a sign of commitment to their success.
Summary of Rebuttal: High investment signifies seriousness towards achieving the desired outcome.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Empathize and affirm their concern about the price.
Step 2: Ask them if they would perceive the solution as effective if it was 1/10th the price. The aim here is to shake up their perception of value and price.
Step 3: Encourage them to consider how long they want "I can't afford it" to be a deterrent in their lives.
Step 4: Reinforce the importance of viewing cost as an investment in solving their problems.
2. Why It's Not a Lot
Prospects may still insist that the cost is too high. Use this moment to make them consider the broader impact of your solution on their business or life.
Summary of Rebuttal: The real value of the product should outshine the initial cost.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Ask them: "If all this did was... (dream outcome), would it be worth it?"
Step 2: Highlight that their belief is being swayed by past scenarios. Use humor to lighten the situation and to make them see the fallacy in letting past failures determine future decisions.
Step 3: Compare your solution's cost to something of higher value with less desirable results, like a 4-year degree or a franchise.
Step 4: Reinforce the value proposition of your product against the cost.
3. What's Money Good For?
Here, encourage your prospect to contemplate what they truly value.
Summary of Rebuttal: The prospect will spend the money either way. It's about what they perceive as valuable.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Remind them that money is a resource that will be allocated somewhere, regardless of whether it's spent on your solution.
Step 2: Frame your solution as a source of valuable lessons. They can pay the 'ignorance tax' or invest in your solution to learn and avoid costly mistakes.
Step 3: Ask them to compare your solution to the other things they could spend money on. What do they believe has more value?
Step 4: Help them to see that both options carry risks, but investing in your solution brings them closer to their goal.
4. Why You Don't Need Money
It's crucial to dismantle the idea that lack of funds is a dead end. Inspire resourcefulness in your prospects.
Summary of Rebuttal: Successful people are resourceful, regardless of their current financial situation.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Use inspiring examples like self-made billionaires who started at zero.
Step 2: Encourage them to see their resourcefulness. Ask if they've ever had to pay an unexpected bill or faced a financial emergency. Remind them of their ability.
Chapter 2: Overcoming Circumstances Objections - Time as a Distortion of Reality
Time is another common objection raised in sales conversations. Prospects might perceive that they don't have enough time to commit to your solution. As a salesperson, it's your role to show them that this perception is often a distortion of reality. Let's break down the rebuttals, mindset, and framework to tackle time-related objections:
1. Macro Perspective - Seasonal Time Constraints
Prospects might argue that their busy periods throughout the year make it impossible for them to commit to your solution.
Summary of Rebuttal: There's always a way to manage time during busy periods, and those might be the best times to have support in place.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Validate their concerns about being busy during certain seasons.
Step 2: Assert that busy periods are when they most need support.
Step 3: Remind them that busy periods will always come around; it's about establishing a solution that will last.
Step 4: Emphasize the value of getting support when it's needed the most.
2. Micro Perspective - Hour by Hour Time Constraints
Prospects may feel they don't have enough hours in the day to devote to your solution.
Summary of Rebuttal: Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day; it's about how you allocate them.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Share a personal anecdote about how you used to feel the same way until you evaluated your time allocation.
Step 2: Empower your prospect by asking them if they think there's someone busier than them who's making it happen. Reinforce the belief that if they can, the prospect can too!
Step 3: Remind them everyone has the same 24 hours in a day.
Step 4: Drive home the message that it's about how you manage your time, not about how much time you have.
3. Overcoming the 'When/Then' Fallacy
Many prospects fall into the trap of thinking, "When I have time, then I will do it."
Summary of Rebuttal: The 'when/then' mentality keeps people stuck in a cycle of never taking action.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Share how the 'when/then' fallacy kept you stuck for years.
Step 2: Humorously illustrate the absurdity of the fallacy: "It's like saying, 'I'll go to the hospital when I feel better', or 'I'll start saving money when I am rich'."
Step 3: Remind your prospect that they wouldn't wait to start a fitness regime until they're healthy or go to a doctor only when they're feeling better.
Step 4: Reinforce that this is the very reason to make a move now, not a reason to avoid doing so.
In essence, overcoming time-related objections is about reframing the prospect's perspective on time management. By empathizing, sharing your experiences, empowering the prospect, and using humor to lighten the situation, you can successfully navigate these objections and guide your prospect closer to a decision.
Chapter 3: Overcoming Circumstances Objections - Fit as a Distortion of Reality
The concept of fit is an objection that can present itself in various ways in sales discussions. Your prospects might feel that your solution is not appropriate for their business, that they haven't hit rock bottom yet to necessitate a change, or they might sense something missing in your offering. In each case, the perceived lack of fit is a distortion of reality, and it's your job to guide them through this. Let's break this down:
1. Business Fit - "I'm not sure if it's for our business."
Your prospect may have doubts about whether your solution is suitable for their business.
Summary of Rebuttal: New priorities come with new identities, and we invest in what we care about.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Address their doubts by talking about new identities and priorities.
Step 2: Show them that we vote with our dollars for the things we care about, such as lawncare, healthcare, and other services.
Step 3: Share a relatable anecdote, like the 'Sephora story', where women budget early for their make-up and other needs because it's part of their identity.
Step 4: Ask them to reflect on the identity they want for their business, encouraging them to act now to attain it in the future.
2. Necessity for Change - "I haven't hit rock bottom yet."
Your prospect may feel that their situation isn't bad enough to warrant a change.
Summary of Rebuttal: The pain of change must exceed the pain of staying the same.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Reinforce the idea that change is necessary for improvement.
Step 2: Quote renowned coach Tony Robbins, who said that the pain of change has to exceed the pain of staying the same.
Step 3: Challenge them by asking if they want another year of almost reaching their goals, because their current actions suggest that they do.
Step 4: Encourage them to adjust their 'thermostat' or threshold for what they consider rock bottom, reminding them that it varies for everyone.
3. Missing Element - "Something is missing."
Your prospect might feel that your solution lacks something they need.
Summary of Rebuttal: Understand what they feel is missing and address it directly.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Use a hypothetical question to understand what they believe is missing: "If this solution had everything you need, would it be worth it?"
Step 2: On a scale of 1 to 10, ask them what's missing and what would make the solution perfect.
Step 3: Respond with "If I could include that, would you consider the solution?" This addresses their specific need and suggests a commitment on their part.
Step 4: Work towards overcoming any fear-based objections that might be hidden behind their perceived missing element.
In summary, dealing with fit-based objections involves empathy, understanding, and a readiness to adjust your proposition to meet the prospect's needs. By addressing their unique circumstances and fears, you can successfully guide them towards realizing the value and appropriateness of your solution.
Chapter 4: Overcoming "Others" Objections - The 'Lack of Authority' Distortion of Reality
In some sales discussions, your prospects might express a belief that their ability to move forward with your solution depends on another person's decision. This 'lack of authority' objection can be a tough barrier to break through but can be handled elegantly with the right strategy. You should never insult or diminish the importance of the other decision maker. Instead, your goal is to empower the prospect to make decisions and take control.
Let's unpack how to overcome these objections:
1. "This decision depends on another person."
Summary of Rebuttal: Remind the prospect that they have agency and don't need to feel 'owned' by another person.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Assuming you have already asked your prospect to include the secondary decision maker in discussions, start by differentiating between transactional and long-term thinking.
Step 2: Ask, "Why do you think they would not approve of this solution?" This question helps isolate and confront the real issue behind the objection.
Step 3: Often, the prospect will voice their own concerns instead of the secondary decision-maker's. Use this insight to tackle their actual fears.
Step 4: Address their beliefs and fear-based objections directly.
2. "I've already been given permission, and never needed it to begin with."
Summary of Rebuttal: The prospect doesn't need permission, they need support.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Ask the prospect if they genuinely want to proceed with the solution.
Step 2: Question the assumption that the second decision maker disapproves of their current struggle. Ask, "Does the second decision maker approve of your current struggle? If not, why would they be against fixing something they don't approve of?"
Step 3: Put the prospect in the decision maker's shoes: "If the roles were reversed, and you saw them struggling with their part of the business, would you stop them from implementing a solution that mitigated or eliminated previous objections?"
Step 4: Make the prospect realize that what they're looking for is support, not permission. Question the potential resentment that could build if the second decision maker prevents them from finding a solution: "What if this problem persisted, and they never let you get the solution presented to you today? You would resent them. Is this worth losing your business relationship over?"
Always remember to mention the '3-day no sweat' guarantee or the 'right of recision' guarantee, which provides a safety net that can help overcome this objection.
In summary, you want to encourage the prospect to see their own power and agency. Through understanding and addressing their beliefs and fears, you can help them take control of their decision-making process, which ultimately leads them to your solution.
Chapter 5: Overcoming 'Self' Objections - Dispelling The 'I need to think about it' Distortion of Reality
As we conclude our guide to handling objections, we arrive at what is perhaps the most critical distortion of reality: the 'Self' objections. Here, prospects find themselves battling internal fears and uncertainties, often manifesting in statements like "I need to think about it."
Our ultimate goal in any sales conversation is to empower the prospect, guiding them from the terrain of external objections (Circumstances and Others) to the territory of self-assured decision-making. This final chapter focuses on nurturing the prospect's confidence in their ability to make wise decisions, bringing them one step closer to the close.
1. "I need to think about it."
Summary of Rebuttal: An empowered person can make a decision. Let's teach them how to do so confidently.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Address the prospect's fear of making a mistake. Affirm their feelings by sharing, "I used to deal with this a lot too. I wanted the universe to make decisions for me so I could retreat back to blaming circumstances and others for my results in life."
Step 2: Ask them, "When you think about this, what unanswered question leads you to be concerned that this decision might be a mistake?" This query helps pinpoint the root cause of their hesitance.
Step 3: Prospects usually respond with past decisions that went wrong, current circumstances making them hesitant, or future uncertainties about whether the solution is perfect. These fears are typically centered around the Past, Present, or Future.
Step 4: Depending on their response, utilize the appropriate Past, Present, or Future objection-handling frameworks to overcome their doubts. Show them that their fears, while valid, should not hinder their decision-making ability.
Remember, the sales process isn't about pressuring prospects into a sale—it's about teaching them to make high-stakes decisions confidently. By addressing and overcoming these 'Self' objections, we guide our prospects to become more empowered decision-makers, setting the stage for a successful close.
Let's delve deeper into the Past, Present, and Future objection handling frameworks and pathways, as this will assist in overcoming the "I need to think about it" objection from the 'Self' perspective.
1. Past Objections
Summary of Rebuttal: This decision isn't made in haste; it's the culmination of years of wanting your business to be successful. Don't let past failures hinder your current decision-making.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Validate the time they've invested in their business journey. They've already made many steps toward success, from seeing the ad to scheduling a meeting, and now is not the time to stop.
Step 2: Ask them if their tendency to overthink decisions has held them back in the past. Is the constant need to "think about it" preventing them from pulling the trigger?
Step 3: Highlight the cost of indecision in the past. "Do you want another year of 'almost'? How much has NOT deciding cost you in the past?"
Step 4: Encourage them to move forward, reminding them that a past bad decision should not prevent them from making a current, potentially beneficial one.
2. Present Objections
Summary of Rebuttal: Decision-making isn't about overthinking; it's about making informed choices.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Ask them what they need to think about. Make them realize that they won't dedicate extensive contemplation to this decision after the call.
Step 2: Stress the urgency of the decision. Their life won't pause for this decision, and neither will their problems.
Step 3: Clarify that they don't need more time, they need more information. Ask them what information they're missing to make this decision.
Step 4: Assist them in making an informed decision by addressing their concerns about the product, the company, or any other issues they might have.
3. Future Objections
Summary of Rebuttal: Envisioning their future without taking action can be a powerful motivator for making a decision.
Objection Handling Framework:
Step 1: Use future casting to envision their life in 5 years if they don't make this decision. The emotional impact can lower their action threshold.
Step 2: Highlight that both options are risk-free. But one brings them closer to their goals.
Step 3: Encourage them to consider whether they want a quicker solution to their problem or a longer struggle.
Step 4: Encourage them to take the pressure off making a perfect decision. The goal should be progress, not perfection. Any education, experience, service, or context will bring them closer than indecision or uncertainty.
In the high-stakes world of selling CRM audits and SumoQuote builds, leveraging the right strategies and tactics can make all the difference between closing a deal and losing a prospect. Empowering your prospect to overcome objections based on distortions of Circumstances, Others, and Self is crucial to unlocking their decision-making potential and closing more deals.
The objections based on Circumstances and Others distortions can be tackled by demonstrating the flexibility of our solutions to fit their business needs and current circumstances. It's crucial to validate the prospect's concerns and provide a tailored response that demonstrates how our solutions can help them overcome their challenges. This involves helping the prospect understand that any perceived lack of time or belief that the solution might not be a good fit are distortions that can be overcome.
As for objections rooted in the "Self" distortion, we need to empower the prospect to make an informed decision. We achieve this by addressing their past, present, and future concerns. By analyzing their past decision-making patterns, highlighting the urgency of the present, and helping them envision their future with our solutions, we empower them to cut through indecision and take actionable steps.
Our CRM audits and SumoQuote builds are not only backed by a compelling value proposition but also supported by a strong track record of success. With over 170 successful SumoQuote builds and multiple testimonials of clients not only doubling but tripling their sales, we have strong proof that our offer works. Coupled with a 3-day no sweat right of recision and a 110% money-back guarantee, our offer provides a high likelihood of achieving the dream outcome with minimal effort, sacrifice, and time delay for the prospect.
By mastering these strategies and utilizing our CLOSER sales process and objection handling frameworks, not only will you close more deals, but you'll also create a foundation for additional sales opportunities. This can lead to further sales of our higher-value services, such as Hubspot builds and RevOps monthly consulting, thus amplifying the growth and success of our business.
In summary, embracing these strategies can drastically boost your ability to close deals and maximize the potential of our incredible product offerings.