Let’s talk about one of the most avoided parts of the sales process (no, believe it or not, it’s not my beloved follow ups!), why it’s normal, and how it impacts the clients you’re able to book: objections.
I find for many of my clients when we first start working on their sales process, they think hearing an objection means they’re doing something wrong.
They come to our sessions with the story floating around online that if someone really wants what you have to offer, they’d seek you out, just DM you and beg you for the link to pay in full, and be an immediate “hell yes”.
That if you’re “good enough”, you’d never experience an objection from anyone. And, if you are hearing objections, it means there’s something wrong with you and your work.
For other clients, there’s a belief that leaning in and having a conversation about an objection means they’re being pushy, manipulative, or gross. That it’s wrong. Not nice. Bad.
Maybe you can relate to one of these?
What I remind my clients is that objections are a normal part of business and sales conversations.
Objections are resistance to change and action, and one thing I can tell you about humans being human is that resistance is pretty common when it comes to change and action outside your comfort zone and current status quo.
They’re also a normal part of the conversations you have and navigate all day long outside business.
After all, you’re always selling.
For example, you might sell your friends on the restaurant you want to check out or you might be selling your kids on going to bed on time or eating their vegetables.
If you sell your kids on eating their veggies with dinner, isn’t it also pretty normal for your kids to have objections or resistance?
And, with a sale like this, there isn’t even a big decision or anything too far outside your kids’ comfort zone at play. It’s just pretty normal for us humans to resist - aka object - anything that hits our wall of comfort or pleasure. After all, we’re ALL wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure.
That’s really all objections are in your sales conversations.
Because when you’re having a sales conversation and asking someone to make a big commitment, whether that’s time, money, energy, or both or asking someone to make a decision that will ask them to step outside their comfort zone in any way (like, being vulnerable on a call with you), you’re hitting someone’s comfort or pleasure wall, so it’s pretty normal for resistance to get kicked up.
When this happens, our brains tend to grab onto the closest flotation device for safety - not always the truth - which is where you get your objection of “I can’t afford it” “Now’s not a good time” “I actually need to redo my roof”.
Because objections and resistance keep someone in their comfort zone, which feels like pleasure and safety. And, making a decision, even when it’s a decision for something exciting, registers as pain to the brain because at the very least it requires calories to make (this is why decision fatigue, even for easy choices, is a very real thing).
I’m always saying, brains aren’t designed to help you create epic success and wild amounts of money, they’re wired for survival; they pretty much want you to stay right where you are, and would prefer to never be asked to make a decision that will ask you to do something different or uncomfortable.
This is why so many people stay stuck even though there are solutions all around - it’s not because they’re lazy or incapable - it’s not because there isn’t a path or simple next step for them to get what they say they want - it’s because their mind is managing them instead of the other way around.
Remembering this can be helpful when you’re met with an objection. Instead of taking an objection personally to mean there’s something wrong with you or your offer, you can remember, this is just someone’s brain doing its brain thing.
Which means, hearing an objection and leaning into having a conversation with someone about what’s coming up for them doesn’t make you a bad human, pushy, manipulative, or gross.
I’d argue this makes you a great human who’s willing to sit with someone in their discomfort and help them get past their resistance to be able to make an empowered decision in the direction of what they *actually* want (whether that’s to hire you or not, remember these conversations are about supporting, not convincing).
What if, instead of seeing sales objections as a sign that you were doing something wrong, you saw them as a sign to support someone through their own resistance to get clear on what’s true for them?
I’d love to hear from you, hit ‘reply’ and let me know if this resonated and if you’re ready to reframe sales objections as an opportunity to support someone instead of thinking of them as a sleazy sales tactic.
Wishing you your version of success!
P.S. Ready for 1:1 support to help you manage your mind instead of it managing you when it comes to your business and sales process so you can get clear on what works for you and take action on the simple strategy in a way that sets you up to build a pipeline of right fit clients who can’t wait to pay you?
We’re opening up a Heart-Centered Sales That Sell Coaching Intensive this month with your name all over it!
Book a free coaching consultation here to learn more about how I can support you with the mindset & strategy that goes into creating a highly converting sales process for six and seven-figure years.