The word “objection” in sales is totally misunderstood. To most salespeople, an objection (price is too high, we have a satisfactory supplier, we spent our whole budget, yada, yada) is a reason the prospect is not buying and it’s met with dismay and disappointment.

And in sales training, the word “objection” is usually accompanied by the phrase “get around it,” or “overcome it.” This implies that the salesperson should employ some sort of tactic to “sell” the benefit or respond in some sales-oriented way.

In the next 500 words, I am going to make the word “objection” passé.

First, change your reality of what an objection is. It’s a stall, a barrier, a statement of risk or a lie. It’s a STALL, and there’s a reason behind it. Probably lack of perceived value. It’s a BARRIER, and you have to lower it. It’s a PERCEIVED RISK, and you have to reduce it.

Second, change your reality of what a prospect really means when he throws a barrier or stall at you.

Third, stop blaming the prospect and start taking responsibility for allowing this situation to occur in the first place.

Fourth, now that you’ve had a dose of objection reality, it’s time to look for the REAL REASON the stall or barrier is occurring.

What the prospect is really saying when he or she throws some barrier at you is:

• Where’s the value? I want to know what’s in it for me!

• Where’s the resource? I don’t want a salesperson; I want someone who can help me.

• Where’s the difference between you and the others who sell what you sell?

• Where’s my win?

• Do you know my expected outcome? And how are you helping me achieve it?

Price too high or any other stall or barrier simply means “You haven’t proven yourself yet” or “I don’t see any difference between you and the other people who sell what you sell, and I’m taking the lowest price. Why shouldn’t I?”

And by the way — if you are foolish enough to lower your price, all you’re doing is reducing or eliminating your profit. Good move. Price reduction also makes the customer value you even less.

Let’s take it deeper. The biggest reason prospects and customers won’t buy from you is the (unspoken) risk they perceive.

Risks come in many forms:

Risky (unknown, untried) product.

Risk of selecting the wrong brand or model.

Risk of poor outcome after purchase.

Risk of dealing with your company or product based on poor reputation or unfavorable reports from others.

Risk of paying more than the value.

Risk of being blamed by others for making the wrong decision.

Risk of doing business based on past bad experience.

Risk of doing business with you.

The reason your prospect creates a money barrier is that he or she wants to buy your product but believes yours and the competition’s are relatively the same and the price is all that matters. Or there’s some kind of directive or policy to take the lowest price, no matter what. Or there’s a budget he’s trying to stay within. Or she wants to buy from you and is just trying to get a better price. Or there’s a cheaper price or bid and you’re asked to “match the price.”

If you are able to identify the risk the buyer perceives, and the real barriers a buyer places in front of you, then and only then can you understand how to respond or react.

Here are some clues to uncover risks and barriers:

Ask for the prospect’s opinion.

Talk relationship, not sale.

Ask about their experience.

And you, the salesperson, must possess a superior ability to communicate. This will ensure that the risk or the barrier isn’t YOU.

Here’s the simple formula:

1. Reduce or eliminate risk.

2. Lower or eliminate barriers.

3. Prove a difference between you and the others.

4. Prove value.

4.5. Get a signed contract.

Any objections to that?

Want to know the seven steps to identify the true barrier and then overcome it? Go to www.gitomer.com, register if you are a first-time user, and enter the word OBJECTION in the GitBit box.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the president of Charlotte, N.C.-based Buy Gitomer. He gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings and conducts Internet training programs on sales and customer service at www.trainone.com. He can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com.

© 2006 Jeffrey H. Gitomer