Every salesperson runs into stalls and objections from customers. Every sales-training company teaches methods for handling them. Yet despite all that training, when it comes to coping effectively with stalls and objections, our research shows that nine out of 10 sales reps stink.
There can be only one explanation: Most sales training teaches the wrong methods.
I believe there are three main reasons why sales training fails to make a significant difference in salespeople’s ability to handle stalls and objections. In the previous edition of eCoach, I explained the first reason: Almost all sales training treats stalls and objections as if they were the same problem, with the same solution. That’s dead wrong.
Here is the second reason: The objection-handling techniques taught by most sales training companies do not fit neatly and organically into the sales methodologies they teach. You’re following the path that’s supposed to lead to a sale, the customer stalls or objects to something, and, whoops! Off you go on some detour away from the sales path in order to deal with the objection. Good luck finding your way back.
It’s not as if stalls and objections are rare and exotic. They arise all the time. If training is supposedly grounded in a coherent sales system, shouldn’t you be able to stay within the system to handle a stall or objection? No detours!