If you’re cold calling somebody and they’re like, not interested, I need to talk to my spouse. I can’t afford it. I hear those as what we call a “smokescreen objection”. Okay. So this is somebody that’s just blowing smoke. This’s their natural response to salesperson. My objective is stronger than their objection. So, when they say no, hell no, we’re not doing this. I’m like, oh. Okay, you mean no. When he says I need to get more, three more bids, he’s saying I need to get three more bids. That’s not a no, I’m gonna keep going.
Selective hearing
Selective hearing, there are certain objections that I choose not to hear. Some people call this ignoring. We sell the roofs and customers over here, like this all sounds great, but I’m gonna get three bids. Have you ever heard that one? I know you will hear this objection. So, when you do, Sam’s in your earbud and I’m over here like, “You didn’t hear anything yet.” I mediated. I caught what he said real before it hit your ears, I’m like, hold on. And then I go to Danny and I’m like, Danny. He said, show me how he doesn’t have to get three more bids here. And you’re like, oh, so what you’re saying is you need me to show you how you don’t need to get three more bids and I’ll make this make total sense right now without you shopping it out. Oh, I’ll do that for you anyway. So, let me show you what we do. That make sense. So, it’s how did I hear their objection? Because, here’s the problem, most people hear no when I say I’m customer and I come to you and I’m like, Hey, I need to get three bids. You hear it as what? No. You hear a no from me. Did I say anything about no? Nope. No means no. Write that down. Until they say no, I keep going. My objective is stronger than in their objection. So, when they say no, hell no, we’re not doing this. I’m like, alright, they mean no.
Let me give you three different options. It’s like, I’ll bid it three times for you. do you need me to change my shirt or is it okay that I keep the same blue shirt on? Yeah. So, I hear it. So, let me give you another example. Uh, you don’t sell, but pretend you sold me, sell me on going to the bar, with you this weekend, but I’m like, I don’t drink. You say “Good. I need a designation” That’s a great answer, right? So, I go, wait a minute, you could have taken that at face value and heard- Sam doesn’t drink. That’s it face value. Sam doesn’t drink. I didn’t tell you I’m not going to the bar with you. I just said I don’t drink. So, if you hear it is no, then you’re going to just give up and your objection. My objective overpowered your objective. Does that make sense? He heard it as well, great, that doesn’t mean you have to drink to have a phenomenal have at the bar. You can be the designated driver and we’re actually going to go and meet with this person and this person, you can bring your girlfriend, like, you know? Sam doesn’t drink doesn’t mean there isn’t so many other things you could go do with us while we go to the bar. Does that make sense? So, selective hearing is key, there are certain objections that I choose not to hear.
Keep Moving
Giving a smokescreen objection is a natural response to salesperson. Okay? I don’t need to hear them. I just ignore them. I’m like, cool beans, I’m going to keep moving. Okay? And if they say it three times and I’m like, I mean it the same objection, three times, I’m like, oh, we have a problem. It’s a “real” objection. If they do what we call objection, bouncing. And they go, Hey, I’m not interested. You’re like, oh, that’s fine. Just so you know, they’re like, well, I can’t afford it. And you’re like, oh yeah, no, no, don’t worry. It’s not like, and then, and you, and they just like keep making up new objection. It’s just them looking for they’re changing bait and being like, can I sell this guy on getting off my porch or getting out of here? I still treat those as smoke object, smokescreen objections. And I just navigate them and move on from their objection. I’m just like, all right, I can stay in the pocket a little longer than you. What ends up happening is your quarterback blitz are happening. Objections are happening and you just start scrambling, but a good quarterback like, Tom Brady, he’s like, there’s craziness coming at me. And he is like, yeah, okay? Not that receiver. Let’s get that one. You know? He stays so poised in the pocket, right? Is because he doesn’t allow those objections to really phase him at the beginning.
One of the techniques you can use is we call, I call it a micro validate. So everybody’s heard of validation. Right? Any objection handling, the smoothest thing that people like to hear when it’s a true objection is empathy and validation. They want to know that you heard them right. Well, on a smokescreen objection. If you give the objection too much weight, then you make the objection bigger than it needs be. Does that make sense? So, I do what’s called a micro validate. So a couple lines you could use would be like, “Perfect. Yeah. That’s why I’m here. Yep. Yeah. Most of your neighbors say that. Perfect. I feel you. Of course. Yeah. Cool.” All those kind of things are, it’s a simple micro validate. Does that make sense?
Is It A Condition?
A different strategy would be when I’m sitting at a table and we’ve gone through the whole presentation. They understand the value. Now it’s like, but really I have $0 in the bank account and you’re like, Hmm, wow. We got a different objection. Like, maybe we even have a condition here. So, the third thing that you gotta understand is it a condition? A condition is they can’t buy. Like, they don’t qualify for credit. They are moving tomorrow. There’s zero opportunity here. They rent the home. So, it’s kind of like, well, I’m talking to the renter and I’m asking them to sell me their home. That’s a condition. Like, they can’t sell the home. Does that make sense? It’s important to understand that. So let’s say somebody gives you a smoke screen and it’s in the first category.
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