Article 6.2.4 Lead a Balance Life

Take time to live a balanced life.

There is time for everything. We need spiritual time, family time, time to work, leisure time, time to rest, and time alone for self improvement. Take time to maintain sound physical and mental health. Take time to live a balanced life. Without it we cannot succeed.

• There is a right time for everything... everything is appropriate in its own time... there is nothing better for a man than to be happy and to enjoy himself as long as he can; and second, that he should eat drink and enjoy the fruits of his labors, for these are gifts of God. (Ecclesiastes 3)

ACTION POINT: Avoid extremes and savor your moments. Balance in all things.

Approaching Conflict

Put another way, if you don't discover all the needs, you risk being blindsided later by an objection.

Dealing with customers' objections is less daunting when you stick to a process derived from proven conflict-management techniques. This helps you focus on the objective, maintain your professionalism, and curbs your tendency to react too quickly.

Before introducing the objection-resolution model, there are two assumptions that you need to accept, Firstly, many, if not most, objections are unfulfilled needs. Needs are motivational in nature and when you don't meet them to the customer's satisfaction, they usually appear later as objections. Put another way, if you don't discover all the needs, you risk being blindsided later by an objection.

The second assumption -- which may seem counter intuitive -- is that most objections indicate interest at some level. Indifference and apathy are the reactions you want to see least in response to your recommendations. When the client complains about something, at least they care about the outcome. Taking the customer's objection as a good sign will encourage you to work to resolve it. It's a healthy way to approach conflict.

ACTION POINT: You don't have to accept these assumptions at face value, but work with them and decide later whether or not you agree.

Reacting to Resistance

None of these is constructive, and none is likely to help you close the deal.

Most salespeople react in one of three ways when faced with objections -- becoming defensive, aggressive, or simply giving up. None of these is constructive, and none is likely to help you close the deal. To keep from falling into one of these traps, do what you do best -- problem solve with the customer.

The three types of resistance indicate the following:

Becoming aggressive - This suggests that you must convince the customer you're right -- and by implication they are wrong. This doesn't encourage discussion.

Getting defensive - this sends out the message that the process is more about you than the client.

Becoming passive - Giving up is the worst of all. for all you know there may be considerable interest.

ACTION POINT: When faced with objections work hard to avoid the three common responses.

Making Buying Decisions

So why do buyers object when they're ready to buy?

Most people object to a selling proposal even thought they are interested in buying. it's human nature. The lesson to learn is that not all objections are as bad as they first appear, and most can be resolved.

So why do buyers object when they're ready to buy? Most are simply looking for reassurance from the salesperson; they want to feel like they are making good, thoughtful, reasonable decisions, and they don't want to think that they are being hasty or foolish. They know that they will start questioning themselves soon after they make the purchase.

You may have heard some of the terms associated with this phenomenon, such as buyer's remorse and cognitive dissonance, the feeling of tension that arises when you keep two conflicting thoughts in mind simultaneously. When you make a decision to buy, especially when spending a slot of money, you may experience a sense of disequilibrium. Part of you feels good about the purchase, but part isn't so sure.

It's not a comfortable feeling. Professional buyers are also subject to these feelings, so to protect themselves and feel like they are doing the right thing, they object--even when they may be ready to buy.

ACTION POINT: Get comfortable with the uncomfortable feeling of objections.

Resolving Objections and Closing the Sale

...when you start to encounter objections form the client, the role can feel a lot more like selling.

Resolving objections is often the most challenging part of the sales process -- it can be uncomfortable and unpredictable. But understanding the situation and practicing your responses will help you perform well when you encounter resistance.

Up to this point in the needs-driven selling model, your role has bee that of facilitator and adviser. Now, when you start to encounter objections form the client, the role can feel a lot more like selling. However, there's no reason to freeze and miss the opportunity.

ACTION POINT: Understand that clients will object during the selling process.