Are You Playing to Win?
Or Playing Not to Lose?

In my over 30 years of consulting, training, and coaching people (and add Jason's 2 decades into the mix!!), I’ve noticed the # 1 thing that causes hesitation, second-guessing and even stops people dead in their tracks; is the dreaded Objection!   But, the truth is; it’s not the objection that stops you; it’s your emotional reaction to the objection!  That’s why understanding objections is the 1^st step to mastering them.

Objections trigger something in you - you may feel rejected, bothersome, or intrusive, and the dreaded “they” won’t like you, “they” will think poorly of you, “they” will think you are being pushy bubble up. Sound familiar??? 

However; when you can separate the emotions (how the objection makes you feel - bad, wrong, under attack; and see it as an opportunity to learn more about the prospect, then everything changes.

For example, most of us, when we hit an objection, go down the path of trying to “overcome” the objection by telling more and we will follow this path:

• 1^st - try to Explain or Justify our position. (Fight)
• 2^nd - Attempt to Defend our position.(Fight)
• 3^rd - Lay Blame (it’s not my fault that….) (Flight)
• 4^th - Become speechless, give up, feel frustrated and defeated, and sometimes even foolish. (Freeze)

 It doesn’t have to be this way.  What if you heard the objection as a way to better understand what’s going on for the prospect? You see, they too may be having an emotional reaction; you may have just triggered some bad experience they had in the past.

So instead of trying to “overcome” their objection and telling them all the reasons why you are the solution to their problems what if, you acknowledged their objection and asked them an open-ended question?

Because when you TELL, they will Resist. But, when you ASK, they will Assist!  (Did you ever notice it’s called telemarketing, not ask-a-marketing?!?)

You and I are not wired to ask and certainly not to ask open-ended questions, especially when an objection triggers an emotional response.  When we get triggered 99% of us will go down the Explain/Justify/Defend/Lay Blame/Speechless path and do it again and again and again.

That is why it takes practice, repetition, and immersion to reprogram and rewire your brain, so you don’t get hijacked and go into fight, flight, or freeze mode. 

And that’s why we created Objection Handling Boot Camp, a safe place to come and practice week after week with others just like you who are working on mastering handling objections.

Because, when you can master asking open-ended questions (and this takes PRACTICE!), the prospect will discover for themselves what’s in their way and what is truly stopping them from proceeding with you.

And then things open up and shift, and decisions are made. When we see objections as opportunities to learn more, instead of being confronted by and stopped by them, you will grow, become more comfortable, and be able to help more people.  (Added bonus: your bottom line grows, too!)