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It is probably best used with procrastinators after
follow-up interviews. Of course some impending doom
closes are imposed on the recruiter, such as few
openings in some market segments or upcoming
eligibility requirement changes.
OBJECTION HANDLING
Even the most professional sales presentation may
be met with objections from the prospect. Most of us
are conditioned to say no, especially when confronted
by a salesperson. We all like to own after we’ve bought,
but none of us likes to be sold. Recruiters should be
conditioned to expect objections and be prepared to
meet them professionally. The next few paragraphs will
discuss the psychology of objections and give the steps
for handling them.
Psychology of the Objection
Our prospects say no for one or more of the
following reasons:
l They are trying to avoid making a decision by
slowing you and themselves down.
l They are testing your conviction.
l They need more information.
l They have real concerns (possibly hidden).
Regardless of the reason, the prospect is trying to
sidetrack the motion of the sale. The prospect is
challenging the recruiter and expects a nonprofessional
response that will require mental defense. It is
imperative that the recruiter be professional and not ask
why or try to answer an objection until it is clear what
is on the prospect’s mind. Many sales are lost because
a recruiter tries to answer objections that do not exist.
Steps in Objection Handling
Objection handling uses a series of bridges and
steps as follows:
l “Obviously you have a reason for saying that.
Do you mind if I ask what it is?” Notice the
psychological reciprocity. The purpose of this step is to
stop the motion of the sale from becoming sidetracked.
The prospect expected to draw sides with the negative
reply. Instead the recruiter calmly relates understanding
and concern.
l “Just suppose for a moment that
(objection
exactly as stated by the prospect)
was not a concern,
. . ” With this step you are trying to verify, smoke out,
or bury the objection. It is followed by a trial close: ”.
. then in your opinion, do you feel. . .” If the prospect
answers with yes, the objection is still a concern and
can be handled now that it is verified. If the prospect
answers with a no, then the real objection must still be
smoked out. Just back up and repeat or paraphrase the
“Obviously you. . .” step. If the prospect replies, “Well,
I guess
(objection)
is not really that big a deal,” you
have effectively buried the objection, and it’s time to
close.
Once you have verified an objection, you can
continue handling it by relaxing the prospect, turning
the objection into a question, and answering it. The
following steps will guide your way:
l Empathy cushion. Empathy is the ability to put
yourself in the prospect’s shoes without becoming
emotionally involved. The purpose is to relax the
prospect. We want to let the prospect know that we
understand how he or she feels and that he or she is not
alone in having those feelings. We don’t want to
sympathize, though. To understand the difference
between empathy and sympathy, let’s take a look at an
example of each in response to the verified objection,
“I can’t swim.”
Right – Empathy. “I understand how you feel;
others have felt the same way until they saw
the quality of swimming instruction offered by
the Navy.”
Wrong – Sympathy. “I understand how you feel;
there’s a lot of ocean out there.”
l Treated question.
All real objections are
questions in disguise. Our job is to turn the objection
into a question in the prospect’s mind, so we can
answer it. The bridge words are “That brings up a
question. The question is
(restate the objection as a
question. Is that the question?” There are three main
ways of turning the objection into a question.
Direct – The question is “How much money will
I make in the Navy?”
Comparison – The question is “How do Navy
training and experience compare with those of
the other services?”
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