How can you use emotional intelligence to handle customer objections in sales?

One thing I have consistently practiced that did not always come naturally was to genuinely listen. Active listening is crucial and listening to respond can become habit if not mindful about it. To truly understand the feelings and motivations of an individual helps to create a trusting relationship and empathize with their thoughts and decisions. This fosters space to discuss opinions, challenges, frustrations, and ultimately identify appropriate solutions that may not have been recognized by the customer.

In this World we deal with other Human Beings and if one can realize it then the objective is met. Treat others like how you would like to be treated. Use affirmative and positive words in your communication If you feel good or bad about a thing , be honest to say it...

When you receive push back from a client, it is a true gift. They are telling you that they are interested and they want to engage. If they weren't, they wouldn't respond at all. Listen to what they are saying and see if you can find a match with your portfolio. If there is nothing, be honest and talk to them. You will be surprised, it may lead to a much bigger engagement in the future.

My most valuable suggestion here is to naturally build a relationship based on genuine curiosity in seeking to identify the type of objection. The best way to identify the root cause of hesitation or resistance is to employ 80% active listening + 20% insightful questioning. Most importantly, remain completely open to reciprocating with 100% transparency: if your solution isn’t a great fit based on their logical or emotional objections, acknowledge that while sharing what qualifiers + circumstances would be perfectly addressed by your solution. The long term relationship is more important than trying to force a sale and the dividends of approaching customer objection in this way pays off in future business, repeat business, and referrals.

The most useful advice I can give you here is to genuinely connect with the objection by showing interest in learning more about it. Using 80% active listening and 20% practical questioning is the most effective strategy for determining the underlying cause of reluctance or resistance.Above all, be fully transparent and open to receiving criticism from both parties. If their rational or emotional objections prevent your solution from being a perfect fit, then acknowledge which requirements + conditions your solution best fits. will be spoken from.Rather of trying to push a sale and transform the customer's resistance into future business, repeat business, or recommendations, it is more vital to build a long-term connection.

What proved me to be the most helpful was to record my own conversation and find out how really empathetic I was. Very often we tend to fall into automatic answers to what seems to be the "most common objections". While most of the time, the customer first wants to be heard and understood in order to be open to solution. By thinking of what to answer while the customer speaks, or jumping too quick into an answer to "tackle the objection", we forget to genuinely acknowledge the customer's concern and miss on more creative or suitable solution. To me, give credit to the customer's concern and be aware of ourselves is already a big step in selling with emotional intelligence :)

Try to connect with your customers emotionally also. Build good rapport with them. Try to listen to all their queries/doubts and objections. Answer them keeping yourself in place of your customer. Ask them open ended questions, listen attentively to them and try to find out the root cause for their hesitation.

I like the RISE method and I’ve always used the CDDC methodology. Clarify, Dignify, Discuss, & Confirm. Clarify-Make sure you understand the actual objection and if there are others. Dignify-Let them know “You’re not the first to tell me this” this keeps them from feeling alienated. Discuss-Dig a little deeper to better understand their point of view. As mentioned before, open ended probing questions help. Finally, Confirm-This is where you’re seeking agreement and closure. An example-“Does that make sense?” or “How does that sound?” and close-“Shall we move forward?”

To apply emotional intelligence effectively in handling customer objections, I use the RISE framework: Rapport, Inquiry, Solution, and Evaluation. I start by building Rapport, establishing a connection and showing genuine interest in the customer. Then, through Inquiry, I ask targeted questions to uncover their goals, challenges, and expectations. Next, I present a Solution, aligning it with their needs and values. Finally, in the Evaluation phase, I check for understanding, seek feedback, and confirm agreement. This framework guides me in a collaborative process, reducing friction and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Agreed, it is really important to find out the goals and challenges faced by the customer instead of going straight with what you are offering. You may want to amend your offer as per customer needs.

Se você também trabalha com vendas, tenho certeza que, com certa frequência você se depara com potenciais clientes que são tão enfáticos ao colocar as objeções ao seu produto que a pessoa parece grosseira ou incomodada com sua presença. Em situações assim, busque ficar tranquilo e usar uma arma poderosa: a empatia, buscando "trocar o chapéu", se colocando no lugar da pessoa do outro lado da mesa. Algo que aprendi em vendas é que por trás de objeções iniciais (ou superficiais), há sempre as objeções verdadeiras. Muitas vezes a pessoa ainda não com você uma relação de confiança para revelar o real motivo de discordância e, por isso, não trazem as objeções reais no primeiro momento. E a melhor forma de descobrir isso é entender o outro lado.

As a new salesperson, an objection can feel like a threat or an attack. If a salesperson takes it personally, they'll sound combative, or arrogant, or desperate. With experience and professional maturity, an objection from the prospect becomes a powerful insight into their perspective, their values, what they've understood so far in the conversation, and a golden opportunity to demonstrate that the salesperson is a trusted advisor and expert in this area. Staying regulated, curious, and even a little playful in the interaction can lead to an even more powerful connection and a faster close.

One thing I have found helpful is when I feel frustrated with another's behaviors or words (content of an email, aggressiveness on a call etc), is to first acknowledge that I'm not in a good frame of mind and if I have an opportunity to take a brief break to do that and adjust. An email response can wait, and if on a phone call, you can ask the other person to hold for a brief moment to clear your own emotions. As stated here, self awareness is the foundation of being able to resolve the situation in a more positive fashion.

Easier said than done but sometimes it’s as simple breathing, listening, and understanding before making any suggestions or explanations

A few key things to remember about managing emotions when you get hit with an objection. 1. Always have the expectation that there is risk in every sales opportunity. Seek out risk proactively. This way, when you get hit with objections, you are not surprised or frustrated. 2. Remove yourself from the deal and be an "unbiased observer". This will help you think more clearly and come across as a customer-centric party. 3. Document the most common objections and reframing strategies in your sales process. This will help you have fast and reliable responses instead of getting caught like a deer in headlights.

In sales, handling customer objections with emotional intelligence also involves learning from feedback. Feedback can come from prospects, managers, colleagues, or even self-reflection. It helps me improve my skills, knowledge, and strategies, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. Being open to feedback, actively seeking it, and acting on it is crucial. This approach fosters a growth mindset, where I see every objection as a chance to learn, grow, and enhance my abilities in sales. Embracing feedback is key to continual improvement and success.

I try to ask for feedback as much as possible and be willing to listen and appreciative that someone was willing to provide it.

Working in distribution with multiple like customers, feedback is the most important information you can gather. Knowing what your clients prefer and what they don’t and making sure to listening to the answers from things you’ve done right or done wrong can help you navigate future conversations. Once you give the message right and make the teaks from listening to your feedback, you can avoid make the same mistakes over and over again. It helps you turn losses into wins. Keep yourself positive on your interactions with clients. Avoid emotional burn out from exhausting complex conversations.

I’ve found that feedback is received the way it is given. I was a club soccer coach for many years and always told my players “you will play the same way you practice”. If you practice sloppily your game play will be sloppy. So, if you are one who is in a position to give feedback regularly, it’s better to prepare and practice your verbiage ahead of time. This will allow you to offer feedback that will be much more welcome to the recipient. After all, the point of feedback is to help that “player” improve their performance which helps the entire team, right?

Asking for feedback from management is an effective method, because it not only helps your manager to listen to your perspective on the customers objections, but also gives you the chance to get feedback from a person that might have been in the same situation way back in the day and had found a solution that helped not only save the sale, but build a stronger relationship with the customer.

Active listening and empathy can help you when receiving customer hesitations. Let’s look at this scenario: A customer expresses concerns about the price being too high for their budget. The consultant actively listens, acknowledges the customer’s budget constraints, and empathises with their financial concerns. Instead of immediately pushing the product, they inquire further to understand the customer’s specific needs and financial limitations. Then, they explore alternative options or payment plans that align better with the customer’s budget without compromising value.

Emotional intelligence is important in understanding customer objections because it helps you empathize and nurture the conversation, building trust and rapport for effective problem-solving and customer satisfaction.

By actively listening to customers, showing empathy, and regulating your own emotions, you can understand objections beyond surface-level concerns. Ask clarifying questions to uncover underlying issues and respond with positive language, offering solutions that address customers’ specific worries. Building rapport and educating customers rather than solely convincing them further enhance the emotional intelligence-driven approach. Following up after objection handling demonstrates ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction, solidifying a foundation for trust and successful sales outcomes.

In sales, leveraging emotional intelligence to handle objections involves acknowledging and understanding customer’s concerns. By empathizing with their perspective, validating their feelings, and responding thoughtfully, you can create a connection that paves the way for effective resolution.

Remembering to inhabit the world and the worldview of your customer is key - a successful business relationship happens in their world with the way they see and experience their concerns and objectives. For example, picture that you are standing shoulder to shoulder with your customer, seeing the opportunity or challenge from their perspective, not in opposition.