Objection handling during the pre-sales meeting

Objection handling during the pre-sales meeting

We all have come across objections during the pre-sales meeting with the customers. Objections are not necessarily bad, in fact, they enable the conversation and help the sales team to understand what the customer really cares about. The lead qualification process helps in identifying the prospects who are willing and able to buy the product. But sometimes, the objection occurs and the reasons can be beyond our reach. Overcoming this is crucial to continue the engagement, strategize, provide feedback to product teams and eventually win the deal.

Here are 5 popular objections that are common in enterprise pre-sales meetings

Missing feature

The discovery call would have already helped you in identifying your customer needs. But, when a customer points a lacking feature in your product, it might be due to the following among many reasons:

• This could be a key feature that they need to achieve their goals.
• A competitor might be offering a feature that the customer likes.
• This could be good to have a feature that customers may not need immediately
• Customers may not have a full understanding of the product and they are trying to figure out how the product works.
• They need customization on their product making it unique from others.
• They want an actual integration that you don’t offer. Your product might solve their problem, but it couldn’t sync up with another tool they currently use.

The solution to objection handling is to ask more questions. Figure out if your customers really need that feature. Is it blocking the deal? 

Here are a few ways to handle the objections:

• Find out why the customer is asking for a feature. What problem are they trying to solve?
• Identify the must to have features required to close the deal.
• If you have a similar feature that does the job, explain it to the customer. 
• Explain to customers how you can solve the problem that they are looking for in a feature.

Not a now thing

After so much effort and time from your end, it would be frustrating to hear this objection. Make sure we are dealing with the right customers, pitch the priorities and find the root cause if they seem to mask their real concern. Tread back your steps and find what changed along the way. Make the prospect understand why they need to make the purchase now and what will cost them if they wait. If the customer is still not convinced, keep a follow-up and schedule a meeting when you think they are ready.

Competitor’s Product

Every now and then, your customers would refer to your competitors’ products. Think of it as the silver lining you were waiting for since it helps you to make a true comparison with your competitor. When a customer brings in a competitive quote, you know he is serious about buying the product. 

As a sales engineer, ask yourself why they would come to you if they are already happy with the other solution. The answer is they are not yet convinced that it is the best fit for their business. Explain the features that would address their pain points and specific business needs. You can make your product stand out and emphasize your product’s worth. 

Complex to set up

This could be a deal-breaker for many since it’s one of the hardest objections to overcome. Your product might not fit well into your customer’s environment and it becomes a hassle for them to adapt. However, you can always workaround, understand the tools they currently use, what needs those tools fulfill, and try to integrate the same with your products. Analyze whether your prospect is confused about your product and its features. Provide your customers with training, support, and quarterly reviews, and work with them on product adoptions. Offer them discounted or free professional services to get the product up and running. This will win approvals from your customers.

Price

Albeit qualifying the prospects and ensuring them with the right budget, the price will still come up as an objection. This occurs when they don’t see the real value of the product. Talk about specific things in the product that will help them solve their problems and the benefits they would receive from your product. Try to quantify their pain points and address their challenges by portraying what will be their ROI with and without your product. This will help them to realize your product is worth the price.

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