How you respond to a contacts objection can and will greatly impact your success as a real estate agent.
Here are our top TIPS for handling objections:
TIP #1 - KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
A below salesperson receives an objection and gives up.
An average salesperson receives an objection and begins to speak faster, louder and even over top of the lead, interrupting them.
A successful salesperson receives an objection and listens, pauses, takes a breath, relaxes, acknowledges the objection and responds with a question.
Top Performers are almost more calm in the face of adversity.
Unsuccessful salespeople pounce on objections. They get all riled up, which doesn’t help their cause.
The takeaway?
Chill out. Listen. Then reply.
TIP #2 - TALK LESS
If you want to meet an objection with confidence and calm, quash your urge to talk more. Tell yourself to talk less.
It shows the customer that you’re not thrown by questions; you’re confident you have the right answers.
If you start talking more, you’ll shut down your customer’s ability to engage in the conversation at one of its most crucial points — when they have a doubt or concern.
Think of this as your chance to bring clarity to the conversation and engage even more deeply with the customer.
You can’t do that if you’re the only one speaking.
So resist the urge to ramp up your chatter. Talking less will help you connect meaningfully with your customer at a critical juncture.
TIP #3 - AVOID KNEE-JERK MONOLOGUES
When an average salesperson receives an objection they tend to go on with what we call Knee-Jerk Monologues. Rambling on for a long time in hopes of convincing or winning the conversation.
While top performers keep their cool and maintain a healthy back and forth through the use of questions.
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Why do they do it?
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A deep, internal insecurity kicks in and they worry they’ll lose the sale.
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They stop creating a conversation and focus only on what’s coming out of their own mouths.
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They try to talk their way out of the situation.
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The result? They unleash a long, one-way speech.
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That completely changes the pace of the conversation for the worse:​​
It shifts from a healthy back-and-forth pace to a block of uninterrupted rep babble.
It’s a defensive move, which sends terrible signals to the customer.
Easy solution here: Catch yourself in the act and stop monologuing.
TIP #4 - ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS
If you respond too quickly to objections, you’re more likely to address the wrong issue.
Imagine offering up a terribly long spiel only to find you’ve addressed the wrong objection!
You’ve made matters worse. How embarrassing.
Now the customer thinks you don’t understand them and they haven’t heard a solution to their original objection.
Let’s avoid this situation.
What should you do instead of jumping in with a quick reply?
Ask questions.
More than half of top performers respond to an objection with a question.
They want to know they understand their customer’s objection before they address it.
TIP #5 - USE EFFECTIVE LANGUAGE AND KNOW SCRIPTS
We all react better to some words than others. Practice our proven scripts until you have internalized them. Mirror and match the client, use their words. Use tie-downs to move the conversation forward.
Here are some proven winners you can use to address objections:
Imagine: On its own, it has little effect. When you tell the customer what to imagine, it’s incredibly powerful. Here’s an example: "Imagine if we found the perfect house today with the backyard for your kids before school starts again...."
Successful: The top salespeople say “successful” 4-6X per hour on their sales calls. Example: "Now that I know what you are looking for I know we can be successful in finding the perfect home...."
Agree / Wouldn't you: Knowing how to get your lead saying YES and moving the conversation forward is key. Use tie-downs frequently that get them to agree. Example: If I could find you a home that has the extra bedroom for around the same monthly payment you would want to know about that wouldn't you?
Lastly, practice scripts daily with a team member, friend, or another agent.