Power Of Creative Selling

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Chapter 6 - How To Turn Objections Into Sales

The Best-of TheBookstBefore World War I, I was selling paint, cement roofing, and other allied products in Louisiana. The prospects on whom I called had never heard of the particular line I was selling. It was necessary for me to create my own sales,
and, of course, I encountered a variety of objections.

When is a prospect a prospect? When he will listen to your story. Therefore, he must listen to your story before he can offer a reasonable objection. You can always rest assured that he is interested the minute he objects. He is challenging your ability. He is testing your knowledge about that which you are trying to sell. He is tendering you a definite clue to proceed. He is saying: "Go to work, big boy, I'm listening, but I'm still from Missouri. You have to show me."

Many objections are based on prejudice. When they are, the prospect is judging and sizing up the situation or proposition prematurely. He is failing to give due consideration. He is being unfair to himself and also to the true spirit of live and let live.

Some objections are merely excuses. The prospect does not disapprove of your product, but he poses an objection as an excuse to relieve him of something he really thinks he should do, but that he wants to postpone.

In selling you will encounter numerous objections, but never give the prospect the slightest opportunity to doubt or distrust you. Never tell him anything you can't prove and back up with facts. In place of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) as a working motto, substitute caveat vendor (let the seller beware).

In the past 42 years I have sold many different products and many different services to many different people. In that time, I have frequently encountered objections, which I have turned into sales. The principle on which I operate is to make full use of my ability. Ability is the capacity to act. It is the power to perform and to think. The application of thought can turn a reasonable objection into a sale. The trick, therefore, is to discipline yourself to think before calling on the prospect, while you are in the presence of the prospect, and after you leave the prospect. Always remember you can change your product, you can change your sales technique, you can change your prospect, but you can never change human nature. However, by thinking you can adjust yourself to human nature, and it will yield anything you desire.

I want to relate a few actual experiences, showing how I have turned objections into sales. These experiences give the gist of the conversation that took place between me and the prospect, the objections encountered, and the results obtained. I could fill a book with these experiences, but the ones related are typical and serve to illustrate the value of using your ability to turn objections into sales.

How to Prove an Objection Is Groundless

In reviewing my experience down in Louisiana, selling paint, cement roofing, and other allied products, I recall that I had on my calling list a very large concern, located in a small town. This company was rated at over a million
dollars. I decided that it would be a good prospect for my line, since it supplied all the adjoining territory with roofing and paint products. When I arrived at this concern's place of business, I found the proprietor, Mr. Whittall, sitting on the steps, shaving a pine board with a large pocket knife.
This form of entertainment is better known in the south as whittling.

After receiving a cordial greeting from Mr. Whittall, I presented the facts about the value and benefit of the cement roofing in a Sales Plan that I thought was most illuminating and most convincing. He listened intently and hardly batted an eye. One outstanding claim I made for the cement roofing was that it was absolutely fireproof. This claim inflamed Mr. Whittall, and he vehemently proclaimed: "I don't believe a gosh dern word you say." At this juncture he took a sample jar of cement roofing from my case, removed the lid and sunk the long blade of his knife into the thick fluid. He lifted the knife from the jar and brandished it over his head, then smeared its load of cement over the surface of the pine board that he had been whittling. At this point he put his hand into his pocket, pulled out a "redheaded" match, lighted it, and applied it to the cement roofing. Instantly it burst into a conflagration, and Mr. Whittall said, "There is your dern cement roofing, going up in flames."

I remained perfectly calm, cool, and collected throughout the entire demonstration. I knew exactly what would happen, but I wanted Mr. Whittall to complete the experiment, to find out for himself and satisfy his own doubts. After the demonstration was finished, I said to Mr. Whittall: "Now that you have completed your experiment, I want to inform you that when you applied the match to the cement roofing you did not ignite the asbestos compound out of which it is made. You merely set fire to the benzine, which is added to the compound to preserve and keep it in a liquid state so it can easily be applied to the surface. When the cement is applied, the air instantly evaporates the benzine and leaves the roofing cement in one solid piece that is holeproof, nailproof, windproof, waterproof, fireproof and foolproof."

I put my hand into the sample case and produced a board on which was a smear of dry roofing cement from which the benzine had evaporated. I invited Mr. Whittall to kindle a fire on this surface, and without hesitation he proceeded to try. The roofing cement would not burn; he discovered that I had told him the truth.

In meeting Mr. Whittall's objection, I gave him the right-of-way. I did not argue with him, and neither did I attempt to coerce or correct him. I permitted him to make his own demonstration and perform his own experiment. I let him answer his own objection and his doubts and uncertainties evaporated like the benzine. He sold himself. By the application of a little thought and common sense, I turned his objection into an order for three carloads of cement roofing.

Don't Sell the Product, Sell Its Advantages

In 1916, I was engaged as a salesman to help put a new tooth paste on the market. I soon discovered that the chief objection to this particular product was that it was new and unheard of, and that no one knew its value. Therefore, instead of selling tooth paste, I sold increased sales and good will. This was my approach:

"Mr. Druggist, I have an unusual plan that will help you make a lot of new friends for your drug store. This plan is hidden in the secret formula of an unusual dentifrice. This is a tooth paste that cleans and polishes the teeth, preserves the enamel, eliminates tooth decay, cools and purifies the breath, and leaves a clean, wholesome, and pleasant taste in the mouth. Mr. Druggist, twice each day, when your customer uses this tooth paste, he is going to think kindly of you because you have put a good taste in his mouth. When he needs other toilet articles, he is going to think of your store. Therefore, this splendid tooth paste will help you build good will and increase the sales of your store."

This Sales Plan worked, and in one day in Birmingham, Alabama, I opened up 34 new accounts for this unknown dentifrice. According to the records, it was one of the greatest feats in American salesmanship up to that time. I reaped all those orders by anticipating the chief objections in a prepared Sales Plan.

Time rolled on, and one day I found myself selling lubricating oils. Again, I was faced with objections. This time the chief objection was: "Your product is good, but your price is too high." My answer to this objection went something like this:

"Mr. Oiler, an inexpensive product costs you twice the price—you have complaints, mishaps, and lose customers. I'm selling a good product at a good price. Into it go quality materials and processes that add up to 'top-notch' performance. I offer you a lubricant that eliminates friction, increases efficiency and lengthens the life of any machine. The high-grade performance of my product is the result of years of experience and specialized 'know-how.' Surely, my company, an old hand at the game, produces this lubricant at the least possible cost and sells it at a fair price. If a less expensive method of production was developed, I am certain that my company would be the first to apply it."

Mr. Oiler was reasonable, and his objection to price was soon overcome by my reference to quality and performance. Did my presentation work? I sold three times as much lubricating oil as any other salesman in the organization.

How Creative Thinking Turns Objections into Sales

At last I found myself selling what is considered the toughest thing in the world to sell—a piece of paper with a promise to pay, known as a life insurance policy. Life insurance is strictly an intangible product, and requires the highest form of creative selling. It is said that anyone who can sell life insurance can sell anything, even ice cubes to Eskimos or safety razors at a barber's convention. In this field I encountered thousands of objections, and the ones related below will give you a little food for thought. The only way to learn to encounter objections is by contacting prospects, and the only way to turn them into sales is by positive and creative thinking.

One day I called on a prospect about a life insurance proposition, and, after I presented my Sales Plan with all the skill possible, he suggested that I send him a sample policy. "Mr. Buynow, I will be very happy to send you a sample policy, but before I do I want to tell you a true story about Mr. Putoff. I do not know whether or not you knew Mr. Putoff, but many insurance agents called on him from time to time, and he always suggested that each one send him a sample policy. The other day Mr. Putoff passed away, and after his death Mrs. Putoff went down to the bank and opened his safe deposit box. She thought that her husband had made ample provision for her and her four children. However, in looking through the contents of the safe deposit box, guess what Mrs. Putoff found? She found ten sample policies for $10,000 each $100,000 worth of sample policies that were not worth a cent!

"Mr. Buynow, I was one of the guilty parties to Mrs. Putoff's misfortune, and I do not think I played fair with her and the children. I should have persuaded Mr. Putoff to buy some life insurance, rather than to have aided and abetted him in cluttering up his safe deposit box with a lot of worthless sample policies. Therefore, Mr. Buynow, do you think I would be playing fair with your wife and children to send you a sample policy? I feel that I would be betraying them, and furthermore I want you to know right now that I represent them in this matter. I owe them a debt of responsibility."

This got under Mr. Buynow's skin. Using the sample policy argument, I turned his objection to life insurance into a sale of a $25,000 life insurance policy.

An Objection Is Often a Reason for Buying in Disguise

A few days later, I called on a certified public accountant. I lost no time in giving him the full content of my Sales Plan. As you no doubt know, C.P.A.'s are clever at figures, especially when they are figuring for other people.

Well, as soon as I had finished my sales presentation, he responded with the following objection: "I can make more money by investing it myself than a life insurance company can make for me. To prove it," he continued, "I have $25,000 invested in 4 per cent bonds, which are yielding me $1,000 a year."

"That's fine, Mr. Correctall. No doubt you would like to double the value of those bonds immediately."

He came back with a quick retort: "You bet I would how can that be done?"

"Very easily," I continued. "All that you have to do is to take the earnings from your bonds, and invest them each year in a $25,000 life insurance plan. In so doing you immediately double the value of your bonds from an estate vStandpoint, and instead of your family having a $25,000 estate they will immediately have a $50,000 estate."

"Say," he said, "I never thought of that." So I sold Mr. Correctall a $25,000 life insurance policy by taking his own objection, injecting a little thought into it, and handing it back to him in the form of a suggestion. It not only counteracted his objection, but gave him a very sound reason for buying life insurance. By a little thought, I turned another objection into a substantial sale.

I approached Mr. Cantbuy, who owned a chain of meat stores. When I had finished my sales presentation, he said "Nothing doing no life insurance for me. Why, my dear fellow, I would not give you ten cents on the dollar for all the life insurance in the world."

After a pause, I said, "Mr. Cantbuy, this plan does not cost you ten cents on the dollar. As a matter of fact, this unusual plan will only require about four cents on the dollar each year."

"Do you mean to say you can get me a life insurance policy for an outlay of only four cents on the dollar each year?"

"That's exactly what I mean, Mr. Cantbuy, and if you will make a deposit of $1,000, Everybody's Insurance Company will deliver to you a policy for $25,000."

"Willingly," said Mr. Cantbuy. "If you can do that I'm sold."

How to Get Around an Objection

I called on a very prosperous wool merchant. His secretary put me through the third degree as to my name, history, pedigree, and business qualifications. Then she wanted to know what I wanted to talk to Mr. Nointerest about. I told her my mission, and this opened the door to Mr. Nointerest. Attentively he listened to my story. When I had finished, he said, very decisively, "I'm not interested." I accepted his statement. However, I realized that possibly I could convince him if I knew his date of birth and could submit my plan to him in the form of a brief. Believing that discretion is the better part of valor and that a soft word turneth away wrath, I spoke to him very gently: "Mr. Nointerest, I have never had the pleasure of meeting you before. However, I want you to do me a favor: I want you to give me your date of birth." He replied, "I do not give my date of birth to strangers." "But," I said, "Mr. Nointerest, will you loan me your date of birth for a few days?" Laughingly, he replied: "March 19th, 1905."

In a few days I submitted the plan for Mr. Nointerest's consideration. He liked it, and, as a result of circumventing that objection, I sold him $100,000 of life insurance, with an annual premium of $5,000.

I approached a Mr. Warner, and, when I completed my story, I asked him very decidedly how his physical condition was and whether he thought he could pass a first-class medical examination. He told me that he was never better. I suggested to him that a physician call and check his physical condition. This he agreed to do. "But," he said, "I don't need any life insurance. I don't want any life insurance. I have a very substantial estate."

I said, "Mr. Warner, you could use $50,000 of life insurance to set up a special fund of money to meet the inheritance taxes, state taxes, and other administration costs that will eventually be imposed and assessed against your present estate. This life insurance fund will furnish the ready cash to pay those expenses for your estate. It will leave your present estate intact. In brief, Mr. Warner, why not let us underwrite the settlement costs of your estate?" This suggestion caused Mr. Warner to forget his objection. He saw the wisdom of my suggestion. In a few days I delivered a policy for $50,000.

About 3:30 in the afternoon I called on Mr. Speculator, an investment broker. His objection was: "I am a stock broker and I like to speculate with my money."

"That is exactly why I called on you. Everybody's Insurance Company wants to speculate with you. They want to wager $25,000 against your $600 that one year from today you will be living." This wager completely swamped his objection. He could not resist the offer, and a policy for $25,000 was delivered to him.

The Importance of Constructive Suggestions

I called on Mr. Fish, a member of a contracting firm. His objection was: "I am absolutely not interested in life insurance."

"Mr. Fish, you are interested in this partnership, and I have a suggestion."

I gave him a complete picture of partnership. I told him that the two most important things in a partnership were, first, his life, and second, his partner's life.

I reminded him of the details of a partnership, and the legal aspects that might apply if he or his partner should pass away. I pointed out that the death of either would automatically terminate the partnership, and that this might wreck the business that he and his partner had spent years in building.

"How much money do you and your partner have invested?" I asked him. He told me. I suggested that the wise and practical thing to do was to cover each partner's interest in the partnership by taking out a life insurance policy for the amount of that interest, and to enter into a partnership agreement whereby the proceeds from the deceased partner's life insurance policy were to be used by the surviving partner to buy the deceased partner's interests, thus making it possible for the surviving partner to continue the business of the partnership without legal interruption or entanglement in the deceased partner's estate.

"That's just what we want," Mr. Fish said. A total of $200,000 of life insurance was placed on him and his partner as a result of what he thought was an objection.

I called on a prominent physician, who was about fifty-four years old. His objection was, "I am too old for life insurance." At this point, I suggested that he invest some of his money in a $100,000 investment insurance annuity plan, to mature in 11 years. "How does that work?" he asked. I told him that if he was living at the end of 11 years he would get $100,000 in cash, or that he could turn this $100,000 into an income for life, which would give him approximately $10,000 per year. I further explained to him that if he should pass away before the end of the 11-year period, his beneficiaries would get the $100,000, or the insurance company could arrange to give them a definite, fixed income as long as they lived.

I completely submerged the doctor's objection, and I left his office with a check for several thousand dollars to cover the first annual premium.

These experiences, relating how to turn objections into sales, are not opinions or theories about selling. They are demonstrative of sound selling technique.

How Creative Selling Will Increase Your Sales

In following me through these sales performances and meeting these objections, you must have been reminded of one thing, and that was the simple and ordinary way I did it. My technique was to present my ideas about my product in a scientific Sales Plan. I gave these ideas to the prospect straight from the shoulder. I never exaggerated, I never used subterfuge or bombastic camouflage, or made a claim or statement that I could not back up with facts. I spoke sincerely and truthfully. I never gave the prospect an argument about his objection. I let him have his own way. I took his "buts" and handed them back to him in the form of suggestions that changed his entire attitude. The prospect was open-minded and considerate. He believed and liked what I said. He had confidence in me. His objection gave me information that I turned into a sale.

When you apply the power of creative selling, you can concentrate. Concentration provokes quick thinking. Many constructive thoughts and suggestions will come to you as you begin to apply the process of thought. Your power to express these thoughts and suggestions will increase as you need them. Your ability to do the job well will give you many thrills—and many checks.
 

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Power Of Creative Selling

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