Objection Handling Training in Sales

Stephanie Jones

Rasmussen College

17/10/2014

INTRODUCTION

Selling as an activity has existed even before the development of the modern salesman. It resulted from the need for humans to find what they needed and dispose of a product that they deemed as being surplus. Selling can be defined as the act by which a salesperson identifies a potential customer, presents a sales proposals and handles any questions and likely objections from the customer. Sales is a very important activity for any company and it is for that matter that training of salesperson is a matter of necessity.

Background and scope of the training module.

The training program was initiated as a result of the need to equip sales persons of the organization with the skills required to handle objection during a sales activity. The handling of sales objection training program is intended to be used by the sales department to further develop the skill set of the sales personnel as far as objection is concerned. Objection is an unavoidable part of any sales activity and the organization identified the poor handling of objection by its sales people as a likely cause of the dwindling sales level and associated it with the inability of the firm to attract new customers.

points of contact

The sales manager is co-ordinate the entire sales process and the handling of sales objection training is going to be conducted by the team leaders of the various sales groups in the sales department.

methodology

The handling of sales objection training is going to be handled in such a way that the leaders of the sales team only act as facilitators during the entire process. So as to save the company on time and resources and to also cut down on training costs the training will be conducted on an on-the-job basis Seidman, (2012). The main reason behind this approach is that sales men best learn from experience and that the process of learning objection handling skills would best be learnt by them if they acquired the skill through practice Phillip, (2007). During the first stages the training is going to involve simulations of likely scenarios in which objection can occur during the sales activities. Sales personnel would be required to work as a team in developing the requisite countermeasures of handling objection and developing strategies of making the best of any interaction with potential clients irregardless of the objection constrain.

Once the sales people develop the skills to handle objection at a more controlled and simulated setting implementation of what they have learnt is going to be carried out in the field. The sales department is going to create an avenue through which all the prospective customers can give their feedback on their encounters with individual sales persons. Sample surveys are also going to be conducted with questionnaires and interview questions being formulated in such a way that they are inclined towards gauging objection handling from a client’s experience with the sales man.

Issues and recommendations.

Through the customer feedback platform developed in the company’s website and the various social media platforms the sales department is going to be able to assess the performance of its sales force Angela, (2010). The feedback from the clients is going to be analyzed and the pertinent issues involving objection during sales activities identified. The sales department is then going to develop ways and means of addressing those issues and giving recommendations to its sales personnel based on the customer feedback from the surveys conducted and data collected from questionnaires and interviews.

conclusion

In conclusion, objection is a common feature of any sales activity and how a sales person handles objection is key to the success of any sales transaction. Training of sales persons is crucial in ensuring sustainability of any company as good sales men guarantee a steady rise in sales revenue by helping in attracting new clients and maintain the pre-existing customer base. Objection handling is arguably one of the most important skills that is required for a successful sales career and how well a sales person handles objection determines his proficiency in the art of selling.

references

BIBLIOGRAPHY Angela, S. (2010). Sales training basics. ASTD Press.

Phillip, F. (2007). 50 activities for sales training. HRD Press.

Seidman, D. (2012). The ultimate guide to sales training: potent tactics to accelarate sales performance. San Fransisco: Pfeiffer.