Handling objections and maintaining control in sales conversations

From: alexhormozi

Effective sales involves a powerful skill known as reframing, which allows salespeople to maintain control of the conversation and significantly increase the likelihood of a sale after a prospect voices anything but a direct “yes” [00:00:17]. This approach aims to guide prospects towards a logical decision to buy, rather than losing control to their objections [00:01:12].

What is Reframing?

Reframing involves a brief, one to three-sentence response after a prospect expresses a concern or asks a challenging question, designed to pivot the conversation back towards a positive buying outcome [00:00:17]. Instead of directly answering a “trap question” that might put the salesperson on the defensive, reframing involves asking a question about the prospect’s question [00:00:46]. This technique is applicable in various sales scenarios, from low-cost items to million-dollar service packages, and across different communication channels like in-person, phone, or Zoom [00:01:43].

Reframing is crucial for handling sales objections effectively without becoming combative [00:02:25]. The most productive salespeople ask for the sale more often, and reframing ensures that these repeated asks do not decrease rapport with the customer [00:02:44].

The 3A Framework of Reframing

This framework provides a structured approach to reframing:

1. Acknowledge [00:03:23]

   • Purpose: Build rapport and buy time to formulate the next response [00:03:25].
   • Method: Restate what the prospect said back to them [00:03:30]. This signals active listening and gives the salesperson space to process the objection [00:03:35].
   • Example: If a prospect asks about trainer certifications, respond with: “So you’re curious about what our certifications are?” [00:05:00].

2. Associate [00:03:58]

   • Purpose: Link the prospect’s question or concern to the behavior of successful customers, subtly encouraging them to see themselves in that light [00:04:05].
   • Method: Frame their question as a positive indicator of their buying potential.
   • Example: “It’s a great question, it actually shows that you’re a really rational person and you’re making a serious decision here, which is amazing” [00:05:04]. This turns a step away from buying into a sign that they are more likely to buy [00:04:14].

3. Ask [00:04:32]

   • Purpose: Redirect the conversation and regain control by asking a question that addresses the frame of their initial question [00:05:22].
   • Method: Pose a question about their question, such as “Which certifications are you looking for specifically?” [00:05:26]. This often reveals that the prospect might not even know why they asked the original question [00:05:35].
   • General Questions to Ask:
     • “What’s your main concern?” [00:06:19]
     • “What are the main variables you’re using to make the decision?” [00:06:24]
     • “What would make this a no?” [00:06:27]
     • “What are you most afraid of having happen?” [00:06:29]
     • “What would it take for you to say yes?” [00:10:52]

Five Rules for Using Reframing Ethically

Reframing is powerful and must be used responsibly to avoid a bad reputation for sales [00:02:00].

Rule #1: Don’t Tell, Ask [00:06:50]

• A prospect believes what they say, not what you tell them [00:06:56]. The goal is to ask questions that lead them to conclude they are a good fit, rather than you asserting it [00:07:02].
• Avoid: Asking “Do you have any questions?” as this invites objections and cedes control of the conversation [00:07:42].
• Maintain Control: The person asking the questions controls the conversation [00:01:27]. When you start answering their questions directly, they become the “judge, jury, and executioner” of your responses [00:07:56].
• Handling Direct Demands for Answers: If a prospect insists on answers, use analogies like:
  • The “Secretary/Surgeon” analogy: “It would be like you asking the secretary about how your heart surgery is going to be with the surgeon. You’re going to want to talk to the surgeon” [00:08:19].
  • The “Mechanic” analogy: “You’re asking me what’s wrong with your car and it would be unethical for me to answer it without looking under the hood first” [00:08:28]. This establishes ethical high ground [00:08:57].

Rule #2: Be Like Smoke [00:09:04]

• No one can disagree with a question [00:09:04]. Always ask questions, shifting the conversation, so you are always engaging with them and they are doing the talking [00:09:12].
• Avoid Disagreement: Never voice disagreement with a prospect. You don’t win a sale by winning an argument, as arguments lead to both parties losing, and the salesperson losing the sale [00:09:47].
• Guide Change: The objective is to get prospects to change their minds agreeably [00:09:58]. People don’t change their minds when insulted or in a bad mood [00:10:02]. Asking questions, especially about their questions, facilitates this [00:10:05].
• Example Phrases:
  • “Totally understand what are the main things you’re considering?” [00:10:41] (For “I need to think about it”)
  • “Totally understand… I think it’s smart that you’re already thinking about implementation. Our biggest success stories are actually people who think about the process the same way you are right now. So what would make it a good time?” [00:11:04] (For “I don’t have time”)
  • “Totally understand. I think it’s really sensible that you’d want to talk to your spouse… out of curiosity, what parts do you think they wouldn’t like?” [00:11:36] (For “I need to talk to my spouse”)

Rule #3: Tell Them What Their Question Means (Deep Dive on Associate) [00:12:36]

• Anticipate Objections: Salespeople should never be caught off guard by prospect questions or statements, as they have had many more of these conversations than the prospect [00:13:54]. Prospects often throw up “bombs or smoke screens” to avoid the sale [00:14:10].
• Ethical Obligation: If a prospect is qualified and your product genuinely helps them, you have an ethical obligation to persist and help them make a good decision [00:14:31].
• See Resistance as Opportunity: Best salespeople are comfortable with conflict [00:14:50]. Sales is described as a “dance, not a fight” and “seduction, not rape” – emphasizing consent and maintaining rapport [00:15:07].
• Validation: People like salespeople who ask questions about them and compliment them, saying things like “That’s a really smart question” or “That makes you just like the people who have the best success stories” [00:15:15]. Validate their feelings and questions [00:19:12].

Rule #4: Use Straw Men for Tough Truths [00:15:31]

• When a prospect has flawed beliefs that require a “tough truth,” use a “straw man” or “foil” to deliver it without insulting them directly [00:15:35]. This creates a caricature of someone just like them that you can have a tough conversation with [00:16:25].

• Three Strategies:

  1. Reference an Earlier Conversation: “It’s so funny you ask that because I had someone just earlier today who asked the same questions. Can I share with you what I just shared with them?” [00:16:51] This allows for brutal honesty about the “other person” without directly confronting the prospect [00:17:01].
  2. Reference a Successful Past Customer: “You know what, that actually makes you just like Sarah who had a similar plumbing business and actually crushed it with our marketing agency, and she asked this question too” [00:17:18]. This associates their concern with success.
  3. Appeal to Authority: If the CEO or an expert is well-regarded, appeal to their authority: “It’s so funny that you ask that, Alex just told me this thing earlier today. Can I share it with you?” [00:18:41] The salesperson becomes a neutral messenger [00:18:49].

• This approach is particularly useful when you must answer a question or break a prospect’s belief (e.g., reframing “no time” as a “priorities question” [00:17:40]).

Rule #5: Retain Childlike Curiosity at All Times [00:20:23]

• Physically Express Curiosity: Even on a phone call, physical posture and a smile can change your tone of voice [00:20:30]. Practice saying “Huh!” to buy time and convey genuine curiosity [00:20:47].
• Seek to Understand, Not Win: The goal is to deeply understand their concerns, not to win an argument [00:21:06].
• Keep the Human Number One: If you genuinely believe your product will help a qualified prospect, you want to understand their concerns to help them overcome them, because you know it’s the right decision for them [00:21:14].
• Empathy and Guidance: Imagine you are your past self, knowing a future success, and how you would empathetically guide yourself to make the right decision [00:21:40].
• Make the Prospect Right: You close sales by making the prospect feel like they are making the right decision, not by being “right” yourself [00:23:33]. If they feel like you won an argument, you’ve lost the sale [00:22:46].
• Universal Response: A powerful go-to question, especially deeper in the sale, is “What are you most afraid of?” [00:24:24] For initial objections, “What’s your main concern?” or “What are the variables you’re using to make the decision?” helps to triage [00:24:29].
• Pair Obstacles with Solutions: By labeling prospects with positive traits (e.g., “honest person,” “smart decision,” “family man”), you can later associate these traits with the buying decision in your closing techniques [00:23:17].