Objections can kill any modern marketing
You want to upgrade your website or social media, and everything seems to be going perfectly. You’re engaging, relating, and connecting. Then, instead of a big yes to your call for action, unbeknown to you, your audience has objections and is thinking such things as:
- “I don’t think we can afford it.”
- “I’m not sure this is the right time to make such a commitment.”
- “I have to check with the boss.”
- Alternatively, some other response bringing your ideas to a screeching halt.
Most objections are only requests for more information
Objections in the mind of your prospects only come when the person is trying to overcome some of their doubts or fill in missing information. They confirm a level of need or desire for your idea, product or service. They help you to determine better the next steps you should take in the implementation of your digital strategy process.
Objections are natural; in fact, they occur most frequently when people want something. What they are worried about is whether your idea is possible and will it solve the problem they have or deliver the outcome they want and need. Be ready; they are an inevitable step to improving your online outcomes.
I am not saying transforming objections into opportunities is easy. However, I know once you have mastered the skill, your success rate will increase dramatically. Analyse possible objections and embrace them as they:
- Provide you with important feedback
- Give you clues as to the next step you should take
- Clues as to how a person is thinking
- An indication as to what the target person understands
- Pinpoints areas on which to concentrate
- Gives you a second chance to make your point
- Indicates the person or customer’s buying motives.
- Can help you switch on the ‘green lights’ to go
All too often we miss opportunities in our online marketing because there is no personal contact. Possible objections make paying attention to content detail critical.
What causes objections to arise?
- Lack of understanding about what you are offering
- Poor graphic design and poor quality photographs and videos
- The person you are dealing with is a poor decision maker
- Disbelief of what you are offering
- The person is a procrastinator
- Unsure of the value of your product or service
- There is no money
- They have no authority to act
- The person could be finding out information for a competitor
- Sometimes people are filling in their time, just looking around
- They have something more important on their mind
- Your website is difficult to access and navigate
- Moreover, do not be surprised if the person is testing your company.
Answering objections before they are raised
Online, you rarely get the chance to hear objections directly, so your website and content need to answer them in advance. Start by listing the questions and concerns your sales team hears most often. Each one is a clue to information that is missing from your pages.
- Explain clearly what is included in your product or service and what the customer can expect
- Show examples of your work and describe the results you help people achieve
- Outline your process step by step so the next move feels simple and low risk
- Include a frequently asked questions section that tackles cost, timing and approvals
- Make your contact details easy to find for anyone who still has a question
When people can find these answers without having to ask, many objections simply disappear before they become a barrier.
Turning objections into conversations
Some objections will still come through, whether in an email, a phone call or a comment on social media. Treat each one as an invitation to talk rather than a rejection. Thank the person for raising it, ask a question to understand the real concern and then respond with clear, honest information.
Keep a record of the objections you receive and how you answered them. Over time this becomes a valuable resource for updating your website copy, briefing new team members and planning future content. The more objections you understand, the more confident and persuasive your online projects become.
A great way to have the biggest nightmares and the shortest marketing career is to shy away from understanding and addressing possible objections.
