Handling objections for effective cold-calling

While it’s important to do the numbers, because sales is a numbers game, you can improve your numbers and success ratios by improving your team’s skills during prospecting phone calls. The most important skill to improve success ratios during a prospecting campaign is to learn how to handle common objections your team will hear when asking for the first appointment with a new prospect.

Read on to learn how the BlitzMasters AHA formula will allow your reps to handle cold-calling objections, set appointments, and ultimately sell more of your solutions.

The AHA formula

BlitzMasters has developed the AHA formula, a formula that works extremely well for handling common objections you should expect to hear when calling new prospects for the first time. The AHA formula is simply to Anticipate the objection, Handle the objection, and Ask for the appointment. AHA!

Anticipate the cold-call objection

The first key to success when using the AHA formula is to anticipate or expect that you will get an objection to your request for an appointment. If you anticipate that you will hear an objection, you are ready for it and prepared to handle it. If you do not anticipate the objection, you’ll be thrown by it and probably stumble, saying something like, “okay, thanks for your time,” and hang up the phone, only to make the next call and go through the same thing again. 

Instead, after you’ve asked for the appointment, be ready to hear “no” in some shape or form. Prepare in advance the way you will handle it when someone says “no” to your request for an appointment.

Handle the objection

Here’s a suggestion on what you can say when your prospect objects:

“You know Mr. Prospect, that’s exactly what ABC Company said until they realized… (describe a result you created for another client). That’s exactly why we should meet, so I can learn more about your company to determine if there’s a fit for my services. Our services will actually complement what you are already doing.”

Ask for the appointment

Now that you’ve handled the objection, it’s crucial to do the final part of the AHA formula: ask for the appointment. Immediately following your response to their objection, ask for the appointment by saying something like: “How’s Thursday at 10:15?” 

Be specific when you ask for the appointment rather than giving a choice, such as “How’s Tuesday morning, or Thursday afternoon?” We recommend this for several reasons.

1. You want to make it as easy as possible for your prospect to decide when he or she can meet with you. By offering several options, it complicates the process by requiring your prospect to look in several different spots on their calendar.

2. Asking for a specific date and time lets the prospect know that you are busy too, and that Thursday at 10:15 works in your calendar. 

3. If the prospect says “no, that doesn’t work for me,” then all you are talking about is what time and date will work to meet for an appointment rather than if you should meet at all.

The AHA formula in action:

Now let’s pull it all together. 

1. You’ve asked for the appointment your prospect says “no,” 

2. You’ve anticipated the objection and you’re ready for it. Now handle the objection: “You know Mr. Prospect, that’s exactly what ABC Company said until they realized… (a result of your solution.” 

3. Now ask for the appointment: “Why don’t we just talk Thursday at 10:15?”

Notice the AHA formula in action: Anticipate the objection, Handle the objection, and Ask for the appointment!

An additional tip:

• Don’t handle more than three objections per call. If the prospect gives you three objections, use the AHA formula to overcome them all. However, after the fourth objection, thank them for their time and hang up. You don’t want to argue with your prospect because after all, sometimes the answer is actually “no.” 

Try the AHA formula next time you are prospecting for business over the phone. You’ll not only increase your telephone prospecting skills and set more appointments, but will ultimately win more customers and close more sales.

Handle cold-calling objections with a sales enablement workshop

Enjoying these tips from the BlitzMasters Knowledge Center? If your sales team or channel partners are ready to leverage sales expertise and succeed, book a BlitzMasters sales enablement workshop today. BlitzMasters empowers, trains, and facilitates sales reps through call blitzes that gain immediate appointments. Our analytics tracking tool allows both the channel marketer and the channel partner to see performance in real-time, along with detailed reports to show ROI. Contact BlitzMasters today to learn more!