Dealing with Price Objection

by Zig Ziglar

Let's cover one major objection that can be more effectively handled by properly using your voice. This objection is encountered by virtually every salesperson many times during the course of his sales career. All of us encounter, on a regular basis, the prospect who suggests directly or indirectly that the price is a little out of line or that the product is ridiculously and unreasonably overpriced.

One prospect might belligerently and dogmatically say, "THAT PRICE IS RIDICULOUS!" Another prospect might gently, even smilingly, say, "Well, it seems to me that the price is a little [pause] out of line." I've even had folks put it in exquisite colloquial terms: "You folks kinda proud of that stuff you sell, ain'tcha?"

To the one who is dogmatic and says, "THAT PRICE IS RIDICULOUS!" you repeat, almost verbatim, what he said: "The price [pause] is ridiculous?" (Your voice inflection should make it sound like a question.) Inflection is important because in this example you are, as one of my mentors, the late Charlie Cullen, would have said, "audaciously" challenging the prospect. You're creating a situation that forces him to defend his statement instead of you justifying the price. There's quite a difference. One puts you on the defense and the other puts you on the offense. The difference in results is substantial.

It's simple, but not easy. I challenge you to get your cassette recorder, use the same words, and carefully listen to what you've said. Chances are excellent you're going to have to repeat the process a dozen, maybe even 20 times, to get your voice inflection just right. Trouble? Yes. Work? Yes. Worth it? You betcha!

Suppose the prospect says, "It seems to me the price is a little out of line." The first thing you've got to determine is whether the price really is the problem, or is there another issue? You make that determination by asking questions. Sales trainer John Hammond has successfully handled thousands of objections by asking: "If there were a way I could show you that the price is more than fair and the product is worth every dime we're asking, would you go ahead and take advantage of our offer today?"

This forces the prospect to make a commitment based on price when his real objection is color, size, style, neighborhood, or something else you could and should identify. If this is the situation, his response is going to be, "Well, no, not really." Then the salesman can say, "Then there must be some other reason you are hesitating. Would you mind if I ask what that reason is?" This is a superb procedure for smoking out the real objection.

Adapted from Secrets of Closing the Sale © 1984 The Zig Ziglar Corporation