Phantom objections: Sometimes an objection seems to  relate to one issue, but in fact that issue is cover for a deeper, “phantom” objection.

For example, an objection might seem to focus on price, but  in reality is a phantom objection, disguising the fact that the Prospect does not feel any strong need for what you offer.  Or it could be a cover story because the person with whom you have been meeting is embarrassed to admit that he or she really doesn’t have the level of buying authority they led you to believe.

How to deal with this?  Sometimes, the simplest approach is to get the prospect talking about what is preventing the sale from taking place. Some methods:

— “Tell me, what would it take to make this sale happen?”

— Or, “What could be change to make it more helpful to you?”

— Or, “I’d appreciate your input: If you were in my position, what modifications would you make to the product (pricing, etc.) to make it more useful to an organization like yours?”

Key point: When you encounter what seem to be phantom objections, listen not just to the response, but through it as well to what the prospect is telling you about the selling points you have failed to make, clearly enough. Maybe your product already provides something equivalent to the “modifications” he suggests, which points you to an area to develop in more detail–either with this or future prospects.Adapted from SELLING 101, Chapter 20.