Objections Aren’t Bitter if You Don’t Swallow Them

From the book ASKING by Jerold Panas

“Confession is good for the soul. I must admit that when I first started fundraising, I hated objections. I felt like the tin man cowering before the Wizard of Oz.

There I was, just finishing a flawless and dazzling presentation. And I could just see my prospect winding up, ready to deliver a whammo objection. I wanted to run for cover. What do you do when you stand at the crossroads and all signposts are gone?

But what I realize now is that objections are indeed your best friends. They’re often the way prospects mask their concerns for help and more information.

I now encourage objections. I do! I probe for hidden or unspoken ones. 

Here’s what I know. A gift at the proper level won’t be made until every concern, no matter how inappropriate or trivial, is satisfied.

The objections may feel like a personal assault, perhaps even an attack. But they’re not.

Your first impulse is to be defensive, to strike back. But don’t.

Remember, your job isn’t to prevail, knockdown, and win. Your job is to resolve the objection and win over the prospect.”