Six Ways to Handle Objections
Reprinted with the permission of Bill Radin

As recruiters, the more adeptly we deal with objections and concerns, the more likely we'll accomplish our mission: to make placements on behalf of our clients.

By choosing responses that are tailored to your own personality and unique value proposition, you can successfully diffuse tension, build trust and help people adjust their thinking in a way that benefits all parties.

There’s no reason to fear rejection or refusal. On the contrary: pushback gives you a great opportunity to exchange ideas and even strengthen your rapport with your customers. Like a muscle, you can’t make it strong until it’s been exercised.

Here are six techniques you can use the next time you encounter an objection:

1. Ignore it. Pretend you didn’t hear the objection and move on.
2. Use a rebuttal. Introduce a different point of view or find a factual way to weaken the other side’s argument.
3. Ask a question. This puts you in the driver’s seat, and gives you a chance to learn more about the prospect’s concerns.
4. Paraphrase the objection. This technique diffuses the tension and helps you calibrate your understanding.
5. Restate the concern using a “feeling” word. Known as “active listening,” this technique allows your prospect to vent without getting the sense that you’re passing judgment.
6. Change the mood or the subject. This has the effect of pressing the “reset” button, and can be especially effective if you can use your sense of humor to clear the air.

Putting the Techniques to Work
To illustrate, here are the six different types of responses, applied to a common objection: “You’re the tenth recruiter to call me this week!”

1. “Really? That’s cool. Listen, I want to talk to you about an incredible job with a Fortune 500 company that involves foreign travel, upward mobility and a fantastic upside potential. In fact, you could probably double your income in a matter of weeks.” (Ignore)
2. “That may be, but I’m the only recruiter in our niche market who represents the top one percent of all job opportunities—jobs that are only available to an exclusive tier of industry talent. Maybe you’re in that tier; and if so, it’ll be a huge career advantage for you to work with me.” (Rebut)
3. “Wow; the vultures are circling. What’s been going on at your company that’s stirring up all this activity?” (Ask a question)
4. “My gosh—50 calls a week! You must be really popular or have some pretty highly sought-after skills.” (Paraphrase)
5. “It must be extremely gratifying to get this much attention and validate your reputation.” (Restate using a “feeling” word)
6. “Actually, I do impressions. You’ve been talking to me the whole time!” (Change the mood)

See how it works? With a little bit of creativity, you can script a wide variety of appropriate—and effective—responses to fit any situation. By so doing, you’ll not only increase your conversion rates, you’ll maintain a consistency with your personality, which is a key component of your own job satisfaction.