The All Aboard Newsletter

Hey everyone, and welcome back to another weekly edition of the All Aboard Newsletter!

This week, we’re diving into a topic that’s essential for any sales team: handling objections.

We’re picking the topic of objection handling this week, because everyone is looking for a way to boost their sales. Whether its overcoming the objection at the start of the call to secure the quote, overcoming the objection at the end of the call to close the sale, or overcoming an objection to stop a customer from cancelling, objections are fact of life.

Objection handling helps in our day to day interactions and helps us become better leaders to our teams as well.

After all, objection handling is really just negotiation right?

So today, we’ll share our framework to overcome any objection.

We aren’t going to give you the rebuttals themselves, but the framework to deliver the rebuttals. Maybe the rebuttals themselves can come in a future edition.

Lets dive in!

Objection Busting Framework - A.E.O

If the embedded link doesn’t work, you can access the video here: Click Me

For the best experience and most information, I highly suggest you click the video!

Why Do People Struggle with Objections?

Objections can be tough to overcome, but it’s important to understand why they happen.

Zig Ziglar famously said that there are truly only five objections that anyone can face. they are:

1. No need 

2. No money

3. No hurry 

4. No desire 

5. No trust 

While these are common objections, they often manifest in other forms. The “No money” could show up as, “I need to think about it.” The “no trust” could be show up as “I think I’ll stay where I am.”

Ultimately the reason doesn’t really matter. The true challenge comes in how we respond.

Some salespeople worry that overcoming objections means being pushy. If you’re being pushy, you’re doing it wrong.

There is nothing wrong with being assertive.

There is nothing wrong with asking clarifying questions.

If you believe that what you have to offer is better than what they have, you shouldn’t have any mental blocks about handling objections.

Here’s the truth: objections are good. If someone objects, it means they’re still engaged!

Because if they weren’t engaged, they would probably just hang up on you, walk out the door, or simply stop responding.

The AEO Framework: A Better Way to Handle Objections

To tackle objections in a way that feels natural and not pushy, we use the AEO Framework.

The A.E.O Framework stands for: Acknowledge, Empathize, and Overcome.

This framework helps you respond to objections in a calm, respectful way while still moving the conversation forward.

We do it this way because ultimately, everyone wants to feel heard and validated. When you lodge a complaint to a friend, family member, or spouse and they just argue back instead of acknowledging what you said, how does that make you feel?

Not great right?

A prospect is no different!

Here’s how it works:

1. Acknowledge – Listen to the objection and repeat it back to show you understand. For example, “I hear you, it sounds like you’re concerned about the price.”

2. Empathize – Show that you understand their feelings. “If I were in your shoes, I’d probably be concerned about the cost too. Everything is so expensive right now and every dollar counts.”

3. Overcome – Add value by offering a solution that makes their life easier. “Let me explain how we can offer you discounts to help with the cost. We can also adjust coverage to better fit your budget.”

This approach makes the customer feel heard and not pressured. Once the objection is out of the way, you can get back to closing.

Putting AEO into Practice

Let’s say a customer objects because they’re driving and can’t talk. Here’s how you’d use AEO:

• Acknowledge: “I understand that you're on the road and it’s important to stay focused.”

• Empathize: “If I were driving, especially in the rain, I wouldn’t want to be on the phone either.”

• Overcome: “Let’s make this quick. If I ask you a couple of quick questions, I can apply discounts and get everything ready for you so we can talk when its a better time.” The reality here is that by asking the questions, we ultimately get to the price, determine if its worth talking more, and then can hook them if needed. If they still want to get off the phone, you at least know you shot your shot.

We want to control the conversation while being collaborative. We don’t want to be disrespectful or pushy!

Using this method helps move past objections without sounding pushy or aggressive.

This week’s edition of All Aboard is brought to you by:

EZ Mail!

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The data that you’re using for direct mail targeitng matters a TON. If the data is wrong, you’re not going to get any calls.

When the data is good, you get more calls, and better calls.

And while direct mail might come with objections (like the bait-and-switch objection), you can use the AEO framework to handle them:

• Acknowledge: “I totally understand how the difference in price could feel like a bait and switch.”

• Empathize: “If I were in your shoes, I’d be concerned too. But don’t worry!”

• Overcome: “The reason the price is higher is due to better coverage and value. We still want to help you save!”

If you’re looking for an effective direct mail solution, I highly recommend checking out EZ Mail.

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Check em out!

Handling Objections in Other Areas

Objections don’t just happen in sales – you might face them when negotiating with partners, staff, or even vendors. Understanding the AEO framework can help you navigate objections in these areas too, making for smoother conversations and stronger relationships.

Closing Thoughts

Objections are a natural part of the sales process, but with the AEO framework, you can handle them with ease and professionalism. Whether you're working with leads, staff, or partners, this approach helps you keep conversations moving forward without being pushy.

This framework was created after we read “Crucial Conversations” as a team (fantastic book by the way). What it talked about specifically is dialogue .vs. argument. Arguments are both sides waiting to talk. Dialogue is a free-flow of exchange in both directions.

Dialogue should always be our goal when it comes to objections.

If you’re interested in learning more about objection handling or want to discuss any other sales topics, just shoot me an email. As always, I’m here to help!

Until next week, thanks so much for your time, and have a great week!

Cheers!

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