Episode #437: Steve Hall
Meet
Steve Hall
Steve Hall is an executive sales coach and MD of Executive Sales Coaching Australia. He helps salespeople and sales leaders who sell high value items to identify, understand, gain access to and work successfully with senior executives in their target accounts. He is recognised as Australia’s leading authority on selling to the C-suite.
Our Mission Is To Change The Negative Perception Of Sales People
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Steve emphasizes the role of empathy, listening, and confidence, and provides his top objection-handling strategies, including how to address price concerns without immediately discounting. By reframing objections and approaching them with curiosity, Steve shows how sales professionals can turn these challenges into lasting relationships and closed deals.
Outline of This Episode
- [1:02] Common objections that salespeople face
- [2:14] The Biggest mistake salespeople make
- [3:20] How Steve responds to objections
- [6:38] The role of empathy in handling objections
- [7:43] How to handle objections with confidence
- [9:36] Steve’s top 3 objection handling dos and don’ts
- [11:36] Turning challenging objections into sales
How Steve responds to objections
Steve Hall categorizes objections into three core types, each requiring a different approach:
- The Brush-Off: These objections are often surface-level remarks designed to end the conversation quickly. They don’t reflect a real concern but are more of a defense mechanism.
- The Perceived Objection: Here, the prospect thinks they have a genuine issue—but often, it’s based on a misconception or incomplete information. With careful listening and reframing, you can clarify the situation and show why this concern may not be as big as they think.
- The Real Objection: This is the true barrier that could prevent a sale, and it’s one you should anticipate based on the research you’ve done.
Instead of jumping in with a rebuttal, take the time to validate their concerns. A powerful approach could be saying, “A lot of people tell us that,” which helps you reframe the objection from a fresh angle. Often, what seems like a major hurdle (e.g., a minor product feature) can be redefined and put into perspective, opening up a smoother path forward.
The role of empathy in handling objections
Remember, you’re on equal footing with your prospect. You bring valuable expertise about the problems your product or service can solve, and ideally, you know these issues inside and out. Don’t let yourself feel intimidated; instead, approach the conversation with confidence.
Your role is to help the prospect overcome challenges and achieve their desired outcomes. Stay curious—think of yourself as their coach and guide, not just a salesperson. This mindset will help you engage authentically and collaboratively, turning objections into opportunities for deeper understanding and trust.
What are Steve’s top 3 objection handling dos and don’ts? Listen to learn more.
Turning a challenging objection into a sale
In 1998, Steve was selling specialized ERP systems when he encountered a hidden objection. The client initially claimed they didn’t want a system that ran on Steve’s platform, though the real issue was that they were angling for SAP, an expensive alternative. While the CMO cited safety concerns, the IT manager’s true motive was to add SAP experience to his resume.
Steve spoke candidly with the CFO, explaining why the proposed switch could be risky. The client ultimately opted for another popular option. Steve later wrote to the CFO, reinforcing that no one in Sydney was using One World, hinting it might not be as safe as they thought.
By 1999, the client returned to Steve, and he closed the deal at full price. The takeaway? Not all objections are what they seem—sometimes, you have to dig deeper to uncover what’s really holding a prospect back.
Countering price objections
Four weeks ago, someone asked Steve for sales training. He kindly suggested that they work out a better sales strategy first. He quoted them a day rate of $3,000 to help them with the process. Their response? It was too much money.
Steve responded, saying, “When someone has an objection about price, you shouldn’t cheapen things. But what I can do is send you some questions to think about and spend half a day with you for $1,600 and we can take it from there.” Four weeks later, they said “Let’s go ahead.”
The moral of the story? Rather than discounting, come up with an alternative that works for everyone.
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Learn More About Steve Hall
What was a pivotal moment or experience in your career that fundamentally changed the way you handle objections, and how did it shift your approach?
Before I became a salesperson I attended a course on Selling for Support People (I was a professional services manager). The thing that stayed with me was the power of silence – how to keep your mouth shut, let the customer/prospect talk and how to listen and understand.
Can you share a specific technique or framework you’ve used to successfully overcome a tough objection? Please provide a brief example or case study where it worked effectively.
Framework is to listen closely to the objection; ask questions to make sure you fully understand it, to understand why it’s important to the prospect and how important it is, to make them feel heard. Validate the objection then (assuming it’s not a genuine showstopper) either reframe it or work with the prospect to see how you can address the issue with their help.
If the objection is genuine but not a showstopper you can almost always find a workaround. Simple example – when selling an ERP a prospect said it was essential that the product field was at least 12 characters. Ours was eight. When we asked why, they used six of the characters to identify different groups of products. Once we understood that we could show how we had separate fields that did the same job even better.
Objections can sometimes feel like dead ends in conversations. Can you share a particularly challenging objection you faced and the steps you took to turn it into a win?
When I sold an ERP it ran on the IBM AS400. A common objection was “we don’t have an AS400 and we don’t want to introduce new technology”. By understanding why and what their preconceptions about the AS400 we were able to show how there would be less work for the IT Department, not more.
What are the top three tools, resources, or training programs you recommend for sales professionals who want to improve their objection-handling skills?
I’d recommend studying NLP, but being careful not to use it as just a tool but more as a way to put yourself in the prospect’s shows.
I’d study active listening and get them to parctice counting to twenty before they respond to any objection.
With evolving buyer behaviors and advancements in AI and technology, how do you see objection handling changing in the coming years, and what advice would you give to salespeople to stay ahead?
I don’t see it changing – technology changes, people stay the same. I’d advise salespeople to study people, psychology and empathy.
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