V7 – LEAR Acknowledge and Explore

Let’s move on to Acknowledge.

This step is where most tension disappears.

Because people want validation before solutions.

Acknowledging doesn’t mean agreeing.

It means recognizing how the customer feels.

Instead of:

“That’s not true.”

Say:

“I can understand why you’d feel that way.”

Instead of:

“Our rates are competitive.”

Try:

“I understand price is important — especially right now.”

That one shift changes the entire tone of the conversation.

When people feel challenged…

they get defensive.

When people feel understood…

they stay engaged.

Don’t fight the objection.

Acknowledge the concern.

Stephen Covey said it best… seek first to understand, and then to be understood.

Because acknowledgment builds trust.

Now let’s move on to how we explore in the conversation.

This is where the real conversation happens.

Because surface objections are rarely the full story.

So instead of reacting immediately…

ask questions.

“What’s most important to you?”

“What’s got you shopping today?”

“Tell me more about that.”

“When you say expensive… compared to what?”

“What concerns you the most?”

Now the customer starts explaining.

And the more they explain…

the more clarity you get.

Exploring does two things:

1. It uncovers the real issue.

2. It makes the customer feel heard.

And here’s the magic:

Sometimes customers talk themselves into the solution.

Questions create conversations.

Conversations create trust.

Trust creates sales.

Let’s move on to how we react and let’s get crackin.