Few things are more infuriating than having a product you know is perfect for a buyer, but continually getting shut down, time and time again. Show
“We don’t have the budget.” “We’re happy with what we have now.” “I don’t see the value in what you’re offering.” These are sales objections. And they are usually the biggest hurdle to you closing the sale. But when addressed the right way, they can build rapport, provide valuable buyer insights, and (of course) lead to a serious sales win. In this guide, we’re going to cover the most effective method I’ve found for objection handling. Once you’ve engrained this simple framework into your processes, you’ll be turning doomed deals into sign-on successes in no time. Plus, we’re also going to look at some of the most common sales objections you’re likely to face and how to respond to them using the framework. Sound good? Then let’s go.
What Is Objection Handling?We’ve all been hit with the “no” bomb when talking with a prospect. Unfortunately, in our industry, it’s inevitable. There will always be prospect’s concerns that need to be overcome. But getting a negative response doesn’t necessarily mean the deal’s dead in the water. Buyers are people. And when people are unsure about making a change (e.g., buying your product), they’ll throw out excuses for not doing it. In the sales world, these are called sales objections. Now, some of the excuses given to sales reps are legitimate, to be sure. Others are just knee-jerk reactions. But no matter what type of excuse you’re dealing with, you can, in fact, handle sales objections in a way that still leads to closing the deal. Objection handling, then, is how you address those sales objections to continue to move the buyer through the sales process. Again, it’s all about understanding their concern (whether legitimate or not), addressing it, and easing their mind. Only then will they be ready to buy. Why Do I Need to Master It?Objection handling is a challenge to be sure. HubSpot found 42% and 35% of salespeople think addressing objections involving urgency and price, respectively, were the top challenges they face. Plus, there are some profound benefits to better sales objection handling. Benefits like:
The Objection Handling Process: 3 Steps to “Yes”Now that we have a better idea of what successful objection handling does for us, let’s take a look at how to do it right using the framework. This framework consists of three steps with two different options for the last step (more on that later) for overcoming common objections:
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Now, let’s jump into the details. Note: When it comes to the objection handling process, the best offense is typically defense (i.e., buyers not having negative sales objections or knee-jerk objections like “I don’t have time for this, just email me”). The best way to prevent negative sales objections from happening in the first place is by asking confident, assertive questions that prove you’re someone to be trusted. That’s the best foundation to build on using this framework. I cover how to ask these questions in my Selling Made Simple Academy. But in the end, knowing how to do so means fewer negative sales objections and objections you can solve to actually enhance the outcome of the sale. 1) (Really) Listen to the IssuePeople like to be heard. That is no different when you’re overcoming objections. And knowing you’re really truly being listened to is vital when it comes to addressing sales objections. That’s why the first step of The Objection Handling Framework is to listen closely to the buyer when they’re describing their sales objection. Half listening just won’t cut it here. I don’t care if you think you’ve heard this sales objection 50 times already this week. I don’t care if you’re put-my-life-on-it certain you know what they’re saying after the first few words leave their mouth. And I especially don’t care how much experience you have in the business. Instead, you need to stop yourself and really listen. Listen to the nuance of what the buyer is telling you is holding them back from closing the sale. And most importantly, shut the hell up. Don’t interrupt them with your answer. And give a slight pause after they’ve posed their objection so they know it’s actually sinking in. Only then can you move on to step number two. Active Listening Is KeyActive Listening [ak-tiv lis–uhning]; noun: Making a conscious effort to not just hear but really concentrate on listening to what the buyer is saying. I cannot overstate the value of investing all the time and energy it takes into developing your active listening skills. Most salespeople are natural-born talkers. It may be why you got into the business in the first place. But talking too much is detrimental to sales success. To put a number on things, the sales intelligence platform Gong found the average B2B sales rep spends about 53% of calls talking. For reps in the bottom 20% of performers, that number was closer to 68%. However, top closer spent just 42% of the time talking, leaving a whopping 58% of the talking to the buyer. Active listening comes with plenty of benefits. Benefits like:
Next time you run into a sales objection, be sure you consciously engage in active listening. It’s the foundation the rest of this framework is built upon. 2) Repeat the Issue Back ClearlyNow that you’ve put effort into really and genuinely listening to what the buyer is saying, it’s time to move on to the next step of these objection handling techniques—repeating the issue back to the buyer. It looks as simple as this:
It looks pointless, I know. But in reality, there are several reasons why this step is so essential:
The first two points are pretty obvious. So let’s take a closer look at the third point. Often the buyer will have dealt with so many salespeople over their careers that they will have a bunch of automatic responses (knee-jerk objections) that they give to salespeople to get them out of their hair. We need to get the buyer’s attention to break these objections. We’ll do this with a pattern interrupt as we repeat back the buyer’s question. The Value of Pattern InterruptsAll we’re doing with a pattern interrupt is making the buyer think for a split second and then repeating their objection back to them so they can confirm if it’s a real objection or not. Often, when you use a pattern interrupt as you repeat back the objection, the buyer will think about the objection they brought up and actually dismiss it themselves. Let me give you an example:
Here the buyer is trying to use budget as an excuse. But unless you’ve just explicitly told them the pricing, how the heck do they know you’re out of budget? Here’s another example:
We’re doing two things here. First, we’re avoiding those usual phrases salespeople typically use (“reaching out,” “checking in,” “I just wanted to,” etc.). If you use the same language as everyone else, you’re going to be ignored like everyone else. Second, I’m also proactively saying the opposite of what other salespeople do, too. For example, if a buyer gives you the objection “email me the details,” instead of ending the conversation and agreeing to their demand, you’ll use a pattern interrupt of “sure, do you know the details that you want me to send over”? Pattern interrupts snap buyers out of those automatic responses and makes them receptive to the rest of what you have to say. Pattern Interrupt + Repeat the IssueAfter the pattern interrupt, the last part of this step of the objection handling framework is repeating the objection. This happens in the same breath as the pattern interrupts itself. For example:
Or another example:
See how we’re getting the buyer to confirm that this objection is worth holding up the entire sales process for? At this point, something remarkable happens. We get one of two responses. Either the buyer confirms that this is a true objection that we need to resolve before we can move forward, or they’ll be happy for us to just move swiftly past it. 3) (Option 1) Solve the IssueListening and repeating the sales objection back to the buyer has hopefully clarified whether this is an actual problem or a knee-jerk objection. People don’t buy when they have genuine concerns. And they sure as hell don’t buy when those concerns go unaddressed. If it turns out the issue is accurate, then it’s up to you to solve it. Now, “issue” might be a strong word here. Because, when a buyer offers up a legitimate sales objection, it means two great things for you:
So with that knowledge in tow, it’s time to buckle in and simply solve the issue they’re worried about. If it’s an issue of price, get to talking numbers. If it’s functionality, hit some of the core features. If it’s implementation, talk about your extensive onboarding program. You should be able to hit each objection the buyer has with a clear, effective response that solves those woes. It also helps to prepare for objections beforehand (time to break out the flashcards?). Confirm the Issue Is SolvedA short—but entirely necessary—sub-step here. Once you’ve addressed the issue, it’s up to you to confirm that you’ve satisfied the buyer’s concerns. This involves confirming your prospect:
If you don’t complete this step, the buyer will likely bring the same objection up over and over in different forms. Finally, they have to say “yes, that makes sense” out loud. Otherwise, their brain just won’t register that this objection is solved. This doesn’t have to be aggressive or complex either. Just ask, “Did this answer your concern [name]?” If you’ve solved the objection, move forward in the sales process. If you haven’t, ask, “What else is unresolved that I can explain?” Keep going deeper and deeper until the buyer publicly and verbally admits that their objection has now been solved. 3) (Option 2) Move Past the IssueIf, after repeating the issue, the buyer admits the sales objection they raised wasn’t important, it’s time to move past the issue. To be honest, not all issues are worth debating. And if you’re confronted with a knee-jerk problem that’s not really important, you can often move straight past these issues during your objection handling process. I know this might feel sneaky the first few times you do it. But if the buyer has thrown out the sales objection unconsciously, they probably barely know the excuse they gave you. If when you repeat the objection back to them, they look at you blankly or don’t give an immediate response, just say this: “That makes sense. Let’s come back to that in a minute. We also do…” And then carry on through the selling conversation. Unless the buyer actively brings you back to the objection, you can likely never discuss it again. Because remember, it wasn’t of any fundamental importance to the buyer. You’re going to find that, once you learn to recognize them, around 50% of the objections that you get day-to-day can be skipped over just like this. Common Sales Objections & ResponsesAs I mentioned earlier, it pays to study common sales objections for your product and come to calls with your responses ready. Now, you may be wondering, “How am I supposed to know exactly what kinds of sales objections the buyer will have? Aren’t all buyers different?” And that’s true; there are plenty of variations out there. But in general, you can boil down nearly all sales objections into one of four categories:
I’ve written extensively about the most common sales objections before. But for now, let’s take a look at some of the best sales objection handling examples and objection handling scripts to help you overcome buyer concerns. “The price is too high.”Objection Type: Budget Ah, the pricing objection… This is most likely going to be the most common objection you’ll face. Business is money. And money is essential. This one really really test your objection handling skills. Responses Compare the cost of not solving the issue to the price of your product.
Use price ranges to qualify leads and keep the conversation going.
“We’re happy with your competitor.”Objection Type: Value This is the old “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality at play. Change can be tough. And most people are naturally resistant towards it. However, that doesn’t mean putting effort into that change isn’t worth it. Sometimes all the buyer needs is to take a minute or two to learn about your product. Response Give a light nudge for the buyer to compare options by offering a free trial or demo.
“This is not a priority for us right now.”Objection Type: Urgency This is tricky because it’s a sign of a blow-off, it’s truly not on their to-do list right now, or they don’t fully understand the value. As a result, there are a few ways you can handle this one. Response Narrow down the real reason behind the objection.
Ask them straight up.
Take time out of the picture.
“I’ve never heard of your company.”Objection Type: Trust This type of sales objection indicates a lack of trust. But don’t abandon the call just yet, no matter how embarrassing it might be. Instead, take this objection as an opportunity to give them a bit more information about the value you offer. Response Ask if it’s okay to give them a quick elevator pitch highlighting your organization’s authority.
“Email me more info and I’ll get back to you.”Objection Type: Urgency This is often a blow-off move. In most cases, the buyer is just looking to get rid of you. But that in no way means the conversation has to be over. Instead, use a pattern interrupt to keep the conversation going. Response Keep the conversation moving forward with a pattern interrupt.
“This won’t work for us.”Objection Type: Budget, Need, Urgency, or Trust A jack of all trades with this one! This sales objection is a smokescreen. And on its own, it isn’t telling you anything about the situation. Your goal here is to eke out exactly why your product won’t work for the buyer. Response Get more information and address the new sales objections one by one.
Wrapping UpAt first blush, a sales objection can seem like a dealbreaker. From price point ultimatums to savvily sly brush-offs, running into these pesky problems can leave you wondering, “where’d I go wrong?” But when you’re a pro at objection handling, you can turn these dire situations around completely. The sales objection process can even make closing the deal more likely. You just have to know what you’re doing. And with this time-tested objection handling framework, you can do precisely that. Just:
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Using these objection handling techniques, you can demonstrate your knowledge, bolster your authority, and build some serious trust with your buyers. And in the end, that means you’ll be closing more deals, earning more loyal clients, and building a more prosperous, lucrative career for yourself. What is the importance of negotiating buyer concerns?Win-Win Negotiation Is Crucial to Relationship Maintenance
In consultative selling, Negotiating the Customer's Concerns is a situation and philosophy where the salesperson and the customer sit together to work out the best possible solution for both parties. Both parties must gain benefits or someone loses.
When your customer says I would rather not tie up my money in a large order the resistance falls into which category?Confidently review the superior benefits of your product and make another closing attempt. When your customer says, " I would rather not tie up my money in a large order," the resistance falls into which category? Loss of options.
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