What an objection is telling you
An objection is a buyer telling you what's in the way. Sometimes it's the real reason. Often it's the polite one, because "I don't trust this yet" or "I haven't understood why I need it" are harder to say out loud.
So the first job is finding out which it is. The words to say back come second. A price objection from someone who doesn't see the value needs a different answer from a price objection from someone who wants it and can't find the money this quarter.
That's why lists of clever comebacks don't work on their own. Said to the wrong objection, a comeback sounds like you weren't listening.
One way to answer any objection
Four steps, in order, for every objection you'll hear:
- Hear it out. Let them finish, and don't start answering in your head while they talk.
- Ask one question to find the real reason. "When you say it's expensive, is that compared with something, or is it more than you'd planned to spend?"
- Answer that reason, briefly, with something specific to them: what they told you earlier, a number from their business, an example from someone like them.
- Check it landed. "Does that change how it looks?" If not, you haven't found the real reason yet, so go back to step 2.
Most reps skip step 2 and go straight to the answer. It's the step that does the work.
The eight objections you'll hear most, and what to say
"It's too expensive"
Usually means: they don't yet see enough value for the price, or they're comparing you with something cheaper that does less.
"Fair enough. Compared with what? If it's another option, what does theirs include? If it's more than you'd planned to spend, what would it need to do to be worth it?"
Don't discount straight away. A quick discount tells them the first price wasn't real.
"I need to think about it"
Usually means: something is unresolved and they haven't said what.
"Of course. So I know what to send you, what's the part you're still weighing up: the price, the timing, or whether it'll do what you need?"
Then agree a date to talk again before you hang up.
"We already use someone"
Usually means: switching feels like work, and they're not unhappy enough to do it.
"Makes sense. What do you like about them? And if you could change one thing about how it works now, what would it be?"
If there's nothing they'd change, thank them and move on. If there is, that's your conversation.
"Just send me some information"
Usually means: a polite way to end the call. Sometimes they do want to read first.
"Happy to. So I send the right thing, is it more about how it works, or what it costs?"
Send one thing, not five, and put a date on the follow-up. The follow-up email templates have one for exactly this.
"Now isn't a good time"
Usually means: they're busy today, or it's not a priority this quarter. Ask which.
"No problem. Is it today that's bad, or is this something to look at later in the year?"
If it's today, book a time. If it's later, ask what changes then, and write the date down.
"I need to check with my partner" or "with my boss"
Usually means: they don't decide alone, and you haven't met the person who does.
"Makes sense. What do you think they'll ask? And would it help if I joined that conversation for ten minutes?"
"We don't have the budget"
Usually means: no money set aside this period, or the need isn't urgent enough to find some.
"Understood. When does the budget get set? And what would it cost you to leave this as it is until then?"
"I'm not interested"
Usually means, on a cold call: a reflex. Nothing has been decided yet.
"Fair enough. Is that because you've already sorted this, or because it's not a priority right now?"
If the second answer is still no, take it, and note when it might be worth trying again. The cold calling guide covers the first 30 seconds, where most of these start.
Stop hearing some objections at all
The objection that surprises you at the end usually had a chance to come up earlier. A few habits move it forward, where it's cheaper to deal with:
- Talk about price early. Give a range in the first real conversation, so "too expensive" comes up before the proposal.
- Ask who else decides, in the first meeting. Then "I need to check with my boss" isn't news.
- Ask what they use today and what they'd change. Then "we already use someone" is a comparison you've prepared for.
- End every call with a date. "Let me think about it" is harder to drift on when there's a call booked for Thursday.
"Call me next month" is only an objection if you forget. ActivityTracker keeps every callback on today's list, and shows by Wednesday whether your week is enough for your target.
Practise the ones you keep losing to
Most reps lose to the same two or three objections, over and over. Find yours:
Made-up example: a rep writes down the objection behind every deal she lost for a month. Out of 14 lost deals, "we already use someone" came up 6 times, and "too expensive" came up 4 times.
She writes her best answer to "we already use someone" on one card. For the next two weeks, she spends ten minutes before her call block saying it out loud, once to a colleague who plays the buyer. Two weeks later she reads her notes from the calls where it came up, and keeps the version that got people talking.
A manager can run the same thing for a whole team in a weekly meeting: one objection, ten minutes, two reps practising while the rest listen. Sales skills training covers how to make that practice stick.