How to handle objections: four steps, and the lines to say at each one

Gong sorted the objections in more than 300 million cold calls into three kinds. Knowing which one you've got tells you what to do next.

Gong also found that "the top 5 most common objections actually account for 74% of all objections". You don't need a hundred answers. You need five you can say without thinking.

Use the same four steps on every objection, whether it comes in the first ten seconds of a cold call or at the end of a proposal.

1. Acknowledge it. Agree that it's a fair thing to say, then pause. Gong's call data shows the sellers who do best pause longer after an objection than anywhere else in the call.
2. Ask one question. Find out what's behind the words. "Too expensive" can mean the price is higher than they planned, or that they don't see what it does yet.
3. Answer what they told you, in one or two sentences, about their situation, in their words. If their answer shows there's nothing to solve, say so and stop.
4. Agree the next step. A meeting, a call on a date, or a no with a date to try again. An objection you answered well but left without a next step usually goes nowhere.

The common sales objections post has eight objections with what each one usually means and words to say back. This guide is the method underneath them.

Copy these into your notes and change the words until they sound like you.

On a cold call, most objections come in the first ten seconds, before the person knows why you called. Here are three of the five from the cold calling script template, word for word:

• "We already use someone." Say: "Makes sense. What would they need to do better for you to look elsewhere?"
• "I don't have time." Say: "Understood. Is it now, or is it the whole idea? I can call back [day] at [time]."
• "How much is it?" Say: "It depends on [what it depends on]. That's what the 15 minutes is for. Would [day] work?"

Each one agrees, asks one question, and offers a next step. The cold calling guide has the lines for "I'm not interested" and "Just send me an email".

A made-up call. Dana sells booking software to physio clinics. The clinic owner, Sam, has watched a demo and says: "It's more than we pay now."

1. Acknowledge. "Fair enough. It is more than a free calendar." Dana stops and waits.
2. Ask. "When you say it's more, is that the monthly price, or whether it's worth it for a clinic your size?" Sam: "Whether it's worth it. We get a few no-shows a week, but not many."
3. Answer. "You said a few no-shows a week. The reminders are the part aimed at that. If they cut two a week, would that cover it?" Sam: "Maybe. I'd have to see."
4. Next step. "Would a two-week trial on one therapist's diary show you? I'll call on Friday the 14th to see how many no-shows you had." Sam agrees.

Dana didn't lower the price or argue about it. She found out the objection was about no-shows, answered that, and left with a date.

For two weeks, write down every objection you hear, and whether the call ended there. A made-up tally:

In this example 19 objections ended 10 calls, and two of them ended 7 of the 10: "send me an email" and "not interested". Those are the two to practise first. The others can wait.

Reading a good answer isn't the same as saying one on a live call. Ten minutes twice a week is enough.

• Pick the two objections from your tally.
• Have a colleague or a friend say them to you, in a different tone each time. On your own, record yourself on your phone.
• Answer with the four steps, out loud. Keep the line that felt natural and drop the one that didn't.
• Change the order and the wording each time, so what sticks is the four steps and the words stay your own.

Not every objection is a door to push on. If you've asked one question and the answer is real, take it:

• They've just signed with someone else for a year.
• What you sell doesn't fix a problem they have.
• There's no budget and nothing coming that would change that.

Say thanks, and ask for a date: "Thanks, that's clear. Would it be all right to check back in [month]?" If they say no to that too, or ask you not to call again, take them off your list and do it.

• Answering before they've finished the sentence.
• Arguing that they're wrong.
• Dropping the price the moment someone says it's too expensive.
• Asking three questions in a row until it feels like an interview.
• Answering an objection they didn't raise.
• Handling it well, then hanging up without a next step.

This guide is free. ActivityTracker, the app we make, is paid. It doesn't answer objections for you. It keeps the dates you agree.

• Calls are one tap each to log on your phone, and you can add booked meetings as your own activity
• Type "call Sam Friday 10am" and it's a dated follow-up, reminded 30 minutes before
• Your weekly goal fills in as you log, so Wednesday shows whether the week is enough