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Find out the best way to handle these common sales objections so that you can come to any sales call prepared and ready to succeed.
February 23, 2022
Have you ever been on a sales call and thought that everything was going great until your prospect started raising their objections? It’s a normal part of being in sales, but if you don’t know how to handle these situations, you’ll often fail to close deals and blame yourself.
If you face these objections, most often, the reason is you. However, the prospect is responsible for it, too. They’re likely hiding from their pain. They’re giving in to their fears. They expect their problem to solve itself or for someone to perform a miracle.
The thing is, your job is to help them overcome this. Your job isn’t to sell to them. It’s to help them! Each time you face an objection—whatever it is—it’s yours to own. It’s your role to help your prospect overcome it because if you don’t, you’ll both feel the pain.
Whenever you’re on a sales call with a prospect who shows resistance, you need to take it as an opportunity to help them. Start by putting yourself in their shoes so you can get a sense of the pain they feel.
After listening to them, the next step is to make them realize they need to make changes. What you’re selling them is only part of the solution. The first thing they really need to do is to commit to being better.
This is how you start closing sales consistently. By working with your prospect to overcome their fears and objections, you’ll become better yourself and start encountering these sales objections less often.
However, it’s still always a good idea to expect them to come up so that you’re always prepared. In this article, you’ll learn about some of the most common sales objections professional closers come across and, more importantly, what you need to do if you experience them.
Overcoming this common sales objection is easy. You simply need to put the focus of the discussion back on your prospect.
Most often, this sales objection is your prospect’s own fear standing in their way. They know they need this, and they know what they have to do. They’re just worried they might not follow through, so they try and put this on you.
Another possibility is that they’ve tried a similar solution that didn’t work out. If this is the case, you need to listen, take it in, and hear their frustrations.
Then say, “I hear you. So, what if I did send you a few testimonials and a sample of one of my exercises? Would this proof be enough to have you make the decision?”
Put the burden on them. Don’t let them blame you for bad decisions they’ve made in the past.
This objection comes down to your prospect being skeptical about anyone with a good offer. Truth be told, there are a lot of “fake” experts out there—people who are great at selling but terrible at delivering.
Overcoming this objection is simple. Again, you just have to listen. Show your prospect that you hear them. Prove to them that you aren’t just brushing their sales objections away, but then, make them realize that’s just doubt holding them back.
Your prospect knows there’s a solution to their problem. They just have doubts that someone like you can come along and provide it—because they’ve felt this way for so long.
This means that whatever it is you offer, they doubt it’s real. However, if you can truly help them, it’s important you overcome this objection because it’s one that will hold them back in all areas of life.
This is one of the most common sales objections because people want an easy solution. They just want their pain to disappear. They want someone to solve it for them. They want it fixed, no matter what.
The problem is that they’re not willing to do any of the necessary work. They want you to fix magically make their problem go away, so they want some kind of guarantee that you will get the job done yourself.
Again, the best way to handle this situation is to flip things back to them.
This stops your prospect in their tracks. Although they know they want it fixed, they don’t actually know what “it” looks like.
Push them into defining what “it” is. If you’re confident in delivering on that, you can confidently guarantee it. When you push them to define what success looks like, you can ensure that you’ll deliver.
This is probably among the most frustrating sales objections you’ll come across on a regular basis.
You already know the prospect needs what you’re selling. You know they’re interested, but they still want some time to think about it. What will this extra thinking time produce, exactly? They probably have no idea.
So, the best way to respond is this:
“Usually, when people say that, it means they’re not interested. That isn’t the case here, is it? Because it sounds like this is what you need, and I’m confident in delivering a positive result for you. So, are you wasting my time right now?”
Then, follow up with more questions:
The truth is, “thinking” is the reason most people end up on a call with you in the first place. Rather than take action and solve their pain when they need to, they sit on it, think about it, and take more time to process it. A few weeks, or months, or years later, they’re still in the same place.
Thinking about it doesn’t help. Help your prospect see this for the hollow excuse it is.
Whether your prospect needs to speak to their business partner or their partner at home, this is a sales objection that crops up again and again.
Don’t worry. It’s easy to overcome.
“I hear you. In fact, I empower this. I think it’s a great idea for you to speak to your partner. But before we go, don’t you think it might be better if the three of us jump on a call so that your partner gets a clear understanding of what’s involved?”
This is because if you let your prospect leave the call to talk to their partner, the answer will be “No.”
It isn’t that you should dismiss involving their partner. They should. However, if they bring this sales objection up, make sure you take the initiative in properly involving their partner.
Sometimes, your prospect will try and make you feel guilty because you’re so much more expensive than all your competitors. A good way you can approach this sales objection is with the following:
Also follow this up by focusing on the fact that plenty of other people do pay you for what you provide. Let them know that this is how the market values you—that there are lots of people who don’t consider you too expensive.
Overcoming this objection involves erasing any doubt about your ability to deliver. If your prospect wants a cheap solution, they should go with one of your competitors. Whereas if they want a solution that works, they should stick with you.
This is a sales objection people use when they feel the need to gain control and power. It’s their way of saying, “We don’t need you. There are others who can do what you do.”
Overcoming this sales objection requires you to stand tall. Don’t cave in. Don’t be desperate. If you are, they will likely take advantage and try to negotiate a smaller fee. They will take-take-take, and if the relationship begins this way, it will carry on in the same manner.
Instead, approach it like this:
Show them that you don’t need them. They’re the ones with the problems that you can help solve, so don’t let them make you feel like it’s the other way around.
Ask them what they need now and what results they want a few months down the line. Each time they answer, prove that you can deliver on it. That’s why they should work with you!
This sales objection is understandable because there’s so much ineffective information out there. There are people selling courses who are still rookies themselves, creating content with trendy tactics that only show a portion of the entire process.
It gives honest salespeople a bad name. And it makes your prospect skeptical. “I like the look of this,” they say. “But I took another program not long ago, and it didn’t work. What makes this one any different?”
When you hear this sales objection, turn to the Feel + Felt + Found Method.
Show them that you understand and have been through what they have. Get on the same page as them. Then, show them how and why your solution is different.
Reiterate the impact you will have on their business and life and what the end result looks like. Reaffirm them that this is like no other course or program they’ve taken before because you, too, have been there, and the reason you created your offer is to create something better.
This one is like the sales objection, “I need a little more time to think about this.” It’s another excuse to say, “I am not interested.”
Now, whether your prospect is indeed interested is another question. They may want what you offer. They may even know that they need what you offer, but they’re so used to saying “No” and trying to figure it out on their own.
This sales objection is basically a bad habit that means the prospect is scared and worried about what might happen. They fear failure, but they also fear success. So, when you hear this sales objection, turn it back to your prospect.
Often, this will place them on the back foot. They do want what you offer, but they’re scared to take the next step. So you need to keep the pressure on, or they’ll do what’s easy and flee.
Remember, you’re here to serve your prospect. You cannot help them if they do not commit. If they get this far, and it’s obvious to you and them that they need what you offer, don’t let them default into their bad habit of asking for more information just so they can avoid taking action.
This is one of the most common sales objections, and most salespeople say, “Okay, do that and get back to me.” A few days later, they follow up with their prospect, but they already know the answer is “No.”
This is not what an elite high-ticket closer does. When they hear, “I need to look at my finances,” they reply immediately with a question.
“Okay, that’s fair. But let me ask you, what do you think your finances will say?”
Assuming they are an actual business owner, they already know what their finances are. At the very least, they have an understanding of whether this investment makes sense or not.
It’s a delaying tactic. It’s a chance to put off making a decision until tomorrow. But tomorrow never comes!
They wouldn’t have jumped on a call with you without knowing their finances. They know what they need to know, so ask them, “What’s the cost of not making this investment today?”
This is a common objection that can put a lot of pressure on you, but it’s your job to overcome it and turn it into your advantage.
Most of the time, they don’t know why they asked. It’s another default sales objection that’s become a bad habit. If they have a genuine reason why they want to know who you’ve worked with, then that’s great. Share some relevant names, results, and social proof.
However, if you learn that there really was no reason for them to ask this, take it as yet another opportunity to dig deeper and figure out what’s really holding them back.
This is a clear sign that this person isn’t a serious, committed individual. So, maybe you want nothing to do with them, period. However, if you feel like it’s fear masking their judgment, reply like this:
“If you’re looking for a refund before you even invest, this program isn’t for you.”
People who use this sales objection expect failure, whether it’s because they know they won’t show up or just have no confidence in themselves. They aren’t ready to do what’s necessary.
Usually, the best solution is to simply walk away from people like this. It’s one of the only sales objections that raises a big red flag.
This one is easy. The answer is always very simple: “No!”
That’s it. No maybe. No negotiation. Just “No.”
As an elite sales professional, you should commit to offering a better service than your competitors, so why would you price match them? It makes no sense, so tell your prospects:
When you lay it out like this, your prospect realizes how unreasonable their request is.
If they don’t, follow up with this one.
“If matching their price is so important to you, maybe you should just go and work with them instead.”
You need to pride yourself on working with serious, talented people. It’s the only way you will ever become a high-ticket closer. The longer you work with time-wasters, the longer you’ll remain at their level.
This objection can be very frustrating and confusing. If your prospect has taken the time to schedule a call with you, and then they jump on the call and speak with you for an hour or more, what exactly were they expecting?
Still, you might want to humor them and their objection because overcoming it is easy.
“You know, I wasn’t planning on closing you today. But after everything we’ve discussed, it seems like a good fit. So, what’s stopping us from making that commitment right now?”
Once again, this is another default sales objection designed to put off making a decision.
They need what you’re offering. You know they need it. They know they need it. They just want to wait a little while longer because this is how they’re wired. It’s a bad habit—and it’s your job to call them out on it!
This is one of the worst sales objections and excuses there are. We all have the same amount of time. There’s never enough of it because there’s always something else that crops up.
The thing is, we cannot let this stand in our way. If we did, would we ever build a business in the first place?
The truth is that the perfect time doesn’t exist. There is no ideal moment when you have plenty of free time to spare, and it’s important you overcome this sales objection by focussing on this truth. The only time that matters is making the time to act on what you need to.
If your offer will help your prospect grow and overcome a major problem, the time is now. So, flip this script by asking your prospect:
“Do you control your time, or does your time control you?”
This triggers almost everyone because everyone wants to feel like they’re in control of their time. Yet most people aren’t, and they are the only person who can change this narrative. Help your prospect see this. If you do, you’ll help them overcome this common sales objection.
If your prospect says this, it’s safe to presume that they have been burned before. They’ve invested money into a program or product that didn’t work. They trusted an “expert” only for them not to deliver.
This isn’t your fault, but it’s your problem to overcome. When you come across this sales objection, show your prospect that you understand. Listen to their story, then ask:
“What does trust mean to you? What does it look like to you?”
Without being specific, it’s hard to know what trust means. It’s obvious that trust is important. It’s a key component of any relationship. But between you and your prospect, what does it look like?
Do they want you to show up? Do they want you to care? Do they want you to deliver on your promise? Do they want to feel like you’re invested in them? What do they want? What does trust look like to them?
Once you know, you’ll easily overcome this sales objection. More importantly, you may find it helps build greater trust between the two of you.
This is a common sales objection, and it largely comes down to your prospect’s own insecurity and fear of what comes next.
If you get this far into the call, you know if it’s right for them or not. They know if it’s right for them, too—yet something holds them back.
Maybe they’re afraid to invest the money. Maybe they’re worried about not being good enough. Maybe they fear they’ll fail and waste a lot of time and resources. Maybe they fear they’ll succeed and how this will impact their life.
Whenever you hear this sales objection, ask your prospect:
“Why did you book this call in the first place?”
Turn it back to their pain. Refocus their focus back on their problem. Paint a clear picture of what success looks like. If that’s their pain, and what you offer is the solution, why isn’t this what they need?
It’s clear something holds them back, so make this clear to them. If you don’t, they’ll remain stuck where they are. But with your help, they can overcome their own fear and negativity and make giant strides.
This is similar to the previous objection because your prospect has already forgotten about the pain and problem you’ve discussed on the call.
To begin tackling this resistance, show them that you don’t need them.
This is the moment when the truth becomes clearer. It isn’t that they’re fine. It’s that they are afraid. If they were fine, you wouldn’t be on the call. If they were fine, you wouldn’t have gotten this far with them.
Besides, if they really are fine, and they’re content with this, do you even want to work with them?
This is such a flimsy excuse, but you may come across it more than you will believe. Thankfully, overcoming objections like this is easy:
Assuming your prospect is a business owner, this one is easy to turn around because no matter what their business is, their job is to make decisive decisions. If they put off doing this all because it involves a phone call, what does that say about them?
Chances are, much of the pain they feel is because of this exact situation. They overthink and refuse to take decisive action. Point this out to them, and then give them an opportunity to change this narrative.
“Absolutely not!”
This isn’t about the money. It’s about value. If you say yes to this request, your prospect won’t value what you offer them. They won’t do the work. They won’t invest what they need to.
Then, when they fail, it would be your fault. Your prospect will blame you and your solution—that you didn’t deliver on your word or that what you were offering wasn’t right for them in the first place.
Nothing good in life is free. If you want something that works, you need to invest in it. So, when you hear this sales objection, be firm and walk “No.” Explain why you cannot do this and that it isn’t even about the money. It’s about them and their commitment. They are either ready for this or not.
This is one sales objection that you may come across when you start to work with better, more serious, and more qualified prospects.
The appropriate response is to tell your prospect that you have charged more in the past. With certain clients who you work with intensively, you charge five, ten, even twenty times more!
You are only offering your solution so cheap because you want to impact more people… This price allows you to fulfill your mission. You’ve made it so it isn’t so cheap that people will devalue it, but not so expensive that it pushes those who need it the most out of the market.
And this should actually be true, too. If not, and you keep hearing this sales objection, maybe it’s a sign to charge more.
Overcoming objections is one of the most important skills a salesperson will ever learn. Start by familiarizing yourself with what’s presented on this list. In time, as you become a better closer, you’ll come across fewer sales objections like these.
But once again, these resistances are always there. You must always anticipate them and be ready for them.
Finally, remember that many of these sales objections actually help you close your prospect. They provide an opportunity to revisit their pain and show them what the solution is. Their resistance is a sign that they’re afraid, but it also means that you can help them.
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Kayvon Kay
Kayvon has over two decades of experience working with high-level closers and perfecting his sales methodologies. He has earned the title of Canada’s #1 pharmaceutical sales representative and continues to share his expertise as a keynote speaker and through his multi-million-dollar coaching program.
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