"I had a bad experience with this product."
"It's really high-priced for us."
"This isn't the right time."
We understand your frustration. You've spent weeks, if not months, turning a prospective client. They were totally hepped up. And then, comes an objection, followed by another objection, and yet another one.
It may feel as if someone has just pulled the rug from under your feet.
You may think, "Maybe my solution isn’t good enough." And that, dear friend, is just the road you shouldn’t take. If you know that your product is worth it, then making your prospect believe the same is just what will convert a cold lead into a closed deal.
Objections are unavoidable in the sales process. But just because your prospect throws one at you doesn't mean that you have lost the deal.
Let's take a closer look at some good templates to shake off such potential dirty chips on your shoulder.
| Common sales objections and ways to tackle them | |
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Sales objections about authority |
1. “Let me discuss it with the authorities.” 2. “Selling this internally would not be possible.’’ 3. “Decision-makers are not convinced.” |
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Sales objections about competitors |
4. “We’re already working with [Competitor].” 5. “We are under a contract with another vendor.” 6. "I heard [false claim about your product] from a competitor's grapevine." |
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Sales objections about needs |
7. “You don’t understand our business and needs.” 8. “It’s not a priority for our company right now.” |
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Sales objections about price |
9. “Your product/service is too expensive.” 10. “Our budget needs to be used for other resources.” |
Sales objections about authority
1. “Let me discuss it with my boss first.”
Most purchasing decisions are made by an average of seven people in a company with 50 to 600 employees. As a result, you may bump into someone who lacks decision-making authority and can’t make the final call.
How to handle this sales objection:
Simply get the details of the appropriate person for authorizing this purchase to address this objection.
Response Template
"I see. Could you please connect me to the right person for this purchase?"Try your best to get in touch with the decision-maker as early as possible throughout the entire sales cycle. All the efforts you make with handling sales objections, delivering personalized sales pitch, and building rapport shouldn’t be in vain - because you have been knocking on the wrong door.
2. “It would be impossible to sell this internally.’’
It is a huge waste of time to build rapport, qualify, and pitch to the wrong person. To avoid hearing this dreaded objection, you should practice determining who the ultimate decision maker is early on.
But, there will undoubtedly be times when your prospect will require buy-in from their team, even if they are the key stakeholder. There is no way around it in these situations, and being too pushy may cost you the sale.
How to handle this sales objection:
Instead, gather as much information about the other decision makers as possible and offer to provide resources.
Contact your marketing team and inquire whether there are any case studies or marketing assets available that your prospect can use to justify purchasing your product internally.
Response Template
"I see. What are your anticipated objections when pitching our product to the internal team?"OR
"Here are some great content assets that will assist you in showcasing to your team internally."
3. “Decision-makers are not convinced.”
If you've already dealt with the above objection by providing internal selling advice and coaching, and your prospect is still unable to grasp it, it's time to walk away.
It's heartbreaking to abandon a prospect on whom you have spent your time and resources. But it's also a waste of time if they can't persuade the decision-makers in their company.
But there is a silver lining: you will no longer waste your time and resources on this unpromising customer. Exhale and turn your attention to another prospect.
Response Template
"That is unfortunate. Please contact me if anything changes. I'd be delighted to assist you in getting your team on board."Yes, that’s right, don't give up entirely! There is a way out if you see the scope for it.
How to handle this sales objection:
Send a follow-up message or follow-up questions to your prospect. A single follow-up may increase the overall average response rate to 8.5 percent. Worth the effort.
Sales objections about competitors
4. “We’re already working with [Competitor].”
This is the time to capitalize on your competitors' research.
How to handle this sales objection:
Investigate how their relationship and product of the competitor - is benefiting them. The goal is to listen, learn more, and share relevant product features during such sales conversations.
Of course, send a social proof or testimonials about a customer or two who benefited greatly from switching to your solution as a follow-up.
Response Template
“Great. I am aware of [Company XYZ]. Can you please help me understand how the product is benefitting you? Are you facing any challenges you'd like to address? Here's where we differ…”OR
"I totally understand. But I’d still like to have an opportunity to show you how our tools offers [features] which can help you solve [pain point]. Let me share a case study with you that demonstrates how a company similar to yours tripled their marketing ROI by switching to our solution."
5. “We are under a contract with another vendor.”
This phrase is constructed in a way that broadcasts your prospect's sense of being trapped.
They are probably looking for someone to free them.
How to handle this sales objection:
Provide creative options with your discounts to compensate for breaking their contract, or you can show them how their ROI with your product could cover the cost of breaking their contracts with your competitor.
Response Template
"How do you feel about [xyz competitor]? Perhaps I can provide a discount to offset the cost of switching to work with us."6. "I heard [false claim about your product] from a competitor's grapevine."
Don't jump in right away to explain why this is false.
This does happen on occasion. People do not do their homework before dropping a negative review. Alternatively, they exaggerate and occasionally tell lies.
When you get to know about a bad reputation, it's easy to become defensive. However, try and resist the urge. You must be cautious in your approach to this one.
How to handle this sales objection:
Help understand the prospect that you've been involved in many interactions to back it up. Or that you've got to know the company from the core for several years. And ensure to investigate the fake news to determine where it has arisen and why.
Response Template
"On the basis of hundreds of feedback and interactions with clients, I can assure you that I've never heard of it, and we always make sure that it doesn't happen."Sales objections about needs
7. “You don’t understand our business and needs.”
Sometimes salespeople are aimed at a specific industry but don't know everything about the company or prospect needs to which they are selling.
"But a sales rep should be well-prepared," some of you may say.
Yes, they should, but the reality is that you can't be perfect, even if you've done meticulous research on your sales prospect.
How to handle this sales objection:
Do some storytelling.
Inform the prospect that you have previous experience working with similar brands. Also, don't forget to mention how you were successful in resolving their issues. You can even research your prospects using social media platforms such as LinkedIn to learn about their recent company updates, avoiding this objection in the first place.
Response Template
"Interesting. Can you tell me about the specific difficulties you're experiencing right now? Perhaps [product] offers a solution that we have not yet discussed."8. “It’s not a priority for our company right now.”
Have you ever walked into a store to browse and been approached by a sales associate who offered to assist you? They can be intrusive and even off-putting if you aren't ready to buy. However, the fact that you entered the store indicates that you are interested.
You may not be in the market to buy today, but what if they were having a buy-one-get-two-free sale? That could alter things slightly. This is also applicable to the prospect.
How to handle this sales objection:
If you've discovered a baseline of interest and genuine pain, you can nudge the sale along by instilling a sense of urgency.
This could be in the form of one-time discounts or add-ons, depending on the circumstances. If you need some examples, Leonardo DiCaprio does an excellent job in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Alternatively, it may be necessary to simply wait. When it comes to sales, timing is everything, and if your prospect isn't ready, the only thing you can do is nurture. Provide them with resources, stay in touch, and continue to add value as much as possible.
Response Template
"Looking at your priorities now, we have a certain [offer] that we can discuss."Sales objections about Price
9. “Your product/service is too expensive.”
"I don't believe it's that expensive."
"However, we are less expensive than [Competitors]."
"It's not a lot."
Avoid responses like this.
You lose sales authority when you usher in focusing on the price.
How to handle such price objections:
As a sales professional, you should think about the positioning of your product or service and how to demonstrate its value. This shifts the discussion to risk versus reward.
You can persuade your prospects to believe the risk is worth taking since your product provides great value. Use your sales skills to paint a picture of where your solution will take them.
Response Template
“That makes sense to me. However, I'd like to demonstrate how it is consistent with the value we provide. I'd like to tell you a little bit more about the features and integrations we offer to alleviate [prospect's pain points].”10. “Our budget needs to be used for other resources.”
Prospects will sometimes try to lay aside their resources for other purposes. It is your responsibility to make your service/product a priority that warrants immediate budget allocation.
How to handle this sales objection:
Share content assets of similar businesses proving they had saved money, increased efficiency, or had a massive ROI with you. If your product has helped your customers to tackle other issues that they are facing - and your product solves indirectly - let your prospects know!
For a client looking for a data analytics solution (which you happen to be selling) for their business, but unsure to invest in it - because their main goal is to spend on streamlining business ops - you can use this template:
Response Template
"We had a client with a similar issue. But once they started leveraging our analytics platform, they were also able to integrate it with their existing business platforms - helping them streamline their operations and boost their ROI. Our product could help you solve more than just one problem while generating more revenue which you can use for other resources. If you see, it solves quite many high-priority issues you are currently facing, doesn’t it?”The most underrated objection handling strategy: knowing when to move on
If you implement these strategies, you can become one of those salespeople who can handle almost any objection with unflappable confidence and ease.
The most talented sales people understand how critical it is.
So why not squeeze more juice out of our conversation intelligence platform?
Clari Copilot, our sales intelligence platform, provides sales teams with real-time assistance in overcoming previous sales objections. It is powered by artificial intelligence and provides you with insights into your sales calls and prospects' mindsets. These actionable insights help you with handling sales objections as they come. With its live sales assistance and AI-powered sales analytics, Clari Copilot can be a game-changer for you. It provides live cues, battle cards, and data-driven strategies for overcoming objections and pushing the deal further down the funnel.
We're not asking you to take our word for it; book a demo today and see for yourself.