How to Address the 8 Most Common Objections in Sales

Objections… much as we all hate them, they are an inescapable component of sales. No sales training strategy is complete without a method for addressing them systematically. The good news is, as a salesperson, you’ll often hear the same objections repeated again and again, regardless of the type of prospect or product. These objections very often fall into five simple categories. Being able to quickly identify these types of objections and having a prepared strategy to push past them can make your teams’ results skyrocket. While it’s great to be able to think on your feet, why not give yourself an advantage by having a battle plan to deal with every possibility?

Read on for the eight objection types you’ll encounter again and again in sales, and what to do about them.

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1. Time

Quite often, a prospect will tell you they don’t have time to talk to you, or you’ve reached them at a bad time. This could be legitimate but is often just a way to brush you off. In either case, you can deal with it by acknowledging the objection, assuring the prospect that your offer will be brief, and trying to provide a shortened version of your pitch. If the prospect cuts you off at any point and insists that they don’t have time, you can try to reschedule the call to a time that works better for them. Remind them that it will be quick and allude to your product’s value proposition again. 

2. Objections about Pricing

These are some of the most common objections you will encounter. A prospect might say that your product is overpriced, or that it is outside their budget. The important thing for you to do is convince them it is worth the cost by discussing the unique value it provides. If possible, you can also compare it favorably to competitors’ products that are more expensive. If you feel the prospect is interested but genuinely can’t afford the product, you could try accommodating them through discounts or payment plans.

3. Objections about Competitors

The prospect might compare you unfavorably to your competitors. Maybe they charge less, or they offer some benefits you don’t. Maybe the prospect is already using a competitor’s product, and is satisfied with it! You should prepare for this possibility by being informed about your competitor’s product and all the advantages yours might have! If they are already in a contract or satisfied with their current project, you can offer accommodations around pricing.

4. Objection about Authority

This one is pretty simple: the prospect might not have the authority to close the deal. You can find out who they defer to and the best way to get in touch with that person. Hopefully, your pitch will have appealed to your initial contact, and they’ll help you get in touch with their superior and schedule a call or meeting for you! 

5. Objections about Product

This is where in-depth product knowledge is essential. You should be able to tackle any objections about the product head-on, without hesitating. The more relevant detail you can provide the better! You want to make sure the prospect understands all the positives your product offers that can offset their objections. You should prepare for the call by listing thre most likely issues the prospect might raise about the product, and coming up with a response for each. 

6. Objections to Sales Calls

Many people hate getting sales calls. Let’s face it, you probably do too! They are often inconvenient and time-wasting. If your prospect seems irritated that they are getting your call, you need to shift your tone quickly. Be respectful but direct, rather than sounding like a salesperson with an impersonal spiel. You can even acknowledge the issue by saying, “Look, I understand you may not want to deal with a sales call right now, but you might be interested to know that we can do (x) for your business.” You will want to succinctly state your value proposition in an interesting or exciting way, then make it clear your call will take very little time. 

7. “I’ll Get Back to You”

This objection is almost always a polite way to dismiss the salesperson and end the call. Variations of this might include “call me back next week” or “send me your information”. This is not an easy one to deal with, as it indicates the prospect has heard your offer and isn’t interested. The best thing you can do is try to pin them down for a date rather than keep it vague, and then give one more succinct and enticing pitch or piece of information before you hang up. If they respond favorably to this last pitch, you may be able to keep them on the phone and turn the call around. 

8. Sorry, Just Not Interested

Often the prospect just gives you a simple negative from the start. This objection is extremely common and can be one of the most challenging and seemingly insurmountable. But that doesn’t mean it’s always a no-go. If the prospect says they aren’t interested, it is important to acknowledge the negative and not just forge ahead; the first thing to do is say you understand. Then you can politely and respectfully proceed. It is important not to sound salesy or desperate, because in many of these cases the prospect is objecting not to your product, but to spending time on a sales call. You need to try to demonstrate quickly - before they hang up - that it is worth staying on the phone with you. The best way to do this is to concisely state your value proposition and how it can affect the prospect’s pain point. The key is to do this in a compelling way that gets their attention. 

Before every sales call, make sure your reps map out a list of possible objections the prospect is likely to have for this project and prepare a response.  Of course, the objection could end up being something totally different than what the salesperson anticipated! But this way they get better at predicting and addressing different kinds of objections. You want your reps to get to the point where no objection takes them by surprise or catches them unprepared. There are many games to train this ability, such as putting a rep in the hot seat and having other team members come up with as many objections as possible, each of which the rep has to improvise a response for. When the salesperson hesitates or can’t answer an objection properly, they are out of the hot seat and someone else replaces them. 

Whether you're a seasoned sales veteran or just starting out, it's always good to have an arsenal of strategies on hand for when your prospect raises one of these eight common objections. In this blog post, we've provided some examples of how you can deal with each objection in order to make sure that no sale slips through your fingers.

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