What Is Objection Handling?

Objection handling is the way that a salesperson responds to, and

overcomes, objections made by the prospect in order to move the sales
process forward and ease their mind. The idea isn’t to win an argument,
it’s to settle the concern your prospect has expressed in their objection.
An objection is any issue brought up by a prospect as a potential reason
not to buy, and it can come up during every step of the sales process —
even after the sale.

Here are some of the common causes for objections:

 Price: Your prospect doesn’t have the money, doesn’t think your

product is worth the money, or simply wants to see if they can
haggle to a lower price.
 Priority: Your prospect isn’t sure if your product is necessary or
needed urgently enough to buy right now.
 Lack of Knowledge: Your prospect doesn’t understand the product,
so they express to you that they need more information or state a
concern based on a misconception.
 Time: Your prospect expresses that they don’t have the time to
discuss a deal.
 Irritation: Your prospect doesn’t like the sales process, because
they either didn’t ask to be sold to or don’t like the way you’re selling
to them, usually during the first contact.

5 Types of Sales Objections

You’ll Hear
Price: "A Similar Product Is Cheaper"
When somebody mentions that they are looking at another product
because it’s cheaper, redirect their attention to your unique value-add.
They don’t dislike your product, they just aren’t sure why they would pay
more money for something they see as the same offering as a cheaper
one. So, educate them on why it would be worth the extra cost.

Priority: "I’m Not Ready to Buy"

Prospects will often give objections like “I’m interested, but not ready to
make a decision right now,” or “It sounds great, but I’m not sure if I can
purchase yet.” This shows that, while they do have interest in the product,
it isn’t a high priority for them yet. In this case, figure out why it isn’t, what
they are currently prioritizing above it, and give them a reason why they
should focus on this purchase first.

Lack of Knowledge: "I Don’t Understand

the Product"
This is a common objection on first contact, and you should take it as a
sign that you rushed your pitch. If you’re trying to close, and your
prospect explains that they don’t fully grasp what you’re selling, ask them
what they want to know about the product, or what seems unclear to
them, and answer with patience.

Time: "I Can’t Talk Right Now"

Sometimes, prospects are just busy. While it can be tempting to try and
force them to talk to you right then and there, that can lead you right into
an irritation objection as well. So, opt for setting up a follow-up call with a
quick question like “Can I call you back in around an hour?” or “What times
are you usually available to reach on the phone?”
Irritation: "Why Are You Calling Me?"
This is an objection in the form of a question. Typically, this is simply the
prospect wondering why you’re contacting them when they didn’t ask you
to. This falls in line with the irritation cause, as it usually isn’t fun having to
deal with a random sales call that you weren’t expecting. So, the way
you’d want to respond to this objection is to give them a reason to want to
stay on the phone — maybe leading with a benefit that your product offers
them.

Top 3 Strategies for

Overcoming Objections
Illustrate the Product’s Value (Addresses
Price & Priority)
Illustrating your product’s value is the act of giving concrete examples of
the value that the product adds to your prospect’s life. This justifies your
price and gives the prospect reason to prioritize making a purchase right
away.

The general idea of all of these illustrations is to make them focus less on
the price, and more on the value. By putting the work in for them, you can
help them realize that they need your product, even if they had no clue
before your call.

Educate Your Prospect (Addresses Lack

of Knowledge)
In many industries, prospects will carry common misconceptions that lead
to objections in the sales process. There are a few different ways that a
lack of knowledge can cause objections, and each of them requires a
different set of information.

Minimize the Prospect’s Time

Commitment (Addresses Time & Irritation)
The most common objections during lead generation are related to time or
irritation about being contacted by a stranger. Nobody is in love with the
idea of being contacted out of the blue and being sold a product, as they
perceive it to be a tiresome, long conversation that they aren’t interested
in. You can overcome these types of objections by asking for a short,
specific amount of time to speak with them, and hinting at your value
proposition

Best Objection Handling Script

for Any Situation
1. Mirror the Prospect’s Objection
To ensure that you properly understand the prospect’s concern, repeat
your understanding of their objection back to them.

“If I’m understanding correctly, you have a concern regarding (customer’s

objection)?”

2. Validation of the Prospect’s Concern

Before you rebut the objection, let the prospect know that you’re aware
that their objection is reasonable and substantive.

“Okay, thank you for expressing your concern. I get how that could give
you pause.”
3. Provide a Fact-Based Rebuttal
Provide a fact-based counter-argument paired with supporting details,
evidence, or numbers like those we discussed in the strategies section.

“Let’s take a look at the problem and see if I can clear up any issues
you’re perceiving.” 

4. Confirm Your Clarity

After your rebuttal, ask the prospect if they understand what you’re
saying and how it responds to their concern.

“Does that make sense, and does it settle your concern regarding
(prospect’s objection)?”

If you go through all four of these elements and they say no to your
confirmation of clarity, repeat the process with a different fact-based
rebuttal. If they say yes, you’ve overcome the prospect’s objection. 

Top 5 Objection Handling Tips

 Take Nothing Personally: Prospects may direct objections at you,
when their real frustration is with your company or industry or
something about your product or service that you have no control
over; don’t take this personally or respond aggressively.
 Move on When the Prospect Is Satisfied: Even if you aren’t all the
way through a more complex rebuttal, if the prospect expresses
that their concern has been settled, move on; don’t dwell on a
problem that has already been solved.
 Focus Your Rebuttal on Their Concern: When rebutting, don’t read
off the entire product manual; instead, focus on one or two key
 details about your business or product that solves the concern
expressed in the rebuttal.
 Write Down Successful Rebuttals: When you successfully rebut
an objection and your prospect responds positively, write down
what you said so you can use it again later if the same objection
comes up.
 Roleplay With Other Sales Professionals: Don’t handle common
objections for the first time on a live call; instead, roleplay with some
of your coworkers for at least an hour every week to sharpen your
objection handling skills.

Bottom Line: Objection

Handling
The goal of objection handling is to settle a concern for your prospect. If
you offer a fact-based rebuttal and frame it in a positive and consultative
manner, you’ll be able to settle your prospect’s objections with relative
ease. Use our strategies, script, tips, and examples to master objection
handling, and your closing rate will improve.