Mastering the Art of Answering Sales Objections

If you’re in sales, then you know that objections are a part of the job. You can’t close every deal, but if you know how to answer sales objections effectively, then you’ll be one step closer to success. In this blog post, we’ll provide a comprehensive guide on how to answer the top 10 sales objections so that you can close more deals.

Sales Objections: Primary and Secondary

Sales objections are the objections that a salesperson receives from a prospective customer during the sales process. Objections can occur at any stage of the sales process but are most common during the initial contact or presentation stages.

Objections can be classified as either primary or secondary. Primary objections are objections that are related to the product or service being sold, while secondary objections are objections that are related to the sales process itself.

What Does a Sales Objection Look Like?

Sales objections are a common occurrence during the sales process. As prospects have their revenue on the line, they may raise concerns about product features, pricing, contract clauses, or other areas of friction.

It is the job of the salesperson to address these concerns and move the prospect towards a mutually agreeable deal. This requires having well-thought-out processes in place to solve every possible situation.

As a salesperson, it is your job to listen to the objections that your prospect has. Having a process in place for handling objections will ensure that you can effectively address any concerns that may arise. By being prepared, you can provide the best possible solution for your prospect, leading to a successful sale.

Just like an improv actor, a sales rep’s best reaction to a sales objection is one that has been planned out and rehearsed. Even if a rep is caught off-guard by an objection, they can still deliver a perfect response.

If you’re encountering a sales objection, it’s actually a good sign. This means that you’re working with a decision-maker who is invested in the outcome of your proposal.

That’s where you want to be.

“We should embrace and cherish our sales objection,” said Steven Bryer, VP of Sales and Marketing at ZoomInfo.

You might think that using a positive tone when talking to customers is a good idea, but it’s actually not. When a customer offers an objection, it means that they are listening to you and taking you very seriously.

Lower-level tire-kickers who avoid giving negative feedback waste your time and drag conversations on forever.

The Most Common Sales Objections

You likely have heard every excuse in the book from clients of all sizes.

“I like the way things are now and don’t see the need to change anything.”

Even if a prospect says they’re okay, they may still face challenges in their day-to-day operations.

This is a good opportunity to send over some resources that can help them, including any content that addresses their concerns.

Sales reps face this objection the most, and if you make price the main point in your pitch, you may botch the sale completely.

What if we told you that there was a way to make your product’s features the focal point of your pitch, without making price the main point? And of course, there’s always the option of offering a discount or special pricing package.

“I need to focus on something else right now. This isn’t a good time.”

Why now?

As a professional, it is important to respect the time of others. This mutual respect creates a positive first impression, which reflects well on your company.

Now’s the time to explain how your service or product can directly benefit their day-to-day operations.

If your potential customer is an aerospace manufacturer who is too busy for a full pitch, you can show them how your software can minimize production time. This will help them to see the value in your product and be more likely to use it in their everyday operations.

“We see the value, but we’re not quite ready to commit.”

This objection is similar to “I have to stay focused on other tasks,” with time and money being the main concerns.

While larger businesses are ideal, you need to respect the smaller businesses that you work with. Your main focus should be on helping them grow.

As your prospect’s business grows, adapt your sales pitch to meet their changing needs.

“We already have another vendor.”

Sales reps can use this objection as an opportunity to compare their product or service to the competition. By finding out what challenges the prospect has with their current solution, sales reps can position themselves as a better option with solutions that fit the buyer’s needs.

If the prospect is locked into a contract, sales reps can schedule a meeting for when the contract expires.

“I am not authorized to make that call.”

The best answer to this is to ask who would be the best contact to hear your pitch.

Sales representatives should see objections as opportunities rather than closed doors.

The more negativity you hear during sales conversations, especially later in stages, means the prospective customer is wrestling with their internal emotions — hoping that you can ease their pain.

If you’re not getting objections from your prospects, likely, you’re not close to making a sale. This is because your prospect doesn’t have the feeling of taking a risk, which can be uncomfortable.

Bryerton suggests that for a sale to be made, the prospect should feel as though they have skin in the game and voice their concerns.

They should feel like they have some stake in it and should express some concerns.

How to Overcome Sales Objections

We spoke with three top salespeople at Zoominfo, including the VP of Sales, to perfect our responses to common objections to our sales pitch.

These five tips will help you overcome objections, and arm you with ammunition to have productive conversations with your prospects.

1. Validate Your Prospect’s Concern

Here are some typical situations salespeople find themselves in:

Objection: “I don’t think your product is a good fit for us, and -”

Salesperson: “Here’s a case study that shows how our features can benefit companies of your size.”

Objection: “It costs too much. Your competitors’ products are half the cost and have more features.”

Salesperson: “I completely understand your concerns about the price. However, our ROI is huge and you can’t afford NOT to buy it.”

This is not the way to do it. Don’t steamroll over objections in an attempt to overcome them!

These knee-jerk reactions make your prospects feel like they’re just another number on a list — and like deer in the headlights.

You have some great rebuttals to every potential objection to your pitch. But right now is not the time to use them.

Their concern might be valid, or it might be a smokescreen for something else entirely. In either case, getting to the bottom of their concerns is crucial.

ZoomInfo Account Executive Jessica Rogers believes that responding to objections is a lot like dealing with family members – people don’t usually change their minds, and even if they do, it’s not going to be because of a canned or knee-jerk response.

To help reassure your prospect, you must remind them that their concerns are perfectly normal.

A lot of companies are hesitant to change because they think it’s too much work or they aren’t ready. I’ve worked with a lot of people in your position and I understand where you’re coming from.

You don’t want to tell a prospect that they’re wrong. Instead, you want to validate their concern and reassure them that it’s good to have concerns.

If a prospect says, “I’ve been considering your competitor,” my response is always, “That’s great! I am glad you are taking the time to explore your options in the market. Here are a few questions that I think will help you make your decision…”

2. Ask Open-Ended Questions

When a prospect objects to your product or service, ask them why. Then, really listen to what they have to say.

Give them time to consider your offer, so you can fully understand their objections.

“What do you mean it’s too expensive? Well, how does your budget work? What problem were you trying to solve when you reached out to us?”

Get them to elaborate further on their objection to your offer.

“Why would you want to wait another quarter to solve your problem? Why not fix it right now?”

You have to get into the details of why. Maybe it’s not a real objection, an opportunity for collaboration, it’s not a good fit, or it’s not just the right time.

If a prospect’s objection to your offer is purely a logistics issue, you can work around it. If their objections are more serious, such as not needing your services, then you’ll know and can plan accordingly.

If it’s just a ruse, now you know what you are dealing with.

Sometimes, if you let your customer speak, they’ll often end up talking themselves out of the problem.

3. Pause for A While

When faced with objections, it’s common to be on the defensive.

The key is to remain silent when a prospect objects to receiving your call.

Sometimes, our first reaction to an objection is only a small part of the story.

If you remain silent, they will fill the silence. They’ll keep speaking.

“What needs to happen for the deal to move forward? If we can get around X and Y, can we move forward with this?”

After you listen to their objection, say something like “I hear you” and give them time to speak.

Awkward pauses are the best way to deal with buyers’ objections because they’ll know that you’re taking the time to think through your answer.

4. Voice it in Someone Else’s Words

Most individuals don’t like to upset others, and so hesitate to express their own opinions.

That makes it hard for you to understand your prospects’ real objections to your offer.

And if you don’t know, there’s no way you can address the issue.

One of Steve Waters’ favorite tactics is to have prospects speak their objections as if they’re coming from another stakeholder. This allows them to address the concern without feeling like they’re being attacked or put on the spot.

“Is your CEO going to want to see this? What concerns do you think they will have?”

“How is your business partner going to react? Is there anything else they would want to know?”

“Most IT directors have objection X. Is that going to be a concern of your IT director?”

Waters also suggests that common objections can be framed with a favorite solution.

“Most sales leaders look at it this way. But you’re looking at it this way. Why?”

It’s easier to get someone to expand on their objection if you phrase it as though you’re asking what another person would think.

It can be helpful to pretend that it is someone else’s objection, especially if you have developed a great rapport.

5. Go for the Negative

Bryerton suggests that, instead of trying to tackle a big, confusing ball of various fears all at once, it’s much easier to identify each of the concerns specifically and address them one at a time.

Most objections are not deal-breakers.

“Pricing seems to be a big concern for you. Should we call it quits and not look forward to generating this much revenue?”

“Is missing your revenue target an option for you?”

“Are you no longer trying to fix the problem? I’m sure you still want to solve this.”

“We started talking because you have a major challenge, causing you to miss numbers. You’re concerned about spending $25,000 to grow revenue by $3 million? Should we call it quits because of the $25,000, or is that $3 million the reason we’re still talking?”

More often than not, the customer is just wrestling with uncertainty. However, you should be prepared to walk away if necessary.

When it comes to handling sales objections, Bryerton always keeps the customer’s best interests at heart. He takes into account both tangible and intangible benefits when formulating a response. By doing so, he can provide the customer with the information they need to make an informed decision.

Things to Consider When Dealing With Money Objections

To deal with any objections to your prices, remember to keep these guidelines in mind:

Choose your words wisely: As much as you like to respond with “You get what you pay for” or “Our fees are worth every penny” — don’t say that.

It’s not all about the money: Work to uncover the real objection. Ask questions to find out if money is really the issue.

Get back to value: Show a clear picture of the value of the solution that makes it too strong to pass up.

Don’t talk about cost structure: Justifying your price can be a slippery slope.

Don’t simply drop your price: If you’re willing to simply drop your price, you’re telling buyers this is the way you operate. Instead, explore new possibilities, change the scope, or make a trade that could change the price.

Maintain a peer relationship: Don’t appear to look upward for guidance even if you might have to.

Talk to a decision-maker: You may be dealing with the wrong person. Money is certainly an objection for them if they are not the decision-maker.

6 Types of Money Objections

Different money concerns can mean different things. Try to get to the heart of the issue.

Here are six of the more common objections to buying, what they might sound like, and what they’re really about.

1. Whack Back

Objection: “Wow, that’s a lot. Can we do it for less?”

The buyer is looking for a way to reduce the cost and may have had success in the past haggling over price. It’s important to find out what is causing their hesitation so that you can address it directly.

2. Bluffing

Objection: “I don’t have money. Let’s do it for cheaper.”

The buyer is trying to get a lower price by pretending they don’t have the money. It’s a ploy to see how low you will go.

3. Value Challenge

Objection: “It’s too expensive. Money is going to be a problem.”

The buyer is not convinced that your solution is worth the price tag. They may be able to find a cheaper option or they may not be able to justify the expense.

4. Budget Pushback

Objection: “It’s not in the budget.”

Either this is not true and they would like to see if you are willing to lower your price, or it is true and they are using it as a bargaining chip.

5. Competitor Pressure

Objection: “We got other quotes and your price is the most expensive.”

Either this is true and they’re using that as a bargaining chip, or it’s not true or at least not the whole truth. 

6. We’re Done

Objection: “Too much money. Call me back if you can go lower.”

Either it’s a bluff and they assume you’ll come back with a lower price, or it’s not a bluff but they hope you’ll lower your price to get their business.

How Do You Answer Sales Objections?

Sales objections are questions or concerns that a potential customer has about your product or service. To answer sales objections, you need to first understand what the objection is and then address it directly. You can do this by either providing more information about the product or service, addressing the concern directly, or offering a solution to the problem.

Conclusion

Sales objections are a part of the job, but if you know how to answer them effectively, then you’ll be one step closer to success. In this blog post, we’ve provided a comprehensive guide on how to answer the top 10 sales objections so that you can close more deals.

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