Imagine you’re on a call with your dream prospect. You’re giving your very best pitch, hitting all the right notes, and then—boom. They hit you with an objection.
“This is too expensive.” or “We already have something for that.”
Suddenly, your sales call comes to a screeching halt. You might think this is the end of the road, but here’s the truth: getting an objection doesn’t mean your deal is dead. It just means you’ve arrived at a fork in the road. If you know what to say, you can overcome it and keep the deal moving forward.
Your ability to handle tough objections is absolutely critical if you want to hit your sales number. This guide will give you a proven, three-part strategy to turn objections into opportunities and grow your business.
What Exactly Are Objections?
Before we jump into the strategy, we need to understand what objections are and why they happen. The reality is, all salespeople deal with objections. It’s part of the job. You can think of an objection as a reason a customer gives for not buying right now. It’s simply a form of pushback.
If you’re not prepared, objections can stop you cold and leave you unsure of what to say next. They are one of the biggest reasons deals don’t close. Let’s start by looking at four of the most common types:
- Lack of Need: “Our processes are working well. Why should we change something that isn’t broken?”Lack of Authority: “Look, I’m not the decision-maker here. I need to talk to my boss first.”Lack of Budget: “It sounds great, but we just haven’t allocated the funds.”Using a Competitor: “We’re actually on contract with your competitor, and they’ve been meeting our needs.”
Imagine you’re talking to a great-fit prospect, and they tell you exactly that: they’re on contract with your biggest competitor. Is your deal dead? Not necessarily. Objections aren’t showstoppers if you understand what’s really going on. At the end of the day, great sales isn’t about pushing products; it’s about solving problems.
Important Distinction: Objections vs. Obstructions
In sales, you’ll run into two kinds of pushback: objections and obstructions. It’s vital to know the difference.
- Obstructions typically happen early in the sales cycle, often during prospecting. When you cold call someone and they say, “I can’t talk, I’m running into a meeting,” that’s an obstruction. It’s about timing and catching someone off guard. Objections happen deeper in the sales process when a customer is actually evaluating your solution. They are about trust, concerns, and perceived risk.
We’ll cover how to handle obstructions later, but first, let’s focus on why customers raise objections.
Why Do Customers Object?
Objections can pop up at any point in a sales process, and when they do, it’s typically a sign that something is off. Maybe there’s a doubt, a lack of knowledge, or they just aren’t feeling the immediacy to move forward. Often, it’s the customer’s way of mitigating risk.
To effectively respond to an objection, the very first step is to understand why the customer is raising this specific concern.
Here’s a real-world example. A while back, a prospective customer said, “Look, Sarah, I get it, but we’re already on contract with your biggest competitor.”
The rookie move would be to say, “Oh, man. When does the contract end?” or to just give up.
Instead, if you understand the customer’s needs, you can dig a bit deeper. You might say something like, “Last I checked, that competitor didn’t integrate with Salesforce, and if I remember our last conversation, you told me that was crucial for your sales team.”
Once they confirm, you can ask follow-up questions like, “How is that lack of integration affecting your team’s workflow?” The takeaway is clear: the better you understand your prospective customer’s needs, the better you’ll be able to handle tough objections.
The 3-D Framework for Dealing with Any Objection
Now, let’s explore the three-step process you can implement to handle any objection that comes your way. We will refer to this as the 3-Ds: Diffuse, Discover, and Deliver.
Step 1: Diffuse the Tension. Your first job is to lower the emotional temperature of the conversation. An objection can feel confrontational, so you need to acknowledge their feelings and validate their concern. This shows you’re listening and that you’re on their side.
- If they say: “It’s too expensive.”You might say: “I get it. A lot of companies are in a posture of tightening budgets right now.”
By agreeing with the sentiment, you disarm their defensiveness and create an opening for a more collaborative conversation.
Step 2: Discover the Real Issue. In the discovery step, your goal is to understand what’s really going on. Objections are often just the tip of the iceberg. You need to ask open questions to expose the root cause.
Following the “no budget” example, you might ask:
- “Is this an issue with the overall number, or is it that the business doesn’t want to pay the full year’s cost upfront?” “How have other projects been budgeted for? What does that process look like?”
The goal here is to understand the true reason for the objection so you can chart a way forward.
Step 3: Deliver a Meaningful Solution. Finally, in the deliver step, you should come prepared with meaningful solutions to the problem you’ve just uncovered.
If the issue isn’t the overall budget but rather the payment terms, you can deliver a revised offer. For example, you could propose an annual commitment paid in quarterly installments.
For your prepared responses, you should include proof points such as ROI data, case studies, and stories from similar businesses that have successfully implemented your solution.
Preparing for Success: Objection Handling Maps
A great practice is to write down the common concerns you encounter. Then, you can develop strategies and prepared responses. While scripts can feel rigid, objection-handling maps offer greater flexibility.
Here’s a simple map for when a customer says they already have a solution in place:
- Initial Response (Validation): “Wow, that’s great news. That puts you in the top few percent of organizations I speak with.”
- Introduce Common Pains (Pivot): “That said, I talk to a lot of [Job Title] who sometimes run into challenges with their current solution. For example, some find it doesn’t [integrate with a key tool], or that it [lacks a specific feature].
- “Explore (Ask Questions): “Are you experiencing any of those challenges?”
This map gives you different routes to take the conversation, allowing you to adapt to the customer’s response instead of following a rigid script.
A Quick Word on Handling Obstructions
Let’s go back to obstructions for a second—those soft objections you get during prospecting. As soon as someone realizes they’re talking to a salesperson, their defenses go up. Obstructions like “I can’t talk right now” or “Can you send me an email?” are the brain’s way of pushing off something unexpected.
A great strategy for handling obstructions is to use a pattern interrupt. This breaks the traditional flow of conversation.
- If they say: “I can’t talk right now, I’m headed into a meeting.”Instead of: “Oh, okay. I’m so sorry.”Try: “Ugh, meetings are the worst. I hope it’s a good one.”
This surprising or unexpected response can break the flow, lower their defenses, and possibly even get a laugh, giving you a short window for a valuable discussion.
Conclusion: Turn Objections into Your Superpower
With some preparation and practice, you can master how to handle your most common objections and obstructions. Objections are a natural part of selling. With the 3-D framework—Diffuse, Discover, Deliver—you’ve got a proven method to navigate any objection and maintain the conversation momentum.
