20 Sales Objections

Sales Objection is a big headache for beginners. For the experienced ones, it is a great opportunity to bridge the gap and close the deal. It also helps salespeople to avoid wasting time with unwinnable customers. This can be done in just 3 steps.

Active Listening: Most important thing to do when we hear an objection is to listen carefully to understand it without trying to argue and get angry.

Exploring Further: Explore further by asking questions or rephrasing what heard to ensure pour understanding is in sync with customer understanding

Responding to the point: Respond after reflecting on the input for some time. Do not hurry to respond. Slowing down will allow having control over the emotions which would have got triggered by the Sales Objection.

We have listed 20 common sales objections, try to find the exploring questions and responses by yourself and check the suggested answer later. Suggested answers are only indicative. The exact response and explore communication depend on the actual situation. This include, clients mood, hierarchical position of the person we are interacting with, the criticality of the solution, and the nearness to the timeline for the client

Your Product or Solution is expensive.

Sales Explore:??????It is expensive against what? (Competition, Budget)

Sales Respond (Competition):??How is your alternate solution different? I can help you with a comparison to make the decision-making easy for you. Showcase your competitive value again

Tip: If it is the product, get the exact model number of the competitor so that the comparison makes the advantages very clear. If it is a solution, list all the benefits offered by the competitor

Your offer is above our budget.

Sales Explore: During the 1st meeting, we discussed and the budget indicated was much above our offer. What changed now? When will you have the budget again?

Respond (Budget): Suggest Options for payment, Increasing the PO clubbing other projects, Annual Contract and offer volume discount

Tip: The budget is to be assessed at the contacting phase of the sale process. Verify is it has changed now, or customer is trying the trick.

I have to use this budget for another urgent case

Sales Explore: What will be your loss of not executing this project now? When will you allocate the budget here again?

Sales Respond: Let us fix a tentative appointment for next quarter when the budget is allocated for this. (However if it is not positive for the future, just walk away, without showing the feeling outside)

(Tip: It is to be identified in the Qualifying stage of the sales process that the requirement is aligned with Customers' business priorities. If it is changed now and turned unimportant for the customer, walk away)

Getting stuck in the contract is the last thing I want to do.

Sales Explore: What clause in the contract is making you feel may get you stuck?

Sales Respond: These are the benefits of the contract with the particular clause and other clauses. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages

Tips: Remove or modify the specific clauses to satisfy the customer.

We are working with another company

Sales Explore: What are great things with that vendor? What needs improvement?

Sales Respond: We can do better than them, in the x, y, z areas.

Tip: Customer working with a competitor is ready for hunting, no need to educate the details of the solution. Can close the deal quickly

I have an existing contract with a competitor. I cannot come out.

Sales Explore: What part of the contract is locking you? What is the cost of breaking the contract?

Sales Respond: We are ready to make an offer partially or fully taking care of the cost of breaking contract with our low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)

We are happy with our existing vendor

Sales Explore: What are you happy with? What needs improvement?

Sales Respond: We are better.. in XYZ ways. OR(We can explain now or at a convenient time)

A competitor says your products/ your company have XYZ problem

Sales Respond: It is not true. (No need to explain why it is not true. In case the customer wants clarification can give more data)

Tip: Better not to discuss in detail to justify our argument. The more we discuss, the more we tend to appear desperate. Just answer the questions only.

I am not able to sell this internally.

Sales Explore: Internally sell to whom?

Sales Respond: I do selling day and night, can help you prepare and win internally. Can join your internal meeting if required.

I am not authorized to approve this

Sales Explore: Who is the authority?

Sales Respond: Please take me to the authority/ I do selling day and night, can help you prepare and win internally. Can join the call if required

Tip: Authority details to be collected at the Contacting Phase of the Sales Process. If it is changed now, collect more details and explore the possibility of earlier authority putting a recommendation

The finance department isn't convinced.

Sales Explore: Which person is not convinced?

Sales Respond: I do selling day and night, can help you prepare and win internally. Can join the call if required.

?Our company is getting downsized/sold out.

Sales Explore: The contract will remain, reduce in size or vanish?

Sales Respond: We can renegotiate the terms based on the changed situation. OR walk away if the contract is not going to remain intact.

Tip: Retain the relationship with the person, as he could be our champion in another company

You are not a registered vendor

Sale Explore: Can you share with me the process to register.

Sales Respond: Registering as a direct vendor will make our offer more valuable.

We never heard about your company.

Sales Respond: We are a company providing solutions to A, B, C companies in your vertical market / Industry. Can provide more success cases if you require.

Note: This company introduction is to be made in the initial phase of the Sales Process. If not done earlier or if the customer employee is newly joined, can consider making the presentation again, if he/she so chose.

We don't have the plan now.

Sales Explore: What are you employing now for this particular plan?

Sales Respond: We have the solution for the new plan as well, when can we discuss that, now or some other date?

1. It is not important now.

Sales Explore: What has changed now? Why it is not important? When will it become important again? What is important now? What is the impact of not executing this now?

Sales Respond: We can offer a solution for your current priority plan as well OR We can meet at a convenient time, when this plan is your priority, say after a month, to discuss further.

Your solution does not meet the requirement.

Sales Explore: Which requirement is not met by our solution? What is your expected performance indicator for this requirement?

Sales Respond: We have another solution that meets this requirement. Can support with a quick PoC

Tip: If we do not have a solution meeting the customer requirement, better to walk away. This part is to be verified at the initial phase of the sales process

Your solution is too complicated.

Sales Explore: Which part specifically is complicated?

Sales Respond: Can arrange to train your people hands-on.

Your product does not work in our industry

Sales Explore: What are the specific requirements from your Industry?

Sales Respond: We have a,b,c certifications relevant to your industry. Have some success stories from customers from your industry.

Your Solution does not work with my system

Sales Explore: Which specific system/ tools are facing the compatibility issue?

Sales Respond: We can do a PoC with your system to make sure everything works fine with our solution.

Tip: PoC is to be suggested wherever compatibility issue is sensed. This needs to be sensed in the initial phases of the sales process.