The Ultimate Guide to Overcome Sales Objections

Summary:

• Mastering objection handling is vital in sales, where the right approach can mean the difference between closing a deal and missing out.
• PhoneBurner can help sales reps make objections less likely by enhancing call quality and efficiency with features like a power dialer, CRM integrations, and effective follow-up tools.
• Four common objections in sales relate to budget constraints, lack of interest, requests for information, and decision-making hesitation.
• Best practices for dealing with objections include digging into the real reasons behind them, confirming the prospect's needs, scheduling follow-ups, and using PhoneBurner for thorough preparation to increase the likelihood of successful sales.

Handling objections is a major part of any sales professional’s job. How well you do it can be the difference between rejection and closing a big deal. And it’s often the difference between scraping by and shattering your sales goals.

Almost every potential client is going to object at one point or another, so you need to be prepared. That’s why we created this guide of common objections that sales reps face, as well as the best objection-handling techniques for each one. Use these in conjunction with our industry-leading power dialer to reach more leads and drive more sales.

How PhoneBurner Helps You Avoid & Resolve Objections

PhoneBurner is designed to facilitate better-quality conversations with your prospects. We built our power dialer to help you get more live answers and start conversations on the right foot. Key benefits include:

• Better call deliverability via Tier 1 carrier support to reduce spam flags
• Branded Caller ID to improve trust, answer rates and call duration
• Built-in CRM and 200+ integrations for efficient lead research and call prep
• One-touch post-call follow-ups like voicemail, email, and SMS for continued engagement

What’s more, unlike other software, calls from PhoneBurner don’t raise instant skepticism due to an off-putting beep or pause at the start of the call. Connections are 100% delay-free. 

Start your free trial here, or keep reading to learn about common sales objections and best practices for overcoming them.

The Four Most Common Objections Sales Reps Face

Reluctant prospects might phrase them differently, but most sales objections are a variant of one of the following four main types. Here’s what each one really means, and how we suggest you handle it:

1. "We don't have the money right now."

This common objection is often not just about budget constraints, but also a reflection of the prospect's perception of your product’s value. Understanding and addressing this concern is crucial to overcoming the objection.

Key Points to Consider

• With a good understanding of the prospect's pain points or priorities, it’s hard to deliver solutions
• The objection may mask doubts about the product's value relative to its cost.
• Identifying the underlying hesitation is crucial to addressing the budget concern effectively.

How to Address the Objection

• Improve Pain/Priority Identification: Uncovering a prospect’s pain points and priorities through your opening and discovery questions improves your ability to pitch a compelling solution
  Highlight Value: Emphasize the benefits and value of your product to justify the investment.
• Future Planning Approach: Suggest planning for a future purchase, such as scheduling a demo or discussing benefits, to keep the engagement alive.

2. "I'm just not interested."

This objection, often a reflex to outbound prospecting calls, reflects a lack of understanding/awareness of your differentiator(s) Your approach should subtly challenge this contentment by presenting the added value of your service.

Key Points to Consider

• The objection is usually a quick dismissal rather than a firm decision.
• Understanding their current satisfaction levels is crucial to tailor your response.
• Getting them to acknowledge a pain point you know exists with competing products is key.

How to Address the Objection

• Empathize and Redirect: Acknowledge their stance and then pivot to showcasing your service’s key benefits.
• Identify resonance with known pain points: Try something like this, “In our work with other SMBs we typically find two pain points: 1) outreach efficiency is strong, but call answer rates are lower than expected 2) sales reps aren’t properly logging calls, activities, and outcomes so management doesn’t have the visibility they need. Does either resonate?
• Personalize the Response: Address their specific needs by demonstrating how your service has benefitted similar companies.

3. "Can you send me information first?"

This request often indicates a desire to delay the conversation or assess the information at their own pace. It’s an opportunity to further engage and learn more about your prospect’s situation rather than just comply.

Key Points to Consider

• The prospect is most likely seeking control over the sales process.
• They might be interested but are not ready for a direct commitment.

What are some challenges you’re facing so I can make sure I send over the right info?

How to Address the Objection

Agree, Then Question: Confirm sending information, but use this chance to ask probing questions to better understand their needs. You want to advance the conversation before it ends.

Try something like, “Absolutely. I want to make sure I send over information that’s helpful to you. What is your biggest challenge/priority right now related to [product]?” 

Listen and Tailor Your Pitch: Use their responses to refine your sales pitch, making it more relevant to their specific situation. Learn more about how good listening can help your sales calls.

4. "I Need to Think About It"

The "I need to think about it" objection is a common challenge in sales, often indicating that the prospect hasn't fully recognized the value of the product or service, and needs to evaluate their options or consult with others before making a decision. Or, it can genuinely mean they are interested but they are uncertain about something. It's important to see this as an opportunity to learn which reason it is and address their underlying concerns.

Key Points to Consider

• This objection may be a smokescreen for other concerns, primarily cost-related.
• Understanding and addressing the specific uncertainties of the prospect is crucial.
• Maintain control by setting another time to connect.

How to Address the Objection

• Agree, then Probe: Try to identify where they really stand. Say something like, "I completely understand. Generally, when people tell me this, it means they’re either not interested, or that maybe there’s an underlying concern I haven’t addressed?"
• Reframe Accordingly: Use their response as a way to provide helpful information and to keep the conversation going. “I appreciate you sharing that. Let’s do this. I want to send you some information to address that, and then re-connect for a few minutes after you’ve had some time. Are you available on….”  

Best Practices for Handling Sales Objections

We’ve given you some tactics to handle each common sales objection listed above—but there are also some general rules we recommend following when you’re confronted with any of them. Try these next time you’re talking to a prospect who doesn’t seem receptive:

Understand What the Objection Is Really About

People aren’t always forthcoming about their real motivations—so if you take every sales objection at face value, chances are good that you’re giving up too easily. Uncover the specific concerns or doubts causing the objection and you’ll be in a much better position to convince your prospect of the value you’re offering them.

Example: If a prospect says they need to think about it, ask which aspects are unclear to them. The more they talk, the more clues you can pick up as to what problem they really need to solve and how you can help.

Confirm that the Prospect’s Need Exists

It’s essential to validate that there is a genuine need or problem that your product or service can address. By confirming the existence of a problem, you solidify the basis of your sales conversation and can tailor your pitch more effectively.

Example: When a prospect is hesitant, ask them to confirm their main challenge, like, “So, is resolving [specific pain point] a key goal for you?” This reaffirms that you’re offering them a solution they can use.

Schedule a Follow-Up

Respecting a prospect's need for time while keeping the dialogue open is a delicate balance. Scheduling a follow-up shows you respect their decision-making process but also keeps the conversation active.

Example: Try something like, “I understand you need time. How about we touch base next Thursday to discuss any new thoughts or questions?” This also gives you another opportunity to make the sale later if they aren’t willing to close a deal with you now.

Clarify What’s Under Consideration

Understanding the specifics of a prospect's hesitation can guide you in providing more targeted information. Asking them to clarify gives you insights into their decision-making process.

Example: If a prospect needs time, ask, “Is there a particular aspect, like pricing or features, that you’d like more information on?”

Give Them the Opportunity to Say No (or Not Yet)

Allowing prospects the space to decline or delay a decision can build trust and openness in your relationship. It shows that you respect their needs and are not just pushing for a sale. Learn more about how to handle rejection in sales.

People remember experiences like this—and if they have a genuine need for what you’re offering, it increases their odds of coming back when they are prepared to buy.

Example: Try something along the lines of, “If you feel this isn't right for you at the moment, that's completely fine. Is there a better time to reconsider this?”

Ask About Others

In cases where decisions are not made by a single individual, understanding the decision-making process can be beneficial. It allows you to tailor your follow-up and possibly engage with other key decision-makers who can help get the deal closed.

Example: Inquire, “Will you need to consult with anyone else in your team before making this decision?” If they respond with a yes, make sure you collect as much information as you can on who that is and what they’ll need to know, then invite them to the follow-up.

Give Your Prospects More Reasons to Say Yes

Objections don’t necessarily mean you’ve hit a wall—they often just mean you haven’t found the right key to making a sale yet. Use the tips above to deal with objections when they arise, and remember: the right approach can make them less likely to occur in the first place.

Tools like PhoneBurner can help you prepare for calls more thoroughly, increase your call answer rates, and drive higher-quality conversations where objections are less likely to occur. Start your free trial today, or check out the FAQ below for more details.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should you prepare for a call to avoid sales objections?

One key to avoiding potential objections during a sales call is lead quality and research. The better you know your lead, ask questions to identify their needs, and speak to the priorities of your prospect, the less often your prospects will object —and the more easily you’ll be able to handle an objection if one does come up.

PhoneBurner’s CRM makes it easy to build targeted calls lists and track key data about each prospect so you can leverage it on calls, or conduct necessary research prior to calling them. This is extremely useful for keeping conversations focused and on the right track from start to finish.

Why shouldn’t I just send more information if a prospect asks?

It’s not that you shouldn’t agree to send more information—but you should take this opportunity to understand what information is actually needed, and advance the conversation before getting off the call. Getting your prospect to commit to a follow-up call or some other form of contact ensures that the conversation will continue after you’ve sent them the info they’re asking for, and helps you avoid a situation where the potential deal stagnates.

How can I get more people on the phone so I can close more deals?

Live answers are opportunities to persuade prospects that what you’re offering them has genuine value. A live conversation is the best window of opportunity to change a person’s mind, which can mean closing that elusive deal. The PhoneBurner platform is designed to increase live answer rates, so you have more conversations, set more meetings, and close more deals.