- An objection is information. Fight it and you lose it.
- Understand first, then answer: the best response is usually a question.
- No memorised lines. They sound like technique, and the client notices.
- Some objections are a polite no. That too is an answer you may accept.
- What you hear often belongs earlier in the conversation, not after the proposal.
How do you handle objections in general?
Objection handling is not a collection of quick-witted answers. Whoever refutes an objection at once may win the argument and lose the client. Three steps help with any objection:
- Accept. Do not contradict, do not justify. A calm «I understand» is enough.
- Understand. Ask what exactly is meant. The first objection is rarely the most important one.
- Answer. Only now, and only to what the client really means.
The price objection has its own article: «Too expensive»: what the price objection really means. This one is about the others.
What to do when the client says «We have no time»?
It is almost never about time, but about priority. For a problem that is burning, every owner finds an hour. «No time» means: the topic is not important enough right now, or I do not yet see what it gives me.
«Understood. What has priority right now, and where does our topic stand compared with it?»
The answer tells you whether it is a later or a never. An honest later with a fixed date is a good outcome.
What to do when the client says «We have no need»?
Sometimes that is true. Then it is good to know early. Often, though, it means: we do not see the problem, or we have got used to it.
«Quite possible. How do you handle this today, and how happy are you with it?»
Anyone who has got used to a problem often describes it themselves in the answer. Then you are in the middle of a needs analysis, no longer handling an objection.
What to do when the client says «Not interested»?
This objection often comes before the conversation has even started. It protects against yet another call that costs time. Persuading does not help here. What helps is an honest reason for the conversation and the freedom to say no.
«That is fine. May I say in one sentence why I am calling? Then you decide.»
If it stays a no, accept it. Pushing confirms the very image the client is protecting themselves against.
What to do when the client says «Send me some information»?
Sometimes this is genuine interest, often a friendly way to end the conversation. Documents without a conversation are rarely read.
«Gladly. So I do not send you the wrong thing: what interests you most about it?»
If the client answers concretely, you have a conversation. If they evade, you know where you stand and can spare yourself the follow-up.
What to do when the client says «We already have a provider»?
That is not a no, but a starting point. The aim is not to run down the other provider, but to find out whether something is missing.
«Good to hear it works. If you could change one thing about the collaboration, what would it be?»
If there is nothing, that is a clear answer. If there is something, you know where you can make a difference.
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