Sales Objection Techniques

Your prospects are lying to you. Not about budget.... About what's really stopping them from buying. Most sellers spend 90% of their time convincing people why they SHOULD buy. But completely ignore why they WON'T. It's like Eminem in 8 Mile. Remember that final battle? He called out every single reason someone could use against him. Took away their ammo. Left them speechless. That's exactly what you should be doing in sales. The Unspoken Objections (The Real Reasons People Don't Buy): Fear - "What if this doesn't work and I look stupid?" - what do you think your prospects are afraid of with your product, get ahead of it. Pain of Change - "Learning something new sounds exhausting" - how hard do your prospects believe the change process will be? Uncertainty - "I don't trust that this will actually deliver" - Have they ever done something like this before? Past Experience - "We tried something like this before..." Ego/Commitment - "Admitting we need help means I've failed" Being Wrong - "What if I pick the wrong solution?" Things are OK - "We're not dying, so why rock the boat?" Lack of Understanding - "I don't even know what this does" Most reps pray these never come up. Winners address them before they're even thought. The 8 Mile Approach to Selling: Instead of: "Our product increases productivity by 47%" Try: "I know you're probably thinking 'another tool to learn' - here's why this one's different..." Instead of: "We have 500 happy customers" Try: "You've probably been burned by vendors before. Here's what we do differently..." Instead of: Hoping they don't bring up price Try: "Yes, we're expensive. Here's why companies still choose us..." When you proactively address the unspoken objections: 1. You build massive trust (they think "wow, they get it") 2. You control the narrative 3. You eliminate their escape routes 4. You sound like a peer, not a pitcher The uncomfortable truth? People don't buy because of what you tell them. They don't buy because of what they tell themselves. And if you're not addressing what they're telling themselves, you're just another rep making noise. Stop selling features. Start dismantling fears. Your close rate will thank you. Sit down. Map these out in the messaging process (this applies to outbound just as much as it does demos) Get to work. Now everybody from the 313...

“Call me back in a few months.” What do you say? Traditional advice suggests asking: “What’s going to change in a few months?” The problem? That question puts the prospect on the defensive by subtly implying they’re not being genuine or decisive. It comes across as confrontational or as an attempt to corner them into justifying their response. It fails to acknowledge or respect the prospect’s stated timeline. Instead, it signals skepticism, which erodes trust. Here’s how to uncover the truth without being pushy: Labeling (options): “That’s not a problem. Sounds like you have a lot on your plate.” (Pause.) “It seems like there are other priorities taking center stage right now.” (Pause.) “I get it. You have a lot going on and are heads down on your most important things.” Listen without having an agenda. Once people feel heard, they are more likely to hear you. From there: “Just to respect your time, do you mind if I briefly give you some context about why I’m calling so you can decide if it’s worth hearing from me in a few months?” If they provide specific reasons why timing is off, respond with: “In the meantime, we send articles for [their job role] about [trend or insight]. Would it be okay if I add you to the list?” The takeaway? When you try to handle objections and push, you upset people because they don’t feel heard. Knowing how to make people feel heard and understood is a sales superpower. Do you get tongue tied when prospects raise objections? I got you - https://lnkd.in/eRE5QAHH

I've analyzed 10,000+ sales calls and discovered something shocking… Elite closers NEVER discount when asked, "Can I get a better price?" While most reps panic and immediately cave, the top 1% have a completely different playbook 👇 Instead, they have a systematic approach that PRESERVES margins while CLOSING more deals. When you're quick to discount, you communicate TWO things that DESTROY trust: 1️⃣ "YOU CAN'T TRUST ME". They'll think: "Why didn't they give me the best price initially?" This makes them suspicious of everything else you've said. 2️⃣ "MY PRODUCT ISN'T WORTH IT". You're telling them you don't believe in your own value. If YOU don't believe it, why should THEY? Before using any strategy, run the objection through my H.E.A.R.T. framework: - H-ear them: "Cari, I appreciate the ask." - E-laborate: "Help me understand why you're asking?" - A-side: “Aside from the pricing, is anything else giving you pause?" - R-eclarify value: "What did you like most about our solution?" - T-ransition: Now use one of these 5 strategies... ➡️STRATEGY #1. THE REDUCTION CLOSE "Let's review everything in your package and remove what's 'nice-to-have' versus 'must-have.' Then we'll recalculate." You're NOT giving a discount. You're reducing what they're buying. Most prospects realize they want everything and end up paying full price anyway. ➡️STRATEGY #2. THE SUBSTITUTE CLOSE "I know we discussed Option X. Another option is Y, it does things 1, 2, and 3 but doesn't have 4, 5, or 6. However, it's $XXX less." Again, NO discount. Just a lower-priced alternative that creates value comparison. When they see what they lose, they often stick with the premium solution. ➡️STRATEGY #3. THE UPSELL VALUE GIVE "I can't discount, but I CAN include Premium Support for 30 days. Normally reserved for our highest tier and costs 30% more." The magic? They often upgrade after experiencing the premium feature! This is my personal favorite with the highest conversion. ➡️STRATEGY #4. THE 3 OPTION CLOSE Present good/better/best options BEFORE the price objection happens. When they ask for a discount, guide them to the lower option. This makes THEM decide between features vs. price. Instead of YOU deciding between discount or no deal. ➡️STRATEGY #5. FLEXIBLE PAYMENT TERMS Instead of cutting price, adjust WHEN and HOW they pay: → Half now, half in 30 days → Payments over 3 months → Net-30 instead of Net-15 One Fortune 500 client increased close rates 32% with this approach alone. ➡️THE LAST RESORT: GIVE TO GET If you absolutely MUST discount, NEVER give without getting something in return: "I can do 10% off if we add 5 more licenses." OR "I can do 10% off if you introduce me to 5 other business owners who could use our solution." You're conditioning how you do business AND maximizing value. — Hey sales pros, want to handle objections better? Go here: https://lnkd.in/g-uJ7ECX

Most sellers think the biggest obstacle is the status quo. They’re wrong. I’ve coached 1,000+ reps and closed over $100M in enterprise software deals— And I can tell you firsthand: Your biggest competitor isn’t “do nothing.” It’s fear. Here’s how to de-risk deals and overcome buyer indecision: Buyers don’t lose sleep over doing nothing. They lose sleep over messing up. Because if they do nothing? Nothing happens. If they choose you and it fails? Their job’s on the line. That’s the real reason you get ghosted. Not because they want to stay in the status quo— But because they’re terrified your solution won’t deliver. Here’s how top sellers overcome that fear: 1. Get brutally honest, fast. Read their energy. Watch their face. If something feels off, call it out. “I’m sensing some hesitation. Where do you feel risk?” or “What would make you feel comfortable moving forward?” Don’t wait for objections—extract them. 2. Land and expand. Big deals create big fear. Instead of pushing the whole $1M rollout, start with one team. Prove results, build credibility, then go enterprise-wide. Smaller deal. Faster close. More trust. 3. Get creative with contracts. You don’t have to choose between ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Invent a ‘yes that feels safer.’ Here are 2 ways I’ve done that: A. Carveouts: We put experimental products on a 1-year agreement, while the core was 5 years. Result? They said yes to both—without getting locked into unproven tech. B. Price ramps: Instead of $5M up front, we ramped: $3M → $4M → $5M. They only paid what they could actually use—and that made all the difference. 4. Conservative ROI. Don’t sell the dream. Sell the floor. Buyers don’t want inflated projections—they want numbers they can defend. Let them plug in the ROI and stand behind it. Remember: The real reason deals stall? It’s not lack of urgency. It’s lack of confidence. Help your buyer feel safe— Or watch the deal die in “maybe.” Be the rep that makes saying yes easy. De-risk everything. Win more. P.S. If you're an AE who wants to work with me as your sales coach in 2025, we have a few 1:1 spots left. You can apply here: https://lnkd.in/gf3zQSPy

Traditional objection handling feels manipulative because it is. Buyers can feel when you're using a technique on them. The SPIN, LAER, and Feel-Felt-Found methods all have the same problem, they're about winning an argument, not solving a problem. Here's what actually works with today's sophisticated buyers: 1️⃣ Validate, don't combat When a buyer says "Your price is too high," stop trying to justify it. Start with, "That's a completely fair concern. Most companies we work with initially felt the same way." Validation before response changes everything. 2️⃣ Ask genuine questions Instead of launching into your prepared rebuttal, get curious: "What price point were you expecting?" "Which competitors are you comparing us to?" "What would make this investment more acceptable?" 3️⃣ Acknowledge the objection might be valid Sometimes, your solution genuinely isn't the right fit. The best reps are willing to say: "Based on what you've shared, this might not be right for you right now. Here's why..." This honesty builds tremendous trust. 4️⃣ Focus on business impact, not product features When they say "We don't need this feature," stop defending the feature. Redirect to outcomes: "I understand. The reason I mentioned it is because companies like yours have used it to achieve [specific result]." 5️⃣ Give them space to think After addressing an objection, stop talking. The silence feels uncomfortable, but respect their need to process your response. The best objection handlers aren't the smoothest talkers. They're the most empathetic listeners.

Stop trying to "crush" objections. That aggressive mindset is why so many deals stall in your pipeline. Here's what changed everything for me - I stopped seeing objections as battles to win and started seeing them as opportunities to understand. The 3C Mindset Approach transformed how I handle pushback: - Curiosity first. When a prospect says "it's too expensive," my first move isn't to defend pricing. It's to ask: "Help me understand what you mean by that." - Continue the conversation. Success isn't overcoming the objection. It's asking one more question that keeps the dialogue going. - Reach a conclusion together. Sometimes that's a next step, sometimes it's learning this isn't the right fit. Both are wins. I've heard every objection in the book across 250,000+ cold calls. The ones that led to closed deals weren't the ones I "crushed." They were the ones where I got genuinely curious about what the prospect was really saying. When you shift from defending to understanding, everything changes. Prospects feel heard instead of sold to. Conversations deepen instead of ending. Trust builds instead of erodes. Your prospects aren't obstacles to overcome. They're people trying to solve real problems. 📌 What's one objection you hear constantly that you could approach with more curiosity? ✨ Enjoyed this post? Make sure to hit FOLLOW for daily posts about B2B sales, leadership, entrepreneurship and mindset.

If your sales reps panic when they hear a “NO,” they weren’t trained to earn the “YES.” Most salespeople either freeze, get defensive, or abandon the conversation when a buyer pushes back. And that's because they were never taught what to do next. No matter how solid your pitch is or how many calls you make. Rejection is part of the job in sales. So if you’re not actively training your team to navigate objections They'll either avoid it or won't push harder. Objections aren’t rejections. Great sales reps don’t avoid objections. They anticipate them. They’re invitations to explore the buyer’s real concerns, their deeper motivations, and the gaps in your messaging. Here’s how I coach sales managers to build objection confidence in their teams: → Coach the pause. Teach reps to slow down. Objections are not emergencies, they’re opportunities to build more trust. They should open up conversations and not shut it down. → Model active listening. Help reps practice repeating the objection back. This isn’t about being right, it’s about making the buyer feel heard. → Train to isolate. Use role-plays to help reps get comfortable asking: “Aside from that, is there anything else holding you back?” Clarity before solutions. → Replace scripts with stories. Instead of robotic replies, encourage reps to share real customer wins. Stories move people, scripts often builds resistance. And if you’re not role-playing this weekly, your team isn’t building the muscle.

90% of SaaS reps overcomplicate objection handling. They’ll write 15-slide decks or “strategic” follow-up emails. But the best objection-buster I’ve ever used took one line: 👉 “Here’s how to get your CFO to approve this tool in 7 minutes flat.” That line alone turned stalled deals into signed contracts. Why? Because it gives the buyer exactly what they need (ammunition to win approval internally). We spun that same core message into multiple weapons: • “The ROI calculator CFOs can’t argue with” • “Your boss will literally thank you for sending this” • “The lazy AE’s guide to instant approvals” Different flavors, same impact: we made the champion look like a genius inside their org. The lesson? You don’t always need “new messaging.” You need the right angle for each buyer. One insight. Three angles. Pipeline unlocked.

A sales rep told me he recently got a "sorry, no budget" objection. Then he closed the deal in 48 hours, here's how ... Prospect: "Sorry, we don't have the budget right now." Sales rep: "I understand. Quick question - if budget wasn't an issue, would our solution solve your top 3 problems?" Prospect: "Well, yes, but..." Sales rep: "Great. Let's shelve the budget talk for a moment. Walk me through those 3 problems and their impact on your business." 10 minutes of them explaining Sales rep: "Got it. So these issues are costing you roughly $X per year. Our solution, at $Y, would save you $Z annually. When does solving a problem become a budget priority?" Prospect: "When you put it that way..." The deal closed 2 days later. Key takeaways: 'No budget' often means 'not a priority' Reframe the conversation around cost of inaction Let them sell themselves on the need Remember: Budget isn't about money in the bank. It's about perceived value. What's your go-to response for 'no budget'? #sales #b2bsales

“Your price is too high.” Coolio. Taco Bell has a dollar menu. Doesn’t mean it’s the better option. When buyers push back on price, it’s rarely about affordability. It’s about credibility. They’re not convinced the juice is worth the squeeze. And when that happens, reps panic. They discount. They stall. They hope. But here’s what the data shows across hundreds of SaaS deals: Most pricing objections aren’t budget-related: - Roughly 10% stem from actual budget constraints - 60%+ come from unclear ROI or unquantified value - The rest? Risk. Fear of change, churn, or complexity So when a buyer says “that’s too much,” they don’t mean too many dollars. They mean too much doubt. Keep this awesome equation in mind: Perceived Value ÷ Perceived Risk = Willingness to Pay If either side of that equation collapses, even a fair price feels inflated. Here’s a real example from a $40k ACV SaaS company we work with at Sales Assembly: Before: - 29% of closed/lost deals blamed pricing - Proposal-to-close rate under 10% - Reps discounting in nearly half of wins What changed: 1. Value was quantified early. - Reps added “Cost of Inaction” to discovery (via training Jen Allen-Knuth facilitates for us) - Focus on making sure the downside of doing nothing was clear (via business case creation training facilitated for us by Nate Nasralla). - Ex: Ops leader says 9 hrs/week spent compiling reports -> $43.2k/year in wasted labor. THAT became the anchor, not the price tag. 2. Deals were de-risked, not discounted - 30 day opt outs tied to onboarding milestones - CX led implementation previews - Timeline SLAs with shared accountability These weren’t gimmicks. They addressed the unspoken fear: What if this fails internally? 3. Objections were diagnosed, not debated Reps used a decision tree: - Budget -> FY timing, phased rollouts, flexible terms - Value -> Revisit pain model, add persona-specific proof - Risk -> Peer references, sandbox access, stakeholder plans Over time, they tracked objection types: - Budget = ~12% - Value = ~58% - Risk = ~30% Which meant 9 out of 10 pricing objections WEREN'T about price. Two quarters later: - Pricing related losses dropped from 29% to 13% - Proposal-to-close rate nearly doubled to 18.6% - Discount usage fell by 37% tl;dr = If you’re hearing “too expensive” at the end, the objection started at the beginning. It's more of a positioning issue than a pricing issue. So stop tossing discounts at doubt. Train your reps to: - Model ROI early - Address internal risk directly - Map pricing to value before numbers hit the table Because when buyers believe in the outcome, they’ll find the budget. When they don’t, no discount is deep enough. And if Taco Bell starts looking like the safer bet? It’s not your price. It’s your pitch.