OBJECTIONS & REBUTTALS Flashcards
- Not Interested”
Sales Objection Type: Irritation
Sales reps often hear the objection “not interested” when they’re cold calling. It often comes early in the call before the rep has even had a chance to make their elevator pitch — as soon as the irritated lead smells a sales call.
Example Sales Rebuttals
To diffuse this irritation, first tell them you understand they’re likely annoyed that they’re receiving calls when they’re busy, then ask for a minute to explain why you’re calling. If this objection came after your pitch, ask what they find uninteresting so you can be targeted and reverse that feeling.
Here are some ways cold calling reps can respond to the “not interested” objection:
1.”Buyer the only reason i’m calling you is to give you the information you requested so that you could protect your loved ones. Did you get that burial policy yet?
- “I understand you’re pressed on time. Can I get one minute to explain why I’m calling?”
- “Totally understand. Neither was {Lead’s Relevant Competitor} until they heard my 30-second pitch. I know you’re likely busy; would you allow me the privilege regardless?”
- “What aren’t you interested in?”
This is a tough objection to overcome, but with a polite understanding and a request for permission to pitch, you can spark just enough curiosity and favor in the lead to influence them to give you the green light.
“I’m not interested.”
”I’m just not interested.” Those four words can be the most disheartening ones you hear as a life insurance agent. They sound so final, as if there’s nothing else you can do to change the prospect’s mind. Look at it this way, though. How could someone not be interested in something when they don’t even know what that something is? Along the same lines, how could they not be interested in a life insurance policy if they don’t yet know how life insurance works?
Sometimes, prospects will cut you off with “I’m not interested” before you can even begin your script. While frustrating, it does present you with an opportunity to get right back on track.
The rebuttal: Find a way to demonstrate value
Address their statement immediately, so they know you hear them. Try something like, “I understand that you might not be interested in a life insurance policy, and that’s okay. But may I ask you for just a few moments of your time so that I can show you how life insurance works and how it can help you protect your loved ones?”
If they give you the green light to continue, get right back on your script and keep going. You now have the chance to show your prospect the value of purchasing a life insurance policy. You can earn their interest and start helping them create a personalized plan.
What if the prospect says they aren’t interested later?
If your prospect shows interest early on and listens to what you have to say but then says they aren’t interested, you might need to review your script. Maybe you didn’t do a good enough job building the value of a policy. Revise your pitch so that it’s more attractive to your prospects and keep trying.
- “Where’d You Get My Information?”
Sales Objection Type: Irritation
It’s often an underlying frustration with cold callers and emailers that fuels the aggressive objection of “Where’d you get my info?” Leads are expressing that they don’t know you and didn’t ask to be contacted by you. Other times, you’ll encounter this when following up with an inbound lead who simply forgot they’d submitted an online form and gave you the information.
Example Sales Rebuttals
The best remedy is an honest answer to their question, followed by a hint at your value proposition. This will set them at ease and pique their interest. On the other hand, if the lead has given you their contact information in an opt-in form, simply remind them and ask about their experience with the lead magnet, thereby getting rid of their lack of knowledge and forming rapport.
Here are some rebuttals for the “Where’d you get my information” sales objection:
“Your number came up on a list of businesses that could benefit from {Value Proposition}.”
“I did some online research for people in the X market and came across your phone number/email.”
“When you signed up for X, you gave us your contact information. Has X been helpful?”
If you purchased the information, use the first rebuttal. Note that while it’s still honest, it sounds a lot better than saying “I bought a list of leads.” A little creativity can make your honest rebuttals more palatable to the lead. And it’s better than lying, which, although potentially effective in the short run, can turn from a harmless, rarely used tactic into a character damaging habit — not to mention financially damaging when a prospect or customer finds out.
- “Why Are You Calling Me?”
Sales Objection Type: Irritation
If a lead asks why you’re calling them, it’s likely because they’re annoyed and don’t want to talk to someone trying to sell them something. They also likely feel like they’re part of an indiscriminate list of names.
Example Sales Rebuttals
To alleviate this irritation, make the lead understand that you’re not just calling them on a whim, but are specifically interested in talking to them because they fit your target audience’s profile in some way. This can make them feel like you might actually have something they’ll find valuable. For example, mentioning a common pain point held by other people similar to the lead is always a good way to win their favor, even if they don’t have that exact pain point.
Here are some rebuttals to this common cold calling sales objection:
“A lot of {Lead’s Descriptor — e.g., VPs of finance, men from coastal regions} have been coming to us lately saying they’re {Relevant Pain Point}, so, I came across your information and thought I’d check to see if we can help you in that area.”
“We thought you may be interested in improving your X because you {Reason They’re a Good Fit}.”
“We’re contacting certain people in the X industry to get in touch about their current Y solution.”
After hearing your rebuttal, the lead will think of you as a problem-solver instead of a spammer. And even if they say they don’t have the aforementioned pain point or process, you can ask about another common one, increasing your chances of winning their interest.
- “I Don’t Have Time”
Sales Objection Type: Time
Sometimes when contacting a lead for the first time, they’ll tell you they don’t have time to speak with you or learn about your offer. Bad timing is likely causing this reaction. Perhaps they’re busy at the moment you cold called. However, it could also be a matter of priority. They might think talking to you is less important than doing their work or scrolling through LinkedIn.
Example Sales Rebuttals
To overcome this objection, tell the lead you understand they can’t talk right now, and then ask for a different time frame when they might be more available. This takes care of the timing issue. To also attend to any priority problems, consider hinting at your value proposition so they know why they should make time for you.
Here are some example rebuttals for the “I don’t have time” sales objection:
“I understand you’re busy right now. Could I give you another call around the same time tomorrow? I have an idea about how to help your business {Value Proposition}, and it’ll take just five minutes to share.”
“Alright, you can’t talk now. Is there a better time this week for me to call? I’d love to tell you about how we can help you {Value Proposition}.”
“Sounds like you have a lot on your plate at the moment. Is there a time frame I could circle back when you have a more open schedule?”
Respecting their time and finding another day to connect is the most effective solution to this problem. The lead should appreciate your approach and accept it, now that they know you’re considerate and easy to work with. In the meantime, consider emailing them some short, informative content to learn more about your solution. That way, when you call back, they could be more interested in spending their time talking with you.
- “Can’t You Just Send Me Something?”
Sales Objection Type: Time
This objection is most common during cold calls and is usually due to a lack of time to hear your pitch. The lead is asking you to send something in an effort to get you off the phone, or, in some instances, to actually learn about your solution — that is, on their own time.
Example Sales Rebuttals
Whether it’s a lack of time, or irritation masquerading as it, the best approach to overcoming this objection is asking what the lead wants to learn more about, agreeing to email some resources to them, and lastly, scheduling time for you to call back and hear their thoughts about the resource. This should get you another meeting on the calendar.
Here are three rebuttals for dealing with this objection:
“Yeah, sure! Is there something specific you’d like to learn more about?”
“We can definitely send you our product info. Is there a good time to call you back once you’ve had time to read through it?”
“Sure thing, I have a case study about how a company similar to yours saw {Benefit} from our solution. How about I send that over and call you back on {Three Business Days From Now} to hear your thoughts?”
If the lead says a noncommittal “sure” when you ask to call them back, try to make this meeting more of a sure thing. Say, “Great, do you have your calendar open?” They will usually respond with “yes” or “one second.” Then you can find a time with them that works for the call, get them to verbally commit to it, and send over the calendar invite after they’ve hung up. This will make it more difficult for them to dodge you, as they’d feel guilty of breaking a commitment.
- “I’m Not the One Making Purchasing Decisions”
Sales Objection Type: Priority
Sometimes you end up pitching to somebody who isn’t a decision maker — this especially happens on cold calls — and they let you know that they can’t personally choose whether to purchase your product. They have to talk to someone else, and perhaps are hesitant to start that conversation with a higher-up because they don’t yet see your product as necessary, and so they don’t want to waste their manager’s time.
Example Sales Rebuttals
The goal here is to get on the phone with a decision maker, or at least figure out how to do so. Ask the person who is in charge of these decisions and ask if they’ll connect you with them. If they don’t want to, you’re going to have to sell them a bit harder. Focus on how it’ll benefit both their manager and them. If it was a property manager, you might say it’ll help you do move-out inspections more quickly, and it’ll help the VP double the buildings they manage this year.
Here are some responses you can use to overcome this objection:
“Well, thank you for listening to my spiel even though you didn’t have to. Are you able to connect me with the person who makes the purchasing decisions real quick?”
“Understood, thanks for hearing me out anyway. Who makes those decisions? Would I be able to get their number or email?”
“Okay, would you happen to know who’s in charge of {Ideal Lead’s Responsibility — e.g., managing the marketing team}? I have an idea for helping them {Higher Up’s Need}, which will also help you {Influncer’s Need}.”
Even though this person isn’t the decision maker, you should still be friendly and valuable to them. If you win them over with your charm and promises, they might just put in a good word about you and your offer to the decision maker when they decide to go ahead and facilitate the connection.
- “I Don’t Understand the Product”
Sales Objection Type: Lack of Knowledge
When you hear this objection, you have to fill in the lead’s limited understanding. The lead obviously missed something important, either during a pitch, presentation, or their own research. They therefore desire further explanation.
Example Sales Rebuttals
To overcome this objection, first figure out exactly what they want to know more about. Is it the whole product or a specific feature? Then, explain the product or feature in a different way than the first time. Tell them what it is and what it’s designed to do in clear language. Also, consider sharing use cases to help them visualize how they’d use it.
Below are some rebuttals for overcoming the “I don’t understand” objection:
“Perhaps I was unclear. My apologies. What exactly is it that’s confusing you?”
“Do you have any specific questions about what the product does?”
“Our product is an X, designed to do Y. For example, many customers use it to {Use Case}. Does that clear things up?”
After you’ve delivered your rebuttal, it’s important to make sure you’ve bridged the gap in knowledge. So ask them if they need any more explanations or have any other questions before moving forward. Once bridged, your relationship should be stronger, having had to struggle together in the cooperative pursuit of forging an understanding.
- “I Already Have a Provider”
Sales Objection Type: Lack of Knowledge
During a cold call or sales call, your lead may express that they already get something similar from another provider. This could be due to a lack of awareness. Sometimes you’ll find that the lead’s provider actually serves a different need than your product or service, and the lead is just unclear about the difference. On the other hand, they might actually have someone doing it for them — a trickier type of objection to overcome, but doable.
Example Sales Rebuttals
To deal with this objection, first gather a bit more information, as opposed to immediately countering what they’re saying. Once you know what you’re up against, you can give your unique selling proposition and more information that elevates your business above their current provider and fills the lead’s lack of knowledge. If you find that they’re just confused about how you fill a different need than their current provider, explain the difference.
Here are some ways to rebut this objection:
“Who is your current provider? Why’d you pick them?”
“When was the last time you switched providers? What made you switch?”
“A lot of clients got us mixed up with them at first, but our solution’s actually meant to work alongside a tool like theirs. While they take a mile-wide, inch-deep approach, our tool is 100% focused on helping you {Focus Area}. We also offer integrations with {Lead’s Provider}.”
The result should be a lead curious to learn more about your solution and why it’s better than, or complementary to, their current provider.
- “I’m Not Comfortable Giving More Information”
Sales Objection Type: Lack of Knowledge
Salespeople are encouraged to get every form of contact possible from their leads during cold calls. Sometimes this makes leads uncomfortable, and, because of a lack of know-how about your intentions, they object.
Example Sales Rebuttals
To overcome their hesitation, acknowledge their concern and tell them what you’ll do with the info and why it will benefit them. This is meant to put the lead at ease by engendering in them feelings of self-interest, or even empathy. If they see that collecting their data will help them, or businesses like them, they’ll be more understanding.
Here are some ways to overcome this objection:
“I understand that you’re hesitant to provide more information, but we can save you a lot of time on the phone if we’re able to email you more info to read at your leisure.”
“I know you probably get a lot of spam phone calls, but if you give us your number, we can make an appointment so that you know exactly when we’re going to call.”
“Totally understand. I will say this though: we often send giveaways and discounts to our email list, sometimes up to {Giveaway Example — e.g., 25 % off a purchase}. That’s why I ask.”
If they comply, continue on with your sales conversation. If they push back, and you don’t need the piece of contact information, feel free to forget about it. That way you can move forward with your sales tactics without their confusion bubbling into irritation. Either way, the lead should feel like they can trust you after receiving one of the above rebuttals.
- “I’m Not Ready to Buy”
Sales Objection Type: Priority
When a lead says they aren’t ready to buy, it’s often because they don’t prioritize the purchase. There’s likely something else they’d rather be spending their money or time on, whether that’s a competing investment or some internal project.
Example Sales Rebuttals
In this case, you first need to figure out why the lead is dragging their feet on this venture. After you’ve figured out what they’re prioritizing, or why they think they can wait, create a sense of urgency that inspires them to move this project up on their list of things to do. Mention an opportunity they’re missing or a way they’ll benefit from planting the seed now.
Here are some ways to get past the “I’m not ready to buy” objection:
“I understand you aren’t looking to purchase yet. Could I ask what it is you’re waiting for in order to make a purchase?”
“Wouldn’t a boost in X help you more if you are able to start it sooner?”
“If you’re going to seize the {Market Opportunity}, it’d be best to start as soon as possible, before it’s too late.”
It can also help to paint a clear picture of what would happen if they bought this product sooner rather than later. For instance, you could explain how their business would look in one year if they had your product today. This future vision could get them excited about buying your solution
- “I Don’t Have the Money Right Now”
Sales Objection Type: Priority
Example Sales Rebuttals
A quantitative concern can easily be rebutted with a straightforward, quantitative answer. The idea is to stress the time or money that they save by buying sooner. This can help them see why prioritizing your solution in their budget is worthwhile. If they seriously lack the finances to go forward with your solution, that’s another story. Perhaps you have a more affordable option or payment plan you can offer them that will still relieve their major pain point.
Here are some rebuttals to “I don’t have the money right now”:
“Have you considered how much money you’ll save by getting it sooner?”
With a few calculations, I can show you how you’d break even in {Duration}.”
“We have options to break up the payment for our products so you can start saving money a little sooner.”
These rebuttals should be enough to overcome their objection. However, if they really don’t have the capital, figure out when they’ll have it, and schedule a meeting for that date/time to review your solution. In the meantime, continue emailing them helpful content that demonstrates your solution’s value. That way, when the meeting occurs, they’ll be primed to buy.
- “I Don’t See a Need Right Now”
Sales Objection Type: Lack of Knowledge
Example Sales Rebuttals
The rebuttals to this objection should be more focused on discussing their pain point and highlighting the costs of letting it go unsolved. It’s like a dentist telling a patient the side effects of not getting their tooth pulled ASAP — rot, pain, and all the other unsavory outcomes. You could also help them visualize the benefits they’ll miss out on by waiting to act. For instance, a stockbroker might say “buy now when the market’s low or you’ll miss out.”
Here is some verbiage for overcoming this objection:
“From what we’ve seen happen to people with {Pain Point — e.g., outdated piping} like yours, if they let this fester they might see a {Negative Consequence — e.g., broken pipe and flood} that throws them entirely off track in their renovations.”
“Would fixing your {Issue} make you more money this year?”
“How much time would you save if we could speed up your X process? Imagine what you could do with that extra time in the day.”
Once the lead understands the true pain they’ll suffer or the amazing future they’ll miss out on if they neglect their issue, they’ll see your solution in a new light. They’ll view it as a must instead of a nice to have.
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- “I Found Another Product I Like More”
Sales Objection Type: Lack of Knowledge
If the lead has heard from you, they’ve probably heard from other providers in your market. So, there’s a chance that they’re going to get sold on another product before yours. While turning this around can be difficult, it also tells you that they’re ready to buy. They just need a bit more information in regards to why yours is a better choice.
Example Sales Rebuttals
First, figure out what they like about the other solution, and then start selling them on why yours is better for what they need, thereby filling their incomplete knowledge. Never disparage the other product or service. That will come across as an insult to their intelligence and judgment. Instead, focus on how your solution is better suited to their specific needs, providing them with information that can help them see what the competing sales rep might’ve left out.
Here are some rebuttals to use when a lead says “I found another product I like more”:
“What product did you end up landing on? What about it do you like?”
“That’s a great product. Many of our clients have used it but switched to us because, like you, they wanted {Prospect’s Need}, and felt {Competitor} was lacking in that department. Unlike them, we {Reason Your Business Is Better at Solving the Need}.”
“Let me show you a quick comparison between their product and ours so that you’re as informed as possible before you make your decision.”
After delivering one of these rebuttals and demonstrating the key differences between the two products, the client should have a better sense of why your option is better suited for them. They’ll start to reconsider and perhaps ask for you to go in-depth on the differentiating factor they found most intriguing.
- “I Found a Cheaper Product”
Sales Objection Type: Lack of Knowledge
When a lead mentions that they’re looking into another product because it’s cheaper, you have identified what sets the other product apart. Usually, they make the objection because they have little or no understanding of the value in your solution that justifies the higher price.
Example Sales Rebuttals
Lean into your unique selling proposition to overcome this objection. Show them why your product is worth its higher price, and give them some reasons why the competitor might be able to charge a lower rate. Make sure these reasons will be unappealing to the customer. If the customer values customer service, and you know the competitor doesn’t offer much of it, use that as a reason.
For example, try one of the rebuttals below:
“Many companies can offer a cheaper product because they invest less in what their customers need. Check out some of what sets us apart and why we can offer a better value.”
“Does their product offer the {Relevant Feature or Service} that we do?”
“The reason company X is able to offer such a low price is because they don’t offer {Important Feature — e.g., 24/7 customer service} like us.”
These rebuttals should make it obvious why price shouldn’t matter as much as value in the lead’s evaluation. If after showing them the ROI, your prospect is stuck on price, you can potentially offer a slight discount. However, use this only in last-case scenarios, because offering a lower price can decrease the perceived value of your product.
- “I Saw Some Bad Reviews”
Sales Objection Type: Lack of Knowledge
Sometimes a prospect will become concerned about your business after seeing a few bad reviews. With no side of the story except the customer’s, the prospect might take the review as truth. They therefore hold a misconception about your business you must correct.
Example Sales Rebuttals
To overcome this objection, first figure out what review they saw that unsettled them. Then address their lack of knowledge by explaining the cause of that bad review. Perhaps it was from an unfair customer or about a problem you’ve fixed in your updated product or service. Lastly, explain why it won’t happen to this new lead.
Here are some things to say to beat this sales objection:
“What concerns did the reviews mention? Maybe I can clear up some of your questions about what we have to offer.”
“Unfortunately, people who are dissatisfied with service tend to be a lot more willing to post a review than those who have a good experience.”
“We’re always checking the reviews to see how we can improve as a business. What negative reviews did you see? Perhaps we’ve already addressed what was bothering the customer.”
Addressing the specific concerns the prospect pulled from the review sections will demonstrate your honesty and willingness to improve your product or service. To preemptively prepare for these objections, it’s a good idea to scan over your Yelp, Google, and Facebook reviews, find the most damaging ones, and jot down explanations for them.
