Sales development representatives (SDRs) can close more deals by overcoming the most common sales objections they’ll inevitably encounter.
Of course, overcoming sales objections is nothing new — it’s been part of sales for as long as people have been selling. Yet, many SDRs don’t know the techniques involved in getting around objections and, therefore, lose an opportunity.
How do you handle objections when selling? Read these seven most common sales objections examples to find out.
The 7 most common sales objections and how to overcome them
1. Claiming the price is too high
The most common objection or outright rejection that SDRs encounter is price. Why? Because people often use it to try and drive down costs, even when they know they're going to make a purchase.
Equally, of course, this objection might be used by prospects when they really do think the cost of your product or service is too high.
“Price objections can occur for numerous reasons. Perhaps your prospect is comparing your offer with a lower-priced competitor, or they may be experiencing income or cash flow problems.”
Alternatively, they might simply not yet fully understand the value and potential ROI your product or service can bring.
Overall, price objection causes a widespread challenge in sales across multiple sectors. Because it directly impacts a company's financial situation, in the mind of many prospects, pricing often means business risk.
How to overcome price objections
To overcome price objections, it's crucial that SDRs don't just defend the price. Instead, they should focus on demonstrating the value of their product or service.
- Begin by empathizing with the prospect and acknowledging their expenditure concerns.
- Next, build a strong case for your product or service.
- Clearly state the unique features and benefits of your offering with the specific commercial needs or pain points of the prospect.
- Explaining how your product or service solves these issues or improves their current situation will help them see beyond the asking price.
- Then, provide concrete examples of the return on investment (ROI) that other customers have realized. Now you’re selling value, not the product or service itself.
- If appropriate, consider explaining any flexible payment terms or options, something that can go a long way in helping you to seal the deal.
- Above all, be confident in defending your price. Demonstrating that you believe in the value of your product or service can help convince the prospect as well. Simply dropping the price immediately will make your prospect think they were right to value your offering at a lower price point.
2. No need for the product or service offered
Declining products/services can happen because your prospect doesn't understand the value your product brings.
They may believe their existing solutions are adequate or, they might not understand the problem that your product or service resolves.
How to overcome ‘no need’ objections
Overcoming this objection requires a deep understanding of your proposal. Your main strategy should center on educating the prospect on the problem that your product or service solves.
- Through thoughtful questioning about pain points and with active listening, SDRs should seek to uncover the challenges and stresses that the prospect currently endures, perhaps needlessly.
- After identifying the pain points, it's crucial to communicate how your product or service will address the challenges you've identified. Be specific. Relate your proposal to the challenge in a meaningful way.
- By presenting a clear narrative that links the prospect's challenges to the benefits and features of your solution, you can create an argument for why your solution is relevant to their needs.
- The key to overcoming the 'no requirement' objection lies in shifting the conversation from the concept of 'need' to solving the prospect's underlying problems. Shift the conversation from how your product or service is 'needed' to one that is presented as an optimized solution.
3. The prospect is happy with their current solution or provider
A common challenge SDRs face is when potential customers resist a new product or service, not because of any shortcomings but because they're satisfied with their existing system.
“Fear of change fuels this sales objection. Sometimes, people worry about the disruption that could result from transitioning to a new solution or the costs associated with switching.”
How to overcome existing solution objections
How do you handle objections in sales when the prospect claims to have no need to switch?
- First, SDRs must highlight the advantages and improvements that their product or service can bring. They can do this by comparing their product to the existing solution, but doing so shouldn't involve talking down their current system.
- Instead, acknowledge the prospect's comfort with their current system and reassure them that change, although uncomfortable, will offer opportunities to enhance productivity and increase revenue.
- After that, identify potential pain points or limitations in their current arrangements. Do this by understanding competitor solutions, of course, but also by asking your prospect the right questions. For example, you might ask your prospect, “If you could change one thing about your current solution, what would it be?” This will give you an opportunity to explain how your proposal would overcome this limitation.
- Once these issues are identified, show how your proposal directly addresses these limitations and offers enhanced benefits.
- Demonstrating how easy it is to switch can be a powerful strategy. Do this by providing a clear plan for the implementation process, offering support or training during the transition phase, and explaining how your team works to ensure a smooth changeover.
- Cite case studies or testimonials from other customers who've made the switch, especially those experiencing significant improvements. This is a powerful way to break down this type of objection. Evidence of others' successful outcomes can reassure prospects about shifting to your solution.
4. The prospect isn’t the decision-maker
A common hurdle SDRs face is interacting with an individual who isn’t the ultimate decision-maker. This objection can seemingly put a halt to the sales process. It may come up because the person you're communicating with doesn't have the authority to make purchasing decisions, or they might not be fully invested in the buying process.
Equally, they might be gathering information on behalf of someone else or merely screening potential solutions before presenting options to the true decision-maker.
This situation is common in B2B sales, where buying decisions are often made by a group of stakeholders rather than a single individual.
How to overcome decision-maker objections
Overcoming this objection requires an approach that involves building a strong relationship with your contact while working towards reaching the actual decision-maker.
- Work with your current contact and ensure they’ve got all the information needed to become an advocate within their organization for the product or service you’re selling.
- Then, through your contact — whether they're the decision-maker or not — try to gain a better understanding of the organization's decision-making process.
- How does your contact feed information to decision-makers? Is their opinion taken into consideration? Do additional people make the purchasing decisions? All these questions will help you discover what you need to know about the decision-making process and how to bypass the objection, such as asking for an introduction to the right person.
Remember that while it can be frustrating to discover you're not speaking with the actual decision-maker, your contact may likely play an important role in the sales process and can become a powerful ally in the company.
If you have to reach out directly to the decision-maker without an introduction, ensure you:
- Reference your initial contact and the discussions you've had. This creates continuity and legitimacy in your conversation.
- When communicating with the decision-maker, focus on the value and benefits your product or service can bring to their business.
- Be prepared to answer questions about ROI, integration, and technical support, as these are often top concerns for most commercial decision-makers with budgetary control.
5. Your product is seen as overly complex
This type of sales objection usually boils down to a lack of understanding of your solution.
After all, many people worry about the knowledge acquisition associated with adopting a new system, especially one that is technically advanced or innovative.
They may also have concerns over integration difficulties or the additional time and resources it might take up.
“In essence, the prospect may be reluctant to make a purchase because of disruption and productivity loss caused by adopting your proposal.”
This is an especially common objection in sales among technical products or services, especially when functionality isn't particularly user-friendly.
How to overcome overly complex objections
Countering this objection means addressing the prospect's fears directly. For instance:
- Demonstrate the ease of use and support that accompanies your product or service immediately. Empathize with the prospect's concerns about complexity. Assure them that it's reasonable to feel a little overwhelmed or confused when confronted with new technology.
- Once you have acknowledged their concerns, explain how your product was designed with user-friendliness or simplicity in mind.
- Offer a hands-on trial to allow the prospect to experience the user interface first-hand. This type of exposure to anything new can help to dispel misconceptions about complexity. It also allows you to showcase your solution's functionality.
- SDRs should highlight the training and support resources available to their customers. Whether it's a comprehensive onboarding process, the provision of user manuals, access to tutorial videos, or dedicated customer support, make sure your prospect understands that they will not be left alone to navigate their new solution.
- Sharing case studies from clients who had similar complexity concerns but found the transition easier than expected can be very impactful. Use them as success stories that can be emulated by anyone.
6. Concerns over implementation time
In many sales development setups, lengthy implementation time is a frequently raised objection.
Typically, prospects say they're concerned about the disruption that the transition period from their current system to your solution would lead to.
“This worry might be a result of past experiences with difficult implementations or simply a fear of change itself.”
In business, time is a critical resource. Therefore, any solution that's perceived to consume an excessive amount of time, especially during the implementation phase, may be viewed as a liability.
How to overcome implementation objections
Handling this objection requires SDRs to be reassuring.
- Offer a clear explanation of the process and proof that a successful roll-out can be expected from the experience of other clients.
- Note the prospect's concerns about disruption, acknowledging that it's a valid consideration in any decision to adopt a new system. Dismissing them can lead to a full rejection.
- After that, provide a concise outline of your implementation procedures. Break it down step-by-step to make it easier to understand.
- Highlight the efficiency of your approach and how this can alleviate their fears.
- For example, in a B2B scenario, if you have a project management structure in place for implementation, such as dedicated project managers or implementation specialists, then SDRs should mention them.
- Offer support during and after the transition and explain how this can make implementation simpler.
7. The prospect thinks the proposal isn't credible
This tends to arise when a prospect doesn't feel confident in your company's ability to deliver what it promises. This may be based on past experiences, but it's more likely an overly ambitious expectation based on exaggerated claims made by competitors.
What this often boils down to is that the prospect is cautious about investing resources into anything they think as being unreliable or unproven.
How to overcome credibility objections
Countering this objection involves a systematic approach to establishing commercial credibility in your sector.
- Start by establishing the root cause of their lack of trust. If it's because of a lack of familiarity, for example, then you should invest time to explain your company's background. Highlight your business mission, your past successes, and your brand values.
- On the other hand, if past negative experiences are influencing them, then show some empathy by acknowledging their concerns, but communicate as clearly as you can how your product or service is different.
- If your product or service has won awards, now is the time to talk about them. Equally, credible trade associations or memberships can help alleviate some common concerns that prospects may have about trust.
- Mention guarantees, free trials, or other aspects of your business that might help to overcome this sales objection.
Start tackling sales objections
In most of the common objections in sales processes outlined above, SDRs must react with empathy and active or engaged listening to avoid rejection.
By focusing on your prospect's particular objection, you can still turn them into a lifelong customer, even if you don't seal the deal there and then.
Like anything in sales, the solution to any objection should be focused on the unique attributes of the individual or organization.
Make sure your sales team is equipped with the right tools to stay on top of their prospects. For example, utilize sales pipeline and contact management solutions so your SDRs can always tailor their responses to meet individual circumstances with confidence.
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