11 Strategies for Overcoming Objections in Sales

A sales objection occurs when a prospective buyer expresses doubts about whether they want to purchase a product or service from a salesperson. However, salespeople can develop strategies for overcoming objections to meet or exceed their sales goals. Learning how to address common customer objections in sales can help you build stronger relationships with clients and increase your sales.

In this article, we share strategies for overcoming objections based on 11 common customer objections with examples of how to respond.

What is a sales objection?

A sales objection is the reason ‌a customer chooses not to purchase a product or service. Objections may include concerns about the product or service being sold or the company selling them. Sales objections are issues that sales representatives often need to address during sales calls. Marketers also consider potential sales objections when creating advertisements for products and services.

Why is it important to overcome objections

Overcoming objections helps ease the sales process by resolving the customer’s concerns and closing the sale. This is a critical step in the sales cycle that ultimately helps build business revenue.

Overcoming sales objections with honest answers can help build relationships with clients that lead to long-term sales. Additionally, companies depend on sales, so overcoming sales objections is key to the successful function of the business overall.

Related: How To Close a Sale: 16 Strategies and Examples

How to handle sales objections

There are a few things salespeople can do to react appropriately to a sales objection:

1. Anticipate objections and possible responses

Take some time to prepare responses to common sales objections you’re likely to hear from consumers. If you're new to sales or entering a new workplace or market, it can help to ask fellow sales team members what objections they're accustomed to getting and how they respond to those objections. It may also be helpful to document objections you receive and identify successful ways to overcome them. 

Related: How To Plan for a Sales Call in 13 Steps (And Why It Matters)

2. Listen to concerns

When a potential buyer expresses doubts, it's important to listen actively to what they're saying before responding. Active listening helps you identify the customer’s concerns. For example, they may express that they’re unfamiliar with the company, which may indicate a trust issue. 

Related: Active Listening Skills for Successful Communication

3. Understand the objection

Active listening can aid you in understanding the sales objection, which is the most important step to successfully overcoming it. Understanding the objection can help you respond sincerely and make the potential buyer feel like you heard their concerns. Understanding their hesitance to make a purchase also informs how you can convince them to buy.

Related: 29 Helpful Customer Service Phrases

4. Respond to the buyer

Focus on conveying your empathy to the customer and your confidence that you can address their concerns. When responding, make sure that you address all of their concerns and questions so they are reassured that you listened carefully. Try to be as understanding and informative as possible to leave a good impression of your company and its customer service.

Related: Effective Objection Handling Techniques

Examples of overcoming objections in sales

Here are 11 of the most common objections in sales, along with strategies for overcoming them:

1. Budget

Pricing is one of the most frequently expressed sales objections. However, it's also one that salespeople can understand and work around. Offering a discount after the initial pitch may allow you to find a compromise with the prospective buyer.

If you're unable to offer a discount, you can also prepare a persuasive response that shows the value of your product or service to the potential buyer. Know what your competition offers and then demonstrate how your product or service is a better value. Tell the buyer what your product offers that no one else is offering to help overcome the objection.

Example objection: "We don't have any room in our budget for your services."

Response: "I understand that. What if I could offer you a discount?"

Example objection: "We can't afford your product."

Response: "I understand that, but I think I can help. My product is multifunctional, so you're able to get a better value from using this product in more than one way. Are you already paying for a service that offers some of the same perks?"

Related: 80 Motivational Sales Quotes To Inspire Your Team

2. Timing

To respond to a timing sales objection, you can show the prospective buyer how your services or product could save them time. This is also a great opportunity to create a sense of urgency for your product: Why do they need your product right now? The answer to this question can help with overcoming objections over timing.

Example objection: "It's not the right time. Please call me again next quarter."

Response: "I understand that you're busy. Is there a better time this week when I could call you back? I'll only need five minutes."

Related: How To Create Urgency in Sales

3. Authority

You can ask for a joint meeting between the person and their supervisor to reduce miscommunications about the services you offer. This can help you determine the potential buyer's specific concerns and address them.

Example objection: "My boss isn't interested in your services."

Response: "I respect your position, but I really think I can offer you a worthwhile product. Is there a time that I can meet with you and your boss to talk about how we can work together?"

Related: How To Be Successful at Direct Sales

4. Lack of trust

For this type of sales objection, it’s especially important to focus on your tone of voice. A sincere tone can promote trust and reassure the potential client that you're capable of meeting their needs. A list of references or other data from your company also helps promote trust. The prospective buyer may recognize a business you already serve, or data might persuade them to trust your services over the competition.

Example objection: "Your company is new. How do I know you've got the experience to handle my needs?"

Response: "I understand your apprehension, but I've handled accounts of your size before. Here's a list of references as proof."

Related: 14 Ways To Build Trust in the Workplace

5. Lack of need

This type of objection provides a valuable opportunity to show the prospective client that they need your product. You can use data to appeal to the person's sense of logic. You can also form a response that appeals to their ethics. This is another place to emphasize a sense of urgency and show them why they need your product now rather than later.

Example objection: "I don't need your product."

Response: "I can see how you might think that, but data shows that our product can help you increase productivity by 20%."

Related: Battle Cards: What They Are, Why They’re Important and How To Use Them

6. Fear of change

Overcoming objections caused by a fear of change gives salespeople a chance to communicate why a change is attractive or necessary. You can use statistics and talk about the value of your service to show the prospective client why your service is a better choice.

Example objection: "We've used a similar service for the past 20 years."

Response: "Wow, that's quite a long time. Our industry has changed drastically within that period, and now you have to think about the additional issues that arise with technological advances. My service has practices in place that help address these concerns."

7. Complacency

The best approach to complacency sales objections is showing the prospective client why they should care about what you're selling. The key here is to emphasize why the potential buyer shouldn't be satisfied with their current product. Assert the differences between their current service and what you can offer to overcome this sales objection.

Example objection: "We're happy with the products we're using."

Response: "That's great, but we're offering some solutions that I know your products are lacking."

Related: How To Improve Sales Motivation (With Examples)

8. Value

This is a situation that can help improve your sales pitch. Value must be foremost when constructing your pitch, so it's clear to the prospective client why your services are the best choice. Define your product’s value by sharing what it does and the problems it can address. This response should focus on what offerings make your product or service unique in your market.

Example objection: "I just don't see how what you're offering is worth the price."

Response: "My company's services and prices are competitive with other similar services in the area, but I think our value is unmatched. Unlike our competition, we offer exclusive services that show how much we care for our clients."

Related: 7 Sales Pitch Techniques With Examples

9. Previous promises

This type of objection can feel like a dismissal, but it can also be an opportunity to make more connections with prospective clients and build a sales relationship. You can use the previous promise, in this case, to set up a meeting in the future. It can be challenging to overcome an objection that involves a personal promise. However, you might convince the prospective buyer to reconsider their promise if you can make a case for your product's superiority.

Example objection: "I promised my business partner that I wouldn't choose a vendor without them."

Response: "I understand! Is there a time I might come by and meet you and your business partner together and tell you more about my product?"

Related: 21 Tools That Help You Find Competitors

10. Competitors

This is another chance for salespeople to demonstrate the value of their products or services. Knowing the prices and offerings of your competition is crucial to effectively overcome this sales objection. Let the prospective buyer know what makes your service different from or better than what the competition is offering.

Example objection: "I already use one of your competitors."

Response: "I understand there are a lot of choices for services like ours. Here's what we do differently from the competition."

11. Avoidance

This last one is an indirect objection, unlike the above examples. The prospective buyer may dodge calls or waver when you ask direct questions, or the person you're calling may not be the decision-maker you need to sell to. This can be a sign of miscommunication or another problem, which gives you a valuable opportunity to solve the issue. Directly asking the potential client for information about their reasons for avoidance may give you feedback that improves your sales abilities. This insight can help you form a response that may help build a foundation for a lasting sales relationship.

Example objection: I can’t really give you an answer right now.

Response: "I'm just checking in to reiterate my product's value. Are there any reasons why you haven’t made a final decision or questions that I can answer?"

Related: 30 Statements To Help You Close the Sale