Sales is about communication, knowing when to talk and when to practice active listening. It's not uncommon to hear "No" many times before you hear a "Yes" — and while objections can be frustrating, they're not necessarily a bad thing.

Whether it's price objections or the functionality of your product, the fact that a sales prospect is engaging with you is a positive sign. An objection means your prospect is engaged and willing to learn more.

Let's dive into some of the most common objections and how you can turn them into sales.

What are the most common sales objections?

Objections give your team valuable insight into the prospect's thought process, concerns, and specific needs. Your salespeople can ask open-ended questions and practice active listening to identify relevant pain points. With each issue in mind, your sales reps can provide more information about each point as a way to reassure them. 

Some of the most common objections are related to the BANT framework. BANT is an important framework that stands for budget, authority, need, and timeline. If all of these criteria are met, the likelihood of winning increases significantly. These four areas account for the major considerations in sales. 

Here are the most common types of sales objections you'll see:

Budget objection

A prospect may tell you that there's a lack of budget when it comes to your product or service. Being told that what you offer is too expensive means they don't see the product's value. This could be strictly a budget issue or that they're comparing you to a cheaper company.

With this information in mind, you can set yourself up for success by demonstrating the value of your product. Show how you can improve their current situation or solve certain issues. 

Demonstrate the ROI (return on investment) to show your product or solution makes financial sense. You can do this by showing that it saves your prospect money, or increases their top line revenue. Your solution could also pay for itself over time, and showing the prospect this could be hugely valuable for the decision-maker.

Ask your prospect what they would expect to pay to fix their issue. Understanding their perception of the value can help you determine if there's a way to make their situation work. 

Timing objection

Issues of timing can depend on several factors. Maybe a prospect is pushing for dates that are sooner than what is realistic for your team, or maybe a prospect lacks urgency because their priorities are elsewhere.

Some ways to tackle timing objections include creating a sense of urgency by showing the benefit of acting now. Show value with a limited-time offer, or prove how solving your prospect’s issue now, rather than in two weeks, would benefit them. If the issue concerns the time and effort it would take to implement the solution, you can inform them about the process.

You can ask more questions to figure out just what the hesitations are. Getting a deeper sense of their timing concerns allows your team to address them directly — providing them with information to consider and scheduling a follow-up call can help resolve the issue.

Ask your prospect about their ideal timeline and goals. If they want to increase revenue or fix an issue within their given timeframe, see if your product fits the bill.

Need objection

A prospect may not understand the need for your product or how it relates to their current situation. If they're unable to see how the product you're selling solves an issue they have, this can be an opportunity for education.

The prospect may not be fully aware that the pain points that they're experiencing have solutions. Often, a company learns to adapt to issues with workarounds.

Educating your prospect on the issues they face, or may face in the future, can be a value proposition your prospect hadn't considered. Preventing or mitigating an issue can show the need for what you offer. Their issues may be different from others, so providing a solution that is tailored to them can address the need objection more directly.

Once you've uncovered your customers' pain points and demonstrated a need for your product or service, you can be more direct. Ask your client if they have a current solution to put in place when or if their pain points become critical. 

Lack of trust

If a potential customer shows a lack of trust, it may be because they had a previous negative experience with another provider in your space. Doubts about the effectiveness of your product or your company's reliability could also exist. 

Being able to show testimonials about how other companies or similar industries have used your product can gain trust. Third-party endorsements can be a great way to show credibility. Having transparency with a prospect about what your product can and can't do helps set appropriate expectations.

Highlight your company's guarantees or warranties to help reduce the perceived risk. Another way to help limit a prospect's feelings of risk is to offer trial periods. Prospects want to see a demo of what you offer, or even try it themselves first, to see if your product is a good fit.

Social proof is a powerful way to show you're a trusted company. Many of us put a premium on word-of-mouth recommendations, and trust reviews about products implicitly. Showing someone who may be unfamiliar with you that you've got proof of your success can alleviate that lack of trust.

How to handle sales objections

An unavoidable part of the sales process is handling objections that are posed to you. Empathy in sales is a powerful tool — ask open-ended questions so your potential customer can explain their situation in their own words. Your prospect's concerns are all opportunities to show the value in what you offer.

Your sales team can close deals more easily when you listen to customer objections during your sales call. The sales conversation is the perfect opportunity to turn what may feel like deal-breakers into a pleasant buying process. 

Objections are an opportunity to ask follow-up questions and understand the prospect's needs. Don't brush off their objections — listen and resolve.

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