A sales objection is a concern or hesitation that a customer has about making a purchase. Identifying and addressing these objections is an important part of the sales process. Common objections may relate to the price, features, quality, or risks associated with a product or service. Salespeople can address these objections by providing additional information or reassurance, or by challenging the customer’s assumptions. By understanding and responding to objections, salespeople can help overcome obstacles and move closer to making a sale. The following are examples of common sales objections.
Price
A customer is concerned that an electric car is beyond her budget. The salesperson runs a calculation of how much she will save on gasoline over the course of the lease.
Features
During a sales pitch for a software product, an engineer on the customer side points out that the product doesn’t integrate out of the box with other products the customer uses. The sales engineer discusses the features of the product that allow for quick custom integration.
Quality
A customer for a corporate telecom services contract points out that he has had bad experiences with the speed of the carrier’s network. The salesperson directly disagrees with the customer and points to recent hardware upgrades across the network.
Risks
A customer considering a real estate purchase as an investment expresses a concern that the property could drop in value. The sales agent simply agrees that this is a risk and moves on.
Uncertainty
A customer for business software offered by a small company points out that she has never done a deal with such a small firm. The salesperson points to the company’s client list that includes a number of large reputable firms.
Excuses
A customer does a test drive of a sports car and then says they are concerned about the car’s safety record. The salesperson senses that the customer isn’t seriously considering a purchase and cuts the conversation short by politely offering their business card and wrapping up.
Bogey
A customer for solar panels claims that she is concerned about the aesthetics of the panels during price negotiations. The salesperson senses that this is a bogey and calls the customers bluff by saying that aesthetics are important and she shouldn’t buy if she doesn’t feel comfortable. The salesperson then states that the price is as low as it can go.
