Sales Objections

Sales Objections

Sales Objections Jonathan Poland

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.

Learn More
Autonomous Technology Jonathan Poland

Autonomous Technology

Autonomous technology refers to technology that is capable of functioning independently and adapting to changing real-world conditions without human intervention.…

Risk Contingency Jonathan Poland

Risk Contingency

A risk contingency plan is a course of action that is put in place to mitigate the negative consequences of…

Operations Plan Jonathan Poland

Operations Plan

An operations plan is a document that outlines the steps a business will take to establish, improve, or expand its…

Brand Quality Jonathan Poland

Brand Quality

Brand quality is the perception of the level of excellence that a brand achieves in the eyes of its customers.…

Needs Analysis Jonathan Poland

Needs Analysis

Needs analysis is the process of identifying the valuable requirements for a product, service, experience, process, machine, facility, or infrastructure…

Adoption Rate Jonathan Poland

Adoption Rate

Adoption rate refers to the speed at which users begin to utilize a new product, service, or feature. It is…

Interest Rate Risk Jonathan Poland

Interest Rate Risk

Interest rate risk is the risk that changes in interest rates will negatively impact the value of an investment or…

Risk Exposure Jonathan Poland

Risk Exposure

Risk exposure refers to the potential costs that an organization could incur as a result of a particular risk or…

Coding Skills Jonathan Poland

Coding Skills

Coding skills are a combination of talents, knowledge, and experience that enable an individual to create valuable software. This can…

Content Database

Search over 1,000 posts on topics across
business, finance, and capital markets.

Complexity Cost Jonathan Poland

Complexity Cost

Complexity cost is the cost associated with making something more complex. Complexity can have a range of costs, including increased…

Specifications Jonathan Poland

Specifications

A specification is a detailed description of the requirements or procedures that are necessary to implement or carry out a…

Digital Goods Jonathan Poland

Digital Goods

Digital goods are products that are delivered and consumed in digital form, rather than as a physical object. These goods…

Productivity Rate Jonathan Poland

Productivity Rate

Productivity rate is a measure of the efficiency with which a company or organization produces goods or services. It is…

Internal Communication Jonathan Poland

Internal Communication

Internal communication is the exchange of information within an organization that is designed to help it achieve its goals. This…

Risk-Reward Ratio Jonathan Poland

Risk-Reward Ratio

The risk-reward ratio is a measure that compares the potential for losses to the potential for gains for a particular…

Digital Assets Jonathan Poland

Digital Assets

Digital assets are electronic representations of value that can be traded, stored, and managed using decentralized digital technologies such as…

Business Decisions Jonathan Poland

Business Decisions

A business decision is a commitment made by a company, team, or individual employee to a specific course of action.…

What If Analysis Jonathan Poland

What If Analysis

What-if analysis is the process of considering and evaluating hypothetical outcomes. It is a common technique used in early stage…