Handle objections like a master
Outcomes
An objection is information, not a no
An objection almost never means what it sounds like on the surface. "I don't know you" means "reassure me." "It's not my decision" means "I do not want to decide alone." "I need to think about it" means "I have doubts I have not said out loud."
Every one of them is a request for information, not a locked door. The reps who close more are not the ones who avoid objections. They are the ones with a process for working through them.
The five objections you will hear most
Two short videos cover this. The first names the five objections you will hear most and what each one is really telling you.
Almost every push-back is one of five. Naming which one you are facing tells you what to say back. Expand each one:
Then five ways to bounce back
The second video covers higher-level techniques for when an objection stalls the deal, whichever of the five you are facing.
Reach for whichever fits the moment, or combine more than one. Expand each one:
Work the sequence before you answer
Neither video names an order of operations, so here is one worth borrowing. LAIR runs before you reach for any specific response, and the sequence matters more than any single line inside it.
| Step | What it means | What it sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| L: Listen | Let them finish, uninterrupted. Do not jump to a rebuttal. | On the phone, "mm-hmm" or "I see" rather than dead silence. |
| A: Acknowledge | Tell them the concern is valid, then probe for what sits under it. | "It sounds like you're worried about X. Can you tell me more?" |
| I: Identify | Repeat the concern back in your own words and confirm you have it right. | "So it's the contract length, not the price itself?" |
| R: Redirect | Respond with a question first, then the answer, then the proof. | "Can I bounce a few thoughts off you?" |
Take an objection you heard this week. Name which of the five it was, then run it through LAIR out loud. Now pick one bounce-back technique you did not use in the moment and rewrite your response with it.
Knowledge Check
Five questions on reading an objection correctly and answering it well.