September 15, 2022

How to respond to common client objections

If you want to sell your products and services, you need to deal with them head-on in a way that reassures your clients and helps them overcome their fears.

When it comes to buying a product or service, clients often have questions that they need to answer before they commit to your proposal. No matter what you do in your business, there are going to be some objections you hear more often than others. All of these objections have one thing in common: they're rooted in fear & confusion. Every objection is an attempt to quell the client's fear about what could go wrong with the purchase. These fears could be about quality, price, timing, or something else.

If you want to sell your products and services, you need to deal with them head-on in a way that reassures your clients and helps them overcome their fears: let them know that you understand and empathize, show them that you want to help, and present concrete solutions to the problems they have.

“It’s too expensive.”

When a client says, “It’s too expensive,” what they're really saying is, "I'm uncomfortable with the price." Sometimes it's a matter of budgeting; perhaps your client can afford the service but just doesn't want to spend that much money on it. It could also be an issue of payment; maybe your client can afford the service but is uncomfortable with paying you in advance. Regardless of the underlying cause, it's important to remember that you're providing a valuable service.

No matter how much you may want to, it's not very helpful to make clients feel bad about not wanting to spend money on your services. Instead, use a more empathetic approach and acknowledge the cost as a barrier while also presenting how you overcome that: "That's totally understandable! To help eliminate that concern, we work with every client to provide them with an estimate prior to moving forward, so they know exactly what they’re getting into." This way, you're acknowledging their concern but also providing reassurance that you're working with them to ensure they don't feel taken advantage of.

It's hard for anyone to be excited about spending that kind of money without having some idea of what they're getting in return. It's always smart to thoroughly explain everything the service covers and any extra work that will be included in the price. By showing clients how their investment will pay off in the long run, you'll help them understand why your services are worth what they cost. You may even find that by making everything clear up front, clients are more willing to spend money on something they'll benefit from in the future, rather than something they might regret purchasing today.

“I’m not interested.”

It’s easy to assume that every prospect you speak with is a prospective client, but it’s not always true.

First, acknowledge what they said and let them know that you hear them. If they say that they aren’t interested, ask them why. This will allow you to understand what might be holding them back from converting and then address those concerns head-on.

It may help to give them a little more information about your company and what it offers. If they are interested in learning more, then great! But if they still say they aren’t interested, then you need to determine whether this really is the case or whether their objection is something else entirely. After all, how can you convince someone to work with you if they don’t even want to learn about your services?

If the prospect completely dismisses your attempt, maybe you can turn this into a market research opportunity. Try to know more about the actual problems that they have and evaluate your current offers. Knowing more about these can help you craft another strategy may it be to the solutions you offer or the approach towards other prospects.

“This isn’t a priority right now.”

When a client says this isn’t a priority right now, don’t take it personally. Simply acknowledge their concerns by saying something like: “I understand – any project that’s not a priority for you can get bumped down the line in favor of more urgent matters.”

Then, brainstorm ideas for how you can help get them over the hump and make your project more urgent or necessary. You might suggest that you offer a discount on the services, so they feel like spending money is worth it in lieu of waiting until they have more funds available. Or you could offer an alternative package that makes your services more affordable or beneficial to them in some way while keeping the same level of quality – this way they get what they need at an affordable price point. Be sure to give them options so they feel empowered as if they are making an informed decision rather than an impulse buy. But if the client insists, maybe it really isn’t, just remember to keep them in your circle or list and check back in after some time.

“What makes you different from the others?”

The response you may think of is what you probably already do: compare yourself with your competitors. Talk about the things that make you different and better than the rest, whether it's superior quality, client service, or something else entirely. What you might not realize, though, is that the way you go about making those comparisons can be a real turnoff for potential clients. You likely want to paint a picture of how your organization is how their best choice, but if you spend too much time talking about what makes you different from the others, you may come across as defensive or even more salesy.

In responding to this, it helps to be your authentic self. Show your personality but also keep the things about you short enough. Highlight what’s in it for them when they choose you. Show your process, how they are involved, what you know about their pain points, and the solution you may have about these. What clients want to see is that you understand them and their needs. So, focus on what makes you the right fit for them, rather than what sets you apart from others. This way, you can build trust and rapport with potential clients.

“I’ll get back to you.”

It’s easier to say “I’ll get back to you” than to outright dismiss someone. If you encounter this statement, you can say something like, “What would it take for you to feel comfortable making a decision today?” or “Can you tell me more about why it’s important to have everything in order before moving forward?” The more you understand where the person is coming from and what they need in order to be convinced, the better equipped you are to come up with the information you need in further communicating with a prospect.

It’s your job to make your client understand the opportunities ahead when taking action and the impact of not doing anything.

This approach also gives your client an opportunity to be transparent with you. Most of the time when someone says, “I’ll get back to you,” they really mean that they need more information before they can decide on how they want to proceed or any of the four objections mentioned before. From there, you can move forward based on what you and the prospect discussed.

We work hard and have confidence in our work, but we also know that the best approach to overcoming objections is to look at them head-on, show clients that you value their business, and give them solutions based on their needs. Whether it's a price objection or an objection over something else entirely, it is important to make a good impression with these objections. Not only do they need to know that you get their concerns and care about them, but you need to show that you understand what the issues are and are capable of delivering high-quality services.

Now, take some time to reflect on the most common objections you face when pitching to prospects. List them down and then try to craft a personalized, empathic response based on the things mentioned above.