Read Time = 3 minutes
Your prospect says: "we don't have budget for this"
Average rep: schedules follow-up in CRM
Good rep: asks about timelines/renewal
Elite rep: gets the meeting anyway
An objection is a roadblock. A rejection is a dead end.
Most reps confuse the two.
In this post, we’ll review how to recognize true rejections, pressure test pushback and share a framework for turning objections into opportunities.
Let's dive in.
The Briefing
Stories you should know
My take: Charm pricing was built for a world where $4.99 actually bought you something. Now everything's $14.99 and your brain isn't fooled — you know you're getting hosed either way.
My take: Proximity is powerful. If you want to get good at something, move to where the people who are already good at it live. Remote work made a lot of us forget that.
Objections vs Rejections
In Sales, you'll hear plenty of "noes."
But not all of them mean the same thing. Here are a few examples:
Objections (roadblocks):
"We need to get buy-in from other stakeholders before moving forward"
"We already have a process for that'‘
"Your solution is too expensive"
Rejections (dead ends):
"This isn't a priority for us and won't be for the foreseeable future."
"Our company was just acquired and all new purchases are frozen”
"I'm not the decision-maker and have no influence on this purchase"
How to Pressure Test
Context matters enormously when interpreting pushback. What sounds like rejection might be valuable intel for account based outreach:
Role-Based Considerations:
When someone says "I’m not interested," ask yourself — is this the decision maker or an ‘influencer’ in the process? A staff accountant saying "not interested" is not the same as the CFO
Understanding the power line
An Objection Handling Framework I like:
Typically when navigating objections it feels like you’re stuck on defense.
The buyer is asking questions and you have to respond… The best way to handle objections is to get ahead of them.
Here’s a framework I like to use:
Are you playing offense or defense?
Example: I’m not interested
"I'd imagine you already have a process. Can I make a suggestion... what if we give you a preview of how we can help with XYZ and you tell us if it's even worth following up in the future?"
Remember, regardless of whether you’re dealing with objections or rejections - every interaction is an opportunity to move the ball forward.
The Best Thing I Read This Week:
If you’re in a slump - don’t panic, adjust.
(worth the longer read)
Until next Thursday,
TG
P.S. I reply to all emails