The path to success is rarely smooth. And that quickly becomes apparent when you’re doing B2B tech sales. There’s lots of skills to master to become a sales expert. One of the most important is objection handling.
But what if you didn’t see them as objections – but as opportunities?
The nature of objections
First, let’s talk about when objections typically crop up. In my experience, they can come at any stage of the sales process – beginning, middle, or end. You might encounter them in a cold email, during a call, or even at the final stages of negotiation. The key is to always be prepared.
Here’s a crucial insight I learnt in my 15 years in SaaS sales: Objections often stem from buyers looking for reassurance.
When I realised this, it completely changed my approach. Instead of getting defensive, I started seeing objections as chances to improve our sales process and better communicate our value.
The mindset shift
The moment you view an objection negatively, you tackle it negatively. Your tone changes, you become defensive, and suddenly, you’re on the back foot. But flip that script, and magic can happen.
I’ve come to see objections as golden opportunities. They’re chances to:
- Improve our sales process
- Better sell our value to buyers
- Enhance our value proposition and messaging
When objections arise, it often means something isn’t landing quite right with our prospects. By listening closely and adapting, we can refine our approach not just for this prospect, but for future ones too.
Turning negatives into positives
But how do you take this into real life scenarios?
Scenario #1: The pricing objection
When a prospect says, “You’re more expensive than your competitor,” they’re not necessarily saying no. They’re asking you to justify your value. It’s an opportunity to dive deeper, to understand their needs better, and to showcase how your solution solves a bigger problem than your competitors can.
Here’s how to approach it:
- Reset: “That’s a great observation. Can I ask you a couple of questions to understand where that’s coming from?”
- Understand: Probe to see if we have more features, if we’ve uncovered a bigger problem than our competitors, or if there’s a specific value they’re not seeing.
- Respond positively: “I appreciate you bringing this up. Our pricing reflects the comprehensive solution we offer. Let me walk you through how our additional features translate to [specific benefit for their business].”
Scenario #2: The free trial request
The classic “We need a free trial” objection trips up a lot of founders because you think it’s one step closer to a sale. But it can cause more problems than it solves. Use that objection as a chance to dig deeper:
- Reset: “That’s a great question. Can I understand a bit more about what you’re hoping to achieve with a free trial?”
- Understand: Are they looking to test functionality? Show it to other team members? Integrate it into their workflow?
- Respond positively: “I completely understand your need to see the platform in action. Instead of a free trial, which often doesn’t give the full experience, how about we set up a workshop? We can bring in your team, use your actual data, and show you exactly how it would work in your day-to-day operations.”
Remember, free trials often don’t provide value because they’re not integrated into the team’s workflow. By offering a more hands-on, personalised alternative, you’re actually providing more value and increasing the chances of adoption.
Scenario #3: The “we’re too busy” objection (especially in cold calls)
This is a common one, especially in cold outreach. Here’s what I recommend to those doing founder-led sales:
- Reset: “I totally understand you’re busy. That’s exactly why I was calling.”
- Understand: Acknowledge their time constraints.
- Respond positively: “I respect your time, which is why I wanted to very quickly find a time that’s most convenient for you. Our solution is designed to [insert key benefit, e.g., ‘save busy professionals like yourself X hours per week’]. When would be a good time for a brief 15-minute chat to see if this could be valuable for you?”
The key here is to not try to sell your product on this initial call. You can’t sell a produce on a first call so don’t try! Build a relationship, and start to understand their pain-points. From there, your goal is simply to secure a meeting where you can properly showcase your value.
The power of tone and language
Remember, your tone is actually more important than your words. Tone and language when responding to objections can make or break the interaction.
These tips might sound simple. But do not underestimate the importance of tone and language in increasing your sales.
- Stay positive: Even if the objection feels like a criticism, respond with enthusiasm. “That’s a great question!” or “I’m glad you brought that up” can work wonders.
- Show authority: Demonstrate that you’ve faced this before and have a process. It gives you credibility and puts the prospect at ease.
- Compliment the prospect: Acknowledging their insight can turn the conversation from confrontational to collaborative. “That’s a really astute observation” can go a long way.
- Keep calm: Take a moment to pause and think before responding. It shows you’re not just pushing a rehearsed script.
- Use positive language: Frame your responses in a positive light. Instead of “We don’t offer free trials,” try “We provide personalised onboarding workshops to ensure you get the most value right from the start.”
Objections as opportunities for growth
Whether you like it or not, you need objections. For most founders, the product is their baby. Something you’ve poured your hearts into. Make countless sacrifices. And invested time and money.
But reframing objections as free advice is an important mindset shift. Every objection is a chance to:
- Refine messaging
- Improve demos
- Enhance product features
- Adjust pricing strategy
- Optimise sales processes
When a prospect raises an objection, ask yourself: “Could other prospects be thinking the same thing? Is there something we could clarify on our website? Could we tweak our outbound emails to address this upfront?”
I recently shared some practical tips with a founder on how to handle objections better and they had a massive impact. They are:
- Listen actively: Don’t just wait for your turn to speak. Really listen to understand the root of the objection.
- Ask clarifying questions: Dig deeper to understand the real concern behind the objection.
- Validate their concern: Show empathy and understanding before launching into your response.
- Provide evidence: Use case studies, testimonials, or data to support your claims and overcome objections.
- Follow up: If you can’t address an objection immediately, commit to finding the answer and following up promptly.
- Practice: Role-play common objections with your team to refine your responses.
- Learn and adapt: Keep track of common objections and refine your overall sales approach to preemptively address them.
Start to see objections and opportunities and you will shift for your sales dynamic
As a B2B SaaS founder, a successful sales process doesn’t mean avoiding objections – it’s turning them into a sales tool. Every objection helps better understand your customers, improve your product, and ultimately, grow your business.
Author: Matthew Codd
I’m Matthew, I have 15 years of commercial leadership experience, helping VC-backed B2B technology companies scale revenue and transition from founder-led sales.
I use my experience to help early-stage start-ups with GTM expertise, sales best practice, and hiring insights.
I co-founded Cosmic Partners in 2022. We are SaaS sales recruitment specialists for VC backed B2B tech companies.
