Cold calling
Handling objections without pushing.
There are not thirty objections. There are five, and none of them means what it appears to.
In short
Five objections cover most sales conversations, by phone or by email: no time, an existing supplier, send me an email, price, and call back later. None is a final refusal, and none is handled by arguing: they are handled by asking a question that surfaces the real reason behind the formula.
The five, and what they hide
“I haven't got time” almost always means “you haven't yet given me a reason to give you any”. The response is not to insist but to go straight to the reason in one sentence, then offer another time.
“We already have a supplier” is information, not a refusal: it tells you the need exists and is budgeted. The right question is about what works well and what works less well, not about the competitor's name.
“Send me an email” is often a polite way to hang up. It becomes useful if you ask what to put in it: the answer tells you what actually interests your contact, and gives you a reason to call back.
“It's too expensive”
On a first call it rarely concerns price, which has not been mentioned. It says the value is not clear.
“Call me back in six months”
Often sincere. Note the date, call back on it citing the previous conversation, and the call starts on a completely different footing.
The real no
It exists, it is unambiguous, and it should be accepted fast. Pushing costs time and damages your reputation.
A question rather than an argument
The natural reflex facing an objection is to answer with an argument. That is what sets up a contest and ends the call. The effective reflex is to ask a question that invites your contact to be specific.
In practice: “what would make it worth talking about again” or “what is missing from what you have today”. Those questions cannot be argued with, they produce either information or a clear refusal, and both save you time.
When the objection arrives by email
Handle an objection received by email the way you would on the phone: one question rather than an argument, in a reply of three or four lines sent the same day. The same five objections come back in writing, often in a single line: “not a priority right now”, “we already work with someone”, “too expensive”.
Acknowledge the objection in one sentence, ask the question you would have asked on the phone, and offer a short call with two precise slots. A long reply full of arguments is the easiest one to ignore, and an attached brochure answers a question nobody asked.
“We already work with someone”
“Understood. What works well with them, and what would you change if you could?” Offer a call only if the answer shows a gap.
“Too expensive”
“Too expensive compared with what: your budget, or what you pay today?” The answer tells you whether this is about price or about value.
“Not right now”
“When would be the right time, and what will have changed by then?” Note the date and write back on that day, quoting their message.
Frequently asked questions
How do you handle sales objections by email?
Reply the same day, in three or four lines: acknowledge the objection, ask one question that surfaces the real reason, and offer a short call with two precise slots. By email, the longest reply is the easiest to ignore.
Are agency sales objections different?
Not in substance: the words change, the five stay. An agency often hears “we do it in-house”, a form of the existing supplier, and “we tried an agency before”, which says the value was not clear last time. The same question-first approach applies.
Should you handle every objection?
No. One objection handled properly is enough; by the second or third in the same call you are insisting, and the meeting you obtain that way will not happen.
How many attempts after a refusal?
On a clear no, none immediately, and a call back in six to twelve months if the target remains relevant. Situations change and so do the people in them.
Should you record the objections you get?
Yes, it is the best free field feedback you have. If the same objection comes up on every second call, the problem is not your answers but your targeting or your opening.
Keep track of every follow-up
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