| name | sales-objections |
| description | Objection Handling Playbook Engine — generates OBJECTION-PLAYBOOK.md with word-for-word response scripts for 15 universal objections, 5 industry-specific objections, competitive battle cards, pricing tactics, and prevention techniques. Uses Feel-Felt-Found (FFR) and Acknowledge-Bridge-Close (ABC) dual-framework structure. Invoked standalone via `/sales objections <topic/industry>`. Industry-agnostic engine.
|
Objection Handling Playbook Engine
Tier 0 Doctrine
- Tier: Master (standalone skill, invoked directly)
- Authority: Invoked via
/sales objections <topic/industry>; reads context files if present in working directory
- Determinism first: All responses use declared frameworks (FFR, ABC). Objection labels, component structure, pricing tactics, and prevention techniques are fixed constants. No LLM interpretation of structure.
- No fabrication: Proof points must cite source or be flagged as placeholders. Absence of data is noted, not invented.
IMO (Top-Level)
| Layer | Responsibility |
|---|
| Ingress | <topic/industry> argument + optional context files in working directory (schema validation only) |
| Middle | Context gathering; 15 universal + 5 industry objections scripted through dual framework; competitive battle cards; pricing tactics; prevention techniques |
| Egress | OBJECTION-PLAYBOOK.md written to working directory (read-only structured output) |
Constants
| Constant | Value | Authority |
|---|
| Frameworks | Feel-Felt-Found (FFR), Acknowledge-Bridge-Close (ABC) | Fixed; both required per objection |
| FFR Structure | Feel (acknowledge concern), Felt (reference similar company), Found (specific measurable outcome) | Fixed; 3 components |
| ABC Structure | Acknowledge (validate concern), Bridge (reframe as advantage), Close (evidence + next step) | Fixed; 3 components |
| Universal Objection Count | 15 | Fixed |
| Universal Objection Labels | 1-Too expensive, 2-Happy with current, 3-Need to think, 4-Send info, 5-Not ready/timing, 6-Need boss approval, 7-Tried before, 8-Competitor has X, 9-Build in-house, 10-No ROI, 11-Locked in contract, 12-Not a priority, 13-No bandwidth, 14-How do I know, 15-Not interested | Fixed; immutable list |
| Components Per Objection | 6: real meaning, FFR response, ABC response, follow-up question, proof point, walk-away criteria | Fixed |
| Industry Objection Count | 5 per run | Fixed |
| Industry Objection Sources | Regulations/compliance, technology constraints, buying processes, competitive dynamics, cultural norms | Fixed; 5 categories |
| Competitor Battle Card Count | Top 3 competitors per run | Fixed |
| Battle Card Components | One-sentence positioning, response script, 3 landmine questions, 3 "if they say" responses | Fixed |
| Pricing Tactics | 5: Reframe as Investment, Cost of Inaction, TCO Comparison, Tier Down, Payment Terms | Fixed; immutable list |
| Prevention Techniques | 5: Pre-emptive framing, Social proof loading, Discovery-driven selling, Mutual action plan, Champion building | Fixed; immutable list |
| Response Length | 3-5 sentences, 15-25 seconds spoken | Fixed |
| Competitive Response Rules | Never bash competitor, acknowledge strengths, use landmine questions, admit genuine losses | Fixed |
Variables
| Variable | Source | Runtime |
|---|
topic_or_industry | User argument <topic/industry> | Per-run |
target_url | User argument (if URL provided instead of topic) | Per-run |
product_service | Inferred from context files or user input | Per-run |
prospect_company | Inferred from URL or context files | Per-run |
company_size | SMB / mid-market / enterprise (inferred or declared) | Per-run |
competitors | Top 3 identified for the space | Discovered |
deal_size | Average deal size (affects pricing objection handling) | Per-run |
proof_points | Best case studies, metrics, testimonials available | Discovered |
context_files | PROSPECT-ANALYSIS.md, COMPANY-RESEARCH.md, COMPETITIVE-INTEL.md (if present) | Discovered |
industry_objections | 5 objections generated from industry/topic input | Computed |
battle_cards | Competitive response scripts per competitor | Computed |
pricing_scripts | Populated pricing tactic scripts | Computed |
prevention_scripts | Populated prevention technique scripts | Computed |
playbook_output | Final OBJECTION-PLAYBOOK.md content | Computed |
Workflow
BLOCK 1: Context Gathering
Governed by: C&V
Constants: Universal objection labels (15), frameworks (FFR, ABC), components per objection (6)
Variables: topic_or_industry, target_url, product_service, prospect_company, company_size, competitors, deal_size, proof_points, context_files
IMO:
- Ingress:
<topic/industry> argument validated present; check for URL vs. topic string
- Middle:
- If URL provided: fetch via WebFetch, determine industry, company size, likely objections
- Scan working directory for context files (
PROSPECT-ANALYSIS.md, COMPANY-RESEARCH.md, COMPETITIVE-INTEL.md)
- If context files exist: extract product/service, competitors, proof points, prospect details
- If no context files: infer from topic/industry argument; flag gaps for placeholder generation
- Collect or infer all 6 context items: product/service, target industry, company size, typical competitors, deal size, strongest proof points
- Egress: Context object with all variables populated or flagged as placeholder
Go/No-Go: Proceed if topic_or_industry or target_url is present. If neither, halt with usage message: /sales objections <topic/industry>.
BLOCK 2: Universal + Industry Objection Scripting
Governed by: IMO
Constants: 15 universal objection labels, 6 components per objection, FFR structure, ABC structure, response length (15-25 seconds), 5 industry objection source categories
Variables: topic_or_industry, prospect_company, industry_objections, proof_points
IMO:
- Ingress: Context object from Block 1
- Middle:
- For each of the 15 universal objections, generate all 6 components:
- Real meaning (what the objection actually signals)
- FFR response (Feel-Felt-Found, 3-5 sentences, tailored to context)
- ABC response (Acknowledge-Bridge-Close, 3-5 sentences, tailored to context)
- Follow-up question (keeps dialogue alive)
- Proof point (specific metric or flagged as placeholder)
- Walk-away criteria (when to stop pushing)
- Generate 5 industry-specific objections from the 5 source categories (regulations, tech constraints, buying processes, competitive dynamics, cultural norms)
- Each industry objection uses same 6-component structure
- If URL was provided, tailor industry objections to that company, not just the industry
- All scripts use natural conversational language, contractions, genuine empathy
- Egress: 20 fully scripted objections (15 universal + 5 industry) with all components
Go/No-Go: Proceed if all 15 universal objections have all 6 components populated. Industry objections must have at least 4 of 5 generated.
BLOCK 3: Competitive + Pricing Scripting
Governed by: Circle
Constants: Battle card components (positioning, script, 3 landmine questions, 3 "if they say" responses), 5 pricing tactics (Reframe as Investment, Cost of Inaction, TCO Comparison, Tier Down, Payment Terms), competitive response rules (never bash, acknowledge strengths, landmine questions, admit losses)
Variables: competitors, battle_cards, pricing_scripts, deal_size
IMO:
- Ingress: Context object from Block 1 + competitor list
- Middle:
- For each of the top 3 competitors, generate battle card:
- One-sentence positioning vs. that competitor
- 2-3 sentence response script (acknowledge strengths, differentiate, redirect)
- 3 landmine questions (expose competitor weaknesses without naming them)
- 3 "if they say" responses: "[Competitor] is cheaper", "[Competitor] has more features", "[Competitor] is the market leader"
- For each of the 5 pricing tactics, generate complete script template:
- Reframe as Investment: ROI math walkthrough using prospect's numbers
- Cost of Inaction: quantify status-quo losses over 12 months
- TCO Comparison: surface + hidden costs side-by-side
- Tier Down: starter scope at lower price with upgrade path
- Payment Terms: annual/monthly, deferred start, pilot, milestone-based options
- All competitive responses follow rules: never bash, acknowledge strengths, use landmines, admit genuine losses
- Egress: 3 battle cards + 5 pricing scripts fully populated
Go/No-Go: Proceed if at least 2 of 3 competitors have complete battle cards and all 5 pricing tactics are scripted.
BLOCK 4: Prevention + Assembly
Governed by: CTB
Constants: 5 prevention techniques (pre-emptive framing, social proof loading, discovery-driven selling, mutual action plan, champion building), output file (OBJECTION-PLAYBOOK.md), output structure
Variables: prevention_scripts, playbook_output
IMO:
- Ingress: All scripted content from Blocks 2-3
- Middle:
- For each of 5 prevention techniques, generate:
- When to deploy in the sales process
- Specific language/script to use
- Example of how it prevents a specific objection
- Assemble Quick Reference matrix (all 20 objections: number, label, real meaning, best framework, key response)
- Assemble full playbook in output structure:
- Header (industry, date, prospect if applicable)
- Quick Reference: Objection Response Matrix
- Frameworks (FFR + ABC descriptions)
- Universal Objections 1-15 (full 6-component scripts)
- Industry-Specific Objections 16-20
- Competitive Objections (3 battle cards)
- Pricing Deep Dive (5 tactics)
- Objection Prevention Tactics (5 techniques)
- Practice Guide (role-play scenarios, recording prompts, common mistakes)
- Write to
OBJECTION-PLAYBOOK.md in working directory
- Egress:
OBJECTION-PLAYBOOK.md written to disk
Go/No-Go: Output is always produced. Any section with insufficient data must include explicit placeholder notes. File must contain all 9 sections.
Rules
- Never produce summaries or framework descriptions instead of word-for-word scripts. Every response must be ready to speak aloud or copy-paste.
- Never bash a competitor directly. Acknowledge strengths honestly; use landmine questions to let the prospect discover weaknesses.
- Never use high-pressure tactics, guilt trips, fear-mongering, or manufactured urgency. Respect the prospect as an intelligent professional.
- Never omit the follow-up question. An objection response without a follow-up question leaves the conversation dead.
- Never omit walk-away criteria. Real salespeople need to know when an objection is genuine and the deal should be deprioritized.
- Never produce vague proof points. "Customers love us" is not a proof point. Specific metrics or explicit placeholder flags are required.
- Never skip both frameworks. Every universal and industry objection must have both FFR and ABC versions.
- Never modify the 15 universal objection labels or the 6-component structure. These are fixed constants.
- Never generate generic responses when context files exist. If
PROSPECT-ANALYSIS.md, COMPANY-RESEARCH.md, or COMPETITIVE-INTEL.md are present, incorporate their intelligence.
- Never produce robotic language. Scripts must use contractions, conversational transitions, and genuine empathy — natural human speech.
Reference Pointers
| Reference | Location |
|---|
| Sales Prospect orchestrator | agents/sales-prospect.md (or skills/sales-prospect/SKILL.md) |
| Competitive Intel skill | skills/sales-competitive/SKILL.md |
| ICP definition | IDEAL-CUSTOMER-PROFILE.md (working directory, optional) |
| Prospect Analysis | PROSPECT-ANALYSIS.md (working directory, optional) |
| Company Research | COMPANY-RESEARCH.md (working directory, optional) |
| Competitive Intel file | COMPETITIVE-INTEL.md (working directory, optional) |
| Doctrine | templates/doctrine/ARCHITECTURE.md (IMO, Hub-Spoke, CTB) |
| Skill creation rules | skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md |
