| name | objection-handling |
| description | Common sales objections and response strategies organized by type and industry. Triggers when reviewing past objections or preparing for potential pushback. |
Objection Handling
Overview
This skill catalogs common sales objections and effective response strategies. It helps contextualize past objections and prepare for potential pushback.
Usage
The main agent references this skill when:
- Reviewing history of objections with a prospect
- Preparing talking points for follow-up calls
- Analyzing patterns in objection frequency
Common Objection Categories
Pricing Objections
| Objection | Response Strategy |
|---|
| "Too expensive" | Reframe to ROI; quantify cost of status quo |
| "Over budget" | Explore phased approach or smaller pilot |
| "Competitor is cheaper" | Differentiate on value, TCO, or risk |
| "No budget until next quarter" | Agree on timeline; nurture until then |
Timing Objections
| Objection | Response Strategy |
|---|
| "Not a priority right now" | Understand current priorities; find alignment |
| "Too busy to implement" | Offer white-glove onboarding or phased rollout |
| "Mid-contract with incumbent" | Get on calendar for contract renewal window |
| "Need to wait for [event]" | Calendar follow-up; provide value in interim |
Authority Objections
| Objection | Response Strategy |
|---|
| "I need to check with my boss" | Offer to join that conversation |
| "This needs committee approval" | Provide materials for internal selling |
| "Not my decision" | Ask for intro to decision maker |
| "We have a process for this" | Understand and work within their process |
Trust/Risk Objections
| Objection | Response Strategy |
|---|
| "Never heard of you" | Provide references, case studies, logos |
| "Concerned about switching costs" | Quantify switching costs vs. staying |
| "What if it doesn't work?" | Offer pilot, POC, or guarantee |
| "Had bad experience with similar" | Acknowledge; differentiate your approach |
Technical Objections
| Objection | Response Strategy |
|---|
| "Doesn't integrate with X" | Explore workarounds; roadmap discussion |
| "Missing feature Y" | Understand criticality; product feedback loop |
| "Security concerns" | Provide security documentation, certifications |
| "Too complex" | Offer demo focused on their use case |
Objection Tracking
When logging objections, capture:
- Exact objection wording
- Context (when in conversation, who raised it)
- Response used
- Outcome (overcame, lost, pending)
This builds institutional knowledge for future calls.
Resources
resources/objection-responses.md - Detailed response scriptsresources/pricing-objections.md - Deep dive on price discussions
