sales-objections

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.

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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)

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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

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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

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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>.

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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:
    1. Real meaning (what the objection actually signals)
    2. FFR response (Feel-Felt-Found, 3-5 sentences, tailored to context)
    3. ABC response (Acknowledge-Bridge-Close, 3-5 sentences, tailored to context)
    4. Follow-up question (keeps dialogue alive)
    5. Proof point (specific metric or flagged as placeholder)
    6. 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.

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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.

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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:
    1. Header (industry, date, prospect if applicable)
    2. Quick Reference: Objection Response Matrix
    3. Frameworks (FFR + ABC descriptions)
    4. Universal Objections 1-15 (full 6-component scripts)
    5. Industry-Specific Objections 16-20
    6. Competitive Objections (3 battle cards)
    7. Pricing Deep Dive (5 tactics)
    8. Objection Prevention Tactics (5 techniques)
    9. 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.

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Rules

1. Never produce summaries or framework descriptions instead of word-for-word scripts. Every response must be ready to speak aloud or copy-paste.
2. Never bash a competitor directly. Acknowledge strengths honestly; use landmine questions to let the prospect discover weaknesses.
3. Never use high-pressure tactics, guilt trips, fear-mongering, or manufactured urgency. Respect the prospect as an intelligent professional.
4. Never omit the follow-up question. An objection response without a follow-up question leaves the conversation dead.
5. Never omit walk-away criteria. Real salespeople need to know when an objection is genuine and the deal should be deprioritized.
6. Never produce vague proof points. "Customers love us" is not a proof point. Specific metrics or explicit placeholder flags are required.
7. Never skip both frameworks. Every universal and industry objection must have both FFR and ABC versions.
8. Never modify the 15 universal objection labels or the 6-component structure. These are fixed constants.
9. Never generate generic responses when context files exist. If PROSPECT-ANALYSIS.md, COMPANY-RESEARCH.md, or COMPETITIVE-INTEL.md are present, incorporate their intelligence.
10. Never produce robotic language. Scripts must use contractions, conversational transitions, and genuine empathy — natural human speech.

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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