We have a five-step process for objection handling. 

1. Listen: Don’t interrupt or think about what you want to say next. Be present in the moment.
2. Question the objection: Ask an open-ended question to justify their position with an idea, opinion, or thought. (Verbal processing often leads to a commitment.)
3. Answer the objection.
4. Confirm the answer: Ask if that makes sense and get an agreement.
5. Ask for the sale again.

Follow this process consistently!

If you master this skill, you’ll be able to lead any sales conversation effectively – even one that has gotten off track.

The 4 most common objections

During this process, remember that your goal is to INSPIRE a prospective client to achieve their goal.

So, a WIN is when they understand their needs, have clarity over their motivation, obstacles, goals, and gap, and make the right commitment in line with where they want to be.

Let’s look at four of the most common objections and how to manage them.

Objection #1 – Too expensive

People find the money for things that are important to them.

So, when they say it’s too expensive, they’re really saying their pain/problem or goal isn’t big enough to justify the investment.

(The pain of staying where they are, has to be greater than the pain of making a change.)

They may tell you they don’t have the money or are shopping around. 

That’s not the type of client you want to work with.

So let them go. 

You want premium clients that will be a joy to work with!

If you eliminate those two things during pre-qual, you won’t have to deal with those objections this far into the sales process. 

So how do you handle this objection?

First, you may need to do a little more probing to flush out the specific objection around pricing. 

Your prospect may simply need to know there’s a payment plan available if they’re worried about financing.

Or, they may not trust themselves to make a commitment and stick to it for a more extended period.

In either of those cases, you’ll need to justify the value. 

But that doesn’t mean going back over pricing.

The way to address this – is to re-address their motivator and pain. 

Give more clarity on what brought them here by returning to the discovery conversation and their commitment to addressing that pain.

Maybe you didn’t give them a guarantee statement that eliminates the feeling that this is a risky move (risk reversal).

Give them one now. 

If you did, remind them of your guarantee and that with it, they risk nothing because when they make a commitment and you make a commitment,

Goals get crushed.

If they continue to say it’s too expensive, ask them the question,

Compared to what?

Again, this is an open-ended question where they must formulate an idea, opinion, or thought to answer it.

They’ll often talk themselves out of their apprehension when they talk through their thoughts.

But, if that doesn’t happen, go back to your Summary and Stack and have this conversation: 

You told me taking this step was really important to you right now because of XYZ, and to you, success looks like XYZ, and we agreed that X is the length of time to get to that goal.

Does that make sense?

Is that still what you want to accomplish?

Then what would need to be true to be able to make this type of commitment to your goals and ensure the best support needed for your success?

By asking this line of questioning, you’re not reiterating your price or value. (For example: Just do it. I’m worth the money!)

If that works, you could’ve done that in step one and called it a day.

You’re bringing them back to that conversation where they acknowledged:

• Their pain and what brought them to you. (motivation/obstacles)
• What they need to do to be successful. (goal)
• Your program and coaching are the way to get there; without you, it’s just not going to happen. (gap)

The reason this path works: 

Rather than let an emotional reaction unravel the entire process –

– You’re asking them to think through possibilities and other solutions for the purpose of guiding them gently – yet firmly– back to the right mindset.

Keep them focused on what they told you they WANT.

Objection #2 – Think it over

When someone says they need to think it over, their Spidey-Senses have been activated.

They don’t trust you. 

There’s something off. They may not like you and aren’t feeling a good connection – perhaps from the start.  

This is ok. Not everyone will like you.

Or, perhaps, they feel you don’t have the authority and credibility to serve them.

Maybe they’re just being polite and non-committal because they don’t want to be honest or confrontational about something that’s uncomfortable for them, like the price.

They might still have questions that were never clarified.

When we don’t execute the steps effectively – you’re on the fast track to the bonus round. 

Objections highlight the areas where you have to get better at execution. (And that’s actually good news, which we’ll explain in more detail shortly.)

For instance, you should’ve built rapport in the first few seconds of meeting your prospect. 

This is how to build trust very early on. 

They simply WILL NOT buy from you without it. 

So when you’re here, go back and make the necessary adjustments to master these steps for ultimate effectiveness.

The good news:

I need to think it over, is not really an objection. 

It’s a stall.

And, until you know what the actual objection is – you can’t address it.

So how do you handle this objection?

You have to get to the root cause of the fear that’s keeping them from taking action by asking some good questions:

What is it that you feel like you need to think about? 

Can you help me understand a little bit more there?

Asking them these questions forces your prospect to clarify and vocalize that idea, opinion, or thought.

They might overcome it themselves during that process.

But if they don’t, you can address what area of your communication may need to be realigned to encourage your prospect to take the next step.

Objection #3 – Talk to wife/husband

If you remember back to Step 1: Pre-qualify the Prospect, you must clarify three things with your prospect before the consult:

• They can afford you.
• They’re in the right mindset to make a decision.
• They have the authority to make the buying decision.

Yes, a fitness program can be a big-ticket investment (especially if you’re on the higher end), and maybe your prospect didn’t understand that as deeply as they needed to.

In that case, sometimes you have someone that feels like they need to discuss it with their spouse before committing. 

Even though you want to eliminate these people in the beginning, there are still ways you can address this objection. 

Again, you want to ask clarifying questions.

To better understand the context of that specific objection, ask: 

What do you think your spouse would say about making this commitment?

Does your spouse understand your goals and what you may need to accomplish them?

Something to note:

It’s tough for a prospective client to sell your program to a spouse.

They don’t know how to walk their spouse through this process of explaining their needs, the value you offer, or how your program works.  

Typical Conversation Example:

Wife: Honey, I saw a fitness coach today and think it would be really great for me.

Husband: How much is it?

Wife: XYZ every month for a year. 

Husband: That’s ridiculous. 

And it’s over…

That may be extreme, but it’s typically a dead end.

Best case scenario:

Schedule a time for your prospect to bring their spouse back with them, and invite them on a tour.

You can also invite them at that time to leave a deposit to hold a spot if that’s appropriate. 

However, if this feels too high pressure, or if it’s not the right fit to create that type of urgency – you should avoid doing that.

Keep in mind, 

Your goal isn’t solely for your prospect to invest in their health journey.

Ultimately, you want to help connect them with the best support structure needed to be successful on that journey.

Once again, determining if your prospect is the decision-maker should be handled during pre-qualification so you can ultimately avoid this scenario altogether. 

Objection #4 – Try it out

One last common objection is requesting a short trial period before making a commitment. 

This hesitation typically stems from a lack of clarity around their true needs and the solution that will work for them.

Or, there is fear and skepticism around themselves or you. 

Regardless, in addition to asking clarifying questions, you need to:

• Rebuild the problem.
• Invite and challenge them to commit to their journey.
• Tie in the value of the larger package with financial savings.
• Remind them of the client guarantee.

Also, remind them of the goal they had earlier, and the time you agreed would get them there.

Then ask:

Is that still a goal you want to achieve? 

What concerns do you have? 

Is your concern about committing to your journey? 

Continue to ask questions to pinpoint the real objection.

A few key points:

• Don’t feel defeated by objections. We have a saying: The selling starts at no. In other words, objections are simply opportunities for powerful conversations.
• Don’t undervalue your role. Use this time to inspire your prospect (who’s at their most vulnerable) to take action. 
• Commit to practicing this process and role-play post-objection conversations. 
• Cut your losses when necessary. If you feel things begin to go south, and realize it’s not a good fit, let them know you don’t want to waste their time and invite them to leave. You don’t have to present to everyone.

In conclusion,

The better you get at the six steps, the more likely you’ll never have to visit the 7th step. 

We can’t recommend it enough to: 

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

And good luck with your process!

Want to learn more about how to train your team to drive more new sales, clients, and revenue? Book a complimentary Game Plan session with our team.

We are here for you during this journey.

Good luck and happy selling!