March 31, 2025 • 24 mins
Handling sales objections can be frustrating, but it’s a skill every business owner needs to master. When a customer hesitates, it’s easy to assume they’re just not interested or that price is the problem. But the truth is, objections are often a sign that someone is still considering your offer. They just need more reassurance before saying yes. In this episode, I’m breaking down what’s really going on when people push back and how to uncover the deeper concerns hiding behind objections.
I’ll share practical strategies to handle price pushback, tackle emotional fears, and address business-specific concerns without feeling pushy. We’ll also talk about how to spot objections early, create content that builds trust, and use storytelling to turn hesitation into confidence. If you’re tired of losing sales at the last minute, this episode will help you turn those tough conversations into opportunities to close more deals.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Janice Hostager (00:04):
I'm Janice Hostager.
After three decades in themarketing business and many
years of being an entrepreneur,I've learned a thing or two
about marketing.
Join me as we talk aboutmarketing, small business and
life in between.
Welcome to My Weekly Marketing.
(00:29):
Hey, hey, and welcome to anotherepisode of My Weekly Marketing.
Before I jump in, I just wantto tell you that the pollen
levels in Austin today are likethrough the roof.
So I'm really hoarse and I'mtrying not to lose my voice, so
if it sounds a little rough orscratchy or whatever, please
forgive me.
I'm doing my best.
I got my big mug of gingerlemon tea here and I'm just
(00:51):
going to dive right in and we'llsee how it goes.
Okay, here we go.
So when I purchased my firstonline course about 10 years ago
, I was more than a littlenervous.
It was $1,000 at the time and,based on what I was actually
making each month which wasabout $1,000, it was
(01:12):
astronomical.
It could have been a milliondollars.
The course ended up being greatand very helpful, but the
wrestling match that went on inmy head up to the point of where
I bought it was quite profound,and I feel like it really
prepared me for what everybusiness owner needs to do, and
that is counter objections tothe sale.
So when I say objections, youknow what I mean, right, that
(01:35):
pro con list that goes throughyour head when you're faced with
a purchase, especially a highticket purchase.
A significant portion of salesfrom like 30 to 50% are lost due
to objections that are noteffectively addressed.
Okay, so think about that.
You've gone through all thetrouble to find your people,
(01:55):
market to them and get them tothe point where they're ready to
lay down their credit card, andyou lose the sale because you
didn't counter objections.
Hot dang, that's rough.
But the good news is thatobjection handling is a skill
and it's learned.
It can be practiced and refinedover time, just like anything
else in business.
Right, your customer may knowthey need what you're selling,
(02:18):
but something is holding themback.
Often it's the price, and we'lltalk about that in a little bit
.
But sometimes it goes deeperthan that.
Sometimes people don't buybecause they don't feel what
you're charging is worth whatthey'll be getting.
So in this episode we're goingto talk about some common
objections you may face whenyou're selling something
(02:39):
identifying what thoseobjections are and what they are
not.
How to anticipate what theobjections will be, when, where
and how to address thoseobjections are and what they are
not.
How to anticipate what theobjections will be, when, where
and how to address thoseobjections, and some metrics to
track the effectiveness of yourobjection handling content.
Okay, so let's jump in.
First up.
Let's try to understand some ofthe common objections you're
(03:00):
going to likely face in thesales process.
The first one is price concerns.
Your product or service is tooexpensive or I can't afford this
right now.
That may be what you hear.
This one is tricky, butprobably the biggest excuse
you'll hear.
With a higher price pointproduct, they may legitimately
not be able to afford it, butthat might not be it.
(03:23):
Cost is relative.
You might say that $1,000 is alot of money, but if I told you
I was selling a Mercedesconvertible for $1,000, you
would say that's a heck of adeal.
In fact, you probably wonderwhat's wrong with it.
Also, if I was selling at-shirt for $1,000, you'd
probably say that was wayoverpriced.
But if I told you it was signedby, like Elvis, then you might
(03:51):
think it was reasonable,depending on your stance on
Elvis.
See how that same a thousanddollars is relative.
Since price is relative, yourjob is to make sure your offer
is worth more than the priceyou're asking.
In a book that I'm actuallyreading right now, called 10x,
is greater than 2x, which Ihighly recommend, by the way.
The author asks what would youneed to do to make what you're
selling worth 10 times whatthey're paying?
(04:12):
All right, so if you're sellinga product for $200, what can
you do to make that productworth $2,000 in your customers'
eyes?
Along the way to answering thatquestion, you'll also need to
answer these questions (04:25):
what makes your product or service
better than the competition?
I'm not familiar with yourbrand, so how do I know you'll
deliver as promised?
What if it doesn't work for me?
I'm not sure your product orservice is right for my specific
needs.
How will I know?
Clearly, objections can act assignificant barriers to closing
sales because they represent theconcerns, the doubts or
(04:48):
uncertainties that potentialcustomers have about making a
purchase.
If you don't address them,unresolved objections can lead
to a loss of interest in theproduct or service altogether.
Thinking that you don't reallyhave the answers for them.
People who are initiallyinterested may drop out of the
sales funnel altogether.
Number two objections can alsoshift the customer's focus away
(05:11):
from the benefits of the productor service to the perceived
risks or drawbacks again gettingin the way of closing the sale.
To overcome these barriers,it's important to proactively
address objections throughoutthe entire trail to the sale,
that is, from the awarenessstage through the consider,
compare, evaluate, sell,supersize, serve and send phases
(05:34):
.
By understanding andemphasizing what the customer is
concerned about, providingtransparent information and
offering solutions, you canbuild trust, alleviate doubts
and increase the likelihood ofmaking the sale.
But not everything is anobjection.
So here's what objections are.
Objections are genuine concernsor reservations that potential
(05:56):
customers have about yourproduct or service.
These concerns may relate topricing, value, compatibility,
trust or other factors that willinfluence their decision.
There are also opportunitiesfor you to clarify.
They provide ways to talk withyour customer and provide
additional information or offerassurance that they can
(06:16):
alleviate their concerns.
They're also a natural part ofthe sales process.
It's common for objections toarise during the sales process
as customers weigh the pros andcons of what you're selling.
So they're nothing to panicabout, but they do need to be
addressed and you need toprepare for them.
So here's what objections arenot.
(06:37):
Objections are not outrightrejections or refusals of the
product or service what they arehesitations or uncertainties
that can often be addressed andresolved through your messaging.
They're also not personalcriticism and they shouldn't be
taken personally.
They're just a reflection ofwhat's going on in the
customer's brain.
They're also not the end of theconversation.
(07:00):
Instead, it's an opportunity totalk further with the customer,
understand their concerns andguide them toward a solution
that will meet their needs.
While objections can posechallenges for sure, they're not
inherently negative.
Addressing objectionseffectively can strengthen your
relationship with the customer,build trust with them and
ultimately lead to moresuccessful sales.
(07:22):
So how do you anticipate whatthe objections will be?
Some objections are probablystandard.
Pricing comes up a lot, butremember our example of how
pricing is relative.
Keep in mind that if most ofthe time, if people really want
something, they're gonna findthe money to get it.
Remember what I said about10Xing the value of your offer.
(07:42):
But to anticipate what theobjections will be, here are a
few tips.
Number one ask your customers oryour potential customers when
you're setting up your offer.
We all think people would loveto buy it, but ask your existing
customers what they think whatwould stop them from buying.
Or, if your promotion alreadyhappened.
(08:02):
Follow up with a simpleone-question email survey to ask
why they didn't buy.
I've done this and I've hadsome great feedback; things I
never would have thought orwould have known had I not asked
.
Once I learned what thosesticking points were, I was able
to address them in my futuremessaging and in my offer.
Entrepreneur Ryan Levesquewrote an excellent book called
(08:25):
Ask.
If you want to take a deeperdive into this process and I'll
put the link in the show notes.
Number two if you have a salesteam, then get their feedback.
Sales reps are on the frontlines and they talk to customers
day in and day out, and theycan provide really good insights
into the specific concernspotential customers raise.
Number three study yourcompetitors.
(08:46):
If you study your competitors,you can identify objections they
address in their marketingmaterials.
You can look at customerreviews on Google and Yelp,
social media, sales pitches.
These are all goldmine.
When I was growing up as theyoungest of four children, one
thing I learned is that I couldlearn from the mistakes of my
older siblings and avoid gettinginto trouble.
(09:07):
This is true of our competitorstoo.
They have already done thegroundwork for us, so it's okay
to take a look at what they'repointing out and making sure
that you're addressing that aswell.
Number four, website analyticsand search queries.
Review search queries andkeywords used by visitors to
(09:27):
identify specific concerns ortopics that they're researching
related to your product orservice.
The website Answer The Publiclooks at questions people are
asking about topics in searchengines and that can really be
enlightening when you'readdressing concerns on your
website or in your blog posts.
And number five, feedback fromyour existing marketing
campaigns.
(09:48):
As I said earlier, you couldask them after a campaign or you
can evaluate the performance ofyour marketing campaigns
including email ads, promotionsand see what questions they ask,
especially during the productpromotion or launch, if you've
got a chatbot on your website orif you're fielding sales calls.
(10:08):
Those are great ways to getinsight as to the questions that
people have.
So it's fine and great if you'relooking for objections, but
sometimes they're disguised asfears.
There's a difference betweenfears and business-related
objections and here's how toaddress them both.
So fears are a universalconcern that are common among
(10:32):
most people, regardless of theindustry or the situations.
For example, fear of wastingmoney, fear of missing out, fear
of making the wrong decisionand so on.
To address them, you want toapproach them with empathy and
understanding and show that youreally get these emotional
challenges that they're facing,and you want to provide
reassurances, and you can dothat through testimonials, case
(10:55):
studies or guarantees that showhow others have overcome similar
fears.
You can also offer educationalcontent that helps alleviate
fears by providing clarity andunderstanding.
For example, guides, faqs,how-to articles and so on that
can kind of really demystifycomplex processes and reduce the
(11:17):
anxiety for your buyers.
Now, business-specific fears area different animal.
These fears are specific toyour product or service that
you're offering.
They could include concernsabout return on investment,
maybe the technical complexityof it, maybe integration issues
if you have something that'ssoftware or SAAS.
(11:37):
So you want to address these byproviding detailed information
about your product or yourfeatures and you want to talk
about the benefits.
You want to address theconcerns directly and
transparently.
You can use case studies anduse cases, or you can include an
FAQ section on your sales pageor your website.
You want to highlight how youroffering has successfully
(11:59):
addressed similar challengeswith other people.
You can also use free trials,demonstrations or maybe a
webinar to allow potentialcustomers to experience your
product firsthand and see howyou address those specific
concerns.
And here's a pro tip, if youshare FAQs in an email, pay
(12:21):
attention to their clicks onthose emails and segment them
based on the concerns that theywant answered.
For example, you can create anemail that says click to learn
more about how you'll tripleyour ROI and if they click on
that, you can guess that there'sprobably a safe chance that
they're concerned about themoney or the investment.
This allows you to put thatperson into a segment that is
(12:43):
interested and needs to learnmore about their investment.
So you can tailor yourmessaging and your solutions to
address those questions inupcoming emails.
Or maybe you're offering atraining program about creating
video and they click on a linkthat says what to do if you're
not techie.
Again, with this basicinformation, you can address
their upcoming concerns justbased on their click behavior.
(13:05):
But sometimes fears andobjections can look similar.
For example, a fear may be whatif this product doesn't work
for me?
But the objection or the thingthey say is I'm not sure that
this is worth the money.
In this case, the fear isrooted in uncertainty about the
product's effectiveness, whilethe objection shows up as
hesitation to buy, like I justtalked about.
(13:28):
Overcoming this requiresreassurance through testimonials
, guarantees, case studies or arisk-free trial to build trust
and confidence in your offer.
So you'll need to reframe fearsand objections to better
address them sometimes.
If you're selling your offerthrough a webpage, webinar, a
sales call or an email.
(13:49):
Here are some steps to take.
First of all, identify the fear.
Pinpoint what specific fearyour ideal customer might have.
For example, it could be a fearof wasting money on a social
media program when they are notsure social media will even work
for them.
Number two translate that intoan objection.
So convert this fear into amore tangible objection.
(14:10):
So it might be something likeI'm concerned about investing in
a social media course thatwon't deliver measurable results
.
Number three provide thesolutions.
Once you have the objectionframed, offer solutions or
reassurances for them.
For example, you couldhighlight case studies or
testimonials that demonstratethat your program's success in
(14:32):
delivering a return on theirinvestment.
Number four empathize andeducate.
Acknowledge the fear or theobjection empathetically.
Let them know that you totallyunderstand their concern and
then educate them on how yourapproach mitigates those risks.
And number five a call toaction.
(14:53):
Finally, guide them toward thecall to action that addresses
their objection directly.
This could be scheduling aconsultation, downloading a case
study or signing up for a freetrial.
By reframing the fears intoobjections, you make them so
much easier to address head-on,with specific solutions and
information that buildsconfidence in your product and
(15:14):
service.
Okay so when, where and how toaddress objections.
As I mentioned earlier, youshould address objections
throughout your entire trail tothe sale, so from the moment
they become aware of yourproduct or service, all the way
through the sales process.
But you'll get the mostfeedback before people click to
(15:34):
purchase.
So I recommend using all orsome of the following techniques
to address some of these.
Number one is FAQ style content.
This can be on your website,your sales page, in an email, in
a webinar, anywhere that youcan address questions that
people commonly have.
Number two, a chatbot.
If you have a chatbot on yoursite, program it to address
(15:57):
common questions and offer livechat if you can, or get back to
them with answers that yourchatbot doesn't address ASAP,
then you want to keep a recordof those questions so that you
can make sure to address them inyour future marketing.
Number three, share stories ofhow your product or service has
solved a specific problem foryour customers through a
(16:18):
testimonial or case study.
When you're asking fortestimonials from your prior
customers, ask them if anythinghelped them back or if they
hesitated to buy from you, andwhy they did.
Hearing how their real-lifeexperience overcame their
hesitation is golden.
And number four, create acomparison chart or some kind of
(16:39):
content that positions yourproduct against the competitors.
Address common objections byshowing why your solution is
superior or better suited tocertain needs.
This can be really powerful,especially if you're comparing
your product or service to a bigbrand.
Number five, address priceconcerns directly.
If pricing is a commonobjection, consider creating
(17:01):
content that explains the valueof your offer.
Break down your pricingstructure and justify the cost
with the benefits that they'regoing to be receiving.
Go above and beyond to show howyour product or service can
bypass what they think it'sworth.
And number six, you can host alive Q&A session on social media
or do a webinar where youinvite potential customers to
(17:23):
ask questions.
And, last but not least, you canalso use stories to overcome
objections.
I recently heard someone saythat when we tell a story, it's
not really about us.
As we're telling it, thelistener is inserting themselves
into the story.
Storytelling is a powerful toolthat can effectively overcome
objections on an emotional leveland show the solutions through
(17:45):
the narrative.
Here's how you can usestorytelling to address
objections.
First of all, share storiesthat resonate with your audience
experiences or challenges.
That helps create an immediateconnection between you and them
and shows that you understandtheir concerns.
When potential customers feelemotionally invested in a story,
they're more likely to bepersuaded by its message and the
(18:08):
solution it presents.
And finally, stories are morememorable than facts or figures
alone.
By framing your valueproposition within a story, you
increase the chance that thepotential customers will
remember and recall yoursolution when making their
decision.
As the old saying goes, factstell, but stories sell.
Integrating techniques likethese into your content strategy
(18:31):
can help build trust, reducehesitation and ultimately drive
conversions by preemptivelyaddressing these objections.
So I thought it'd be helpful toshare some examples of effective
objection handling content.
My first example is fromPatagonia, the sportswear
company.
They have something called theWorn Wear campaign, they wanted
(18:55):
to address objections related tothe environmental impact and
how durable their products were.
They know their customers arevery focused on caring for the
planet, so they launched theWorn Wear campaign, promoting
the longevity and sustainabilityof their products by
encouraging customers to repairand reuse their clothing rather
than buying new products.
(19:15):
As a result, this campaign notonly aligned with Patagonia's
brand values, but they alsoaddressed objections about
product durability andenvironmental responsibility,
and that was a win-win withtheir environmentally conscious
audience.
Number two, Casper, which is anonline mattress company, started
(19:35):
their 100-night trial guarantee.
So they wanted to addressconcerns about the quality and
the comfort of their mattressesand when you buy it online, you
just don't know right.
So they offered a risk-free100-night trial period for their
mattress, allowing customers totry it out and return them for
a full refund if they weren'thappy.
(19:56):
This approach reassured theirpotential customers who might
hesitate to buy a mattresswithout trying it out first.
It effectively addressed theobjections related to comfort,
quality and the online buyingprocess.
And number three Zendesk, whichis a customer service software,
created an ROI calculator toolon their site.
(20:18):
Their goal was to address thecost concerns and the potential
ROI for their software.
So they developed aninteractive ROI calculator tool
that allows potential customersto input their specific data,
like the number of supporttickets they have, the agent
salaries and so on, to estimatethe potential savings and ROI
(20:40):
from using Zendesk.
By doing this, theydemonstrated the value early on
in the buyer's journey.
Okay, next we want to talk aboutmeasuring success.
You always want to measure themetrics to make sure that what
you're doing is working.
So tracking the effectivenessof objection handling content is
really key to understanding howwell your strategies are
(21:02):
working and make the necessaryadjustments.
Here are some metrics that youcan track.
First of all, engagementmetrics.
You can measure the time on thepage, how long visitors spend
on objection handling content,and you can find out that
information on Google Analytics.
You can also track how far downthe page a visitor scroll if
(21:23):
you have a sales page set upsetup Deeper scrolls on the page
suggest that they are probablymore interested in the content,
and again, you can use GoogleAnalytics to find that
information.
Number two conversion metrics.
You can calculate thepercentage of visitors who take
(21:43):
actions after engaging withobjection handling content, such
as signing up for a free trialor reading one of your emails
that counter the objections.
You can also look at your salespage's bounce rate and monitor
the percentage of visitors wholeave the page without
interacting further.
A high bounce rate can indicatethat the content is not really
effectively addressing all thoseobjections.
(22:05):
Also, monitor comments andreviews and see what they have
to say.
Do they present objectionsstill or do they give you
feedback that some of theirobjections have been countered?
And, last but not least,monitor your sales metrics.
Track how many leads generatedfrom objection handling content
(22:25):
ultimately converted into pancustomers.
By tracking metrics like thisover time, you can evaluate how
effective your objectionhandling strategy is and you can
identify areas for improvementand, of course, optimize your
content to better meet the needsand concerns of your audience
in the future.
So, wrapping up, I want you tothink about objections in every
(22:47):
bit of copy you write in everysales page and make sure that
you include it for everypromotion, in emails and other
places on your website whenyou're selling your offer.
So that doesn't mean that it'sjust at the point in which
they're ready to lay down theircredit card.
It also means in the awarenessstage, when they're just getting
(23:08):
familiar with you, theconsideration stage, when
they're willing to learn moreabout you.
The comparison stage, whenthey're comparing you to others.
The evaluation stage, whenthey're just ready to try you
out.
The sell stage, when they areready to buy.
And even after the sale, togive them reassurance that they
made a good decision by buyingfrom you, so they tell others
(23:28):
too.
Okay, so that's a wrap.
If you have any questions aboutthis episode or anything
related to it, dm me onInstagram at Janice Hostager
Marketing.
I'd love to hear from you andremember to subscribe for more
good marketing information.
You can also find links toanything we talked about today
in our show notes atmyweeklymarketingcom.
(23:51):
Forward slash 101.
Thank you for joining me today.
Until next time, keep onmarketing.
Bye for now.
I'm Janice Hostager.
After three decades in themarketing business and many
years of being an entrepreneur,I've learned a thing or two
about marketing.
Join me as we talk aboutmarketing, small business and
life in between.
Welcome to My Weekly Marketing.
(00:29):
Hey, hey, and welcome to anotherepisode of My Weekly Marketing.
Before I jump in, I just wantto tell you that the pollen
levels in Austin today are likethrough the roof.
So I'm really hoarse and I'mtrying not to lose my voice, so
if it sounds a little rough orscratchy or whatever, please
forgive me.
I'm doing my best.
I got my big mug of gingerlemon tea here and I'm just
(00:51):
going to dive right in and we'llsee how it goes.
Okay, here we go.
So when I purchased my firstonline course about 10 years ago
, I was more than a littlenervous.
It was $1,000 at the time and,based on what I was actually
making each month which wasabout $1,000, it was
(01:12):
astronomical.
It could have been a milliondollars.
The course ended up being greatand very helpful, but the
wrestling match that went on inmy head up to the point of where
I bought it was quite profound,and I feel like it really
prepared me for what everybusiness owner needs to do, and
that is counter objections tothe sale.
So when I say objections, youknow what I mean, right, that
(01:35):
pro con list that goes throughyour head when you're faced with
a purchase, especially a highticket purchase.
A significant portion of salesfrom like 30 to 50% are lost due
to objections that are noteffectively addressed.
Okay, so think about that.
You've gone through all thetrouble to find your people,
(01:55):
market to them and get them tothe point where they're ready to
lay down their credit card, andyou lose the sale because you
didn't counter objections.
Hot dang, that's rough.
But the good news is thatobjection handling is a skill
and it's learned.
It can be practiced and refinedover time, just like anything
else in business.
Right, your customer may knowthey need what you're selling,
(02:18):
but something is holding themback.
Often it's the price, and we'lltalk about that in a little bit
.
But sometimes it goes deeperthan that.
Sometimes people don't buybecause they don't feel what
you're charging is worth whatthey'll be getting.
So in this episode we're goingto talk about some common
objections you may face whenyou're selling something
(02:39):
identifying what thoseobjections are and what they are
not.
How to anticipate what theobjections will be, when, where
and how to address thoseobjections are and what they are
not.
How to anticipate what theobjections will be, when, where
and how to address thoseobjections, and some metrics to
track the effectiveness of yourobjection handling content.
Okay, so let's jump in.
First up.
Let's try to understand some ofthe common objections you're
(03:00):
going to likely face in thesales process.
The first one is price concerns.
Your product or service is tooexpensive or I can't afford this
right now.
That may be what you hear.
This one is tricky, butprobably the biggest excuse
you'll hear.
With a higher price pointproduct, they may legitimately
not be able to afford it, butthat might not be it.
(03:23):
Cost is relative.
You might say that $1,000 is alot of money, but if I told you
I was selling a Mercedesconvertible for $1,000, you
would say that's a heck of adeal.
In fact, you probably wonderwhat's wrong with it.
Also, if I was selling at-shirt for $1,000, you'd
probably say that was wayoverpriced.
But if I told you it was signedby, like Elvis, then you might
(03:51):
think it was reasonable,depending on your stance on
Elvis.
See how that same a thousanddollars is relative.
Since price is relative, yourjob is to make sure your offer
is worth more than the priceyou're asking.
In a book that I'm actuallyreading right now, called 10x,
is greater than 2x, which Ihighly recommend, by the way.
The author asks what would youneed to do to make what you're
selling worth 10 times whatthey're paying?
(04:12):
All right, so if you're sellinga product for $200, what can
you do to make that productworth $2,000 in your customers'
eyes?
Along the way to answering thatquestion, you'll also need to
answer these questions (04:25):
what makes your product or service
better than the competition?
I'm not familiar with yourbrand, so how do I know you'll
deliver as promised?
What if it doesn't work for me?
I'm not sure your product orservice is right for my specific
needs.
How will I know?
Clearly, objections can act assignificant barriers to closing
sales because they represent theconcerns, the doubts or
(04:48):
uncertainties that potentialcustomers have about making a
purchase.
If you don't address them,unresolved objections can lead
to a loss of interest in theproduct or service altogether.
Thinking that you don't reallyhave the answers for them.
People who are initiallyinterested may drop out of the
sales funnel altogether.
Number two objections can alsoshift the customer's focus away
(05:11):
from the benefits of the productor service to the perceived
risks or drawbacks again gettingin the way of closing the sale.
To overcome these barriers,it's important to proactively
address objections throughoutthe entire trail to the sale,
that is, from the awarenessstage through the consider,
compare, evaluate, sell,supersize, serve and send phases
(05:34):
.
By understanding andemphasizing what the customer is
concerned about, providingtransparent information and
offering solutions, you canbuild trust, alleviate doubts
and increase the likelihood ofmaking the sale.
But not everything is anobjection.
So here's what objections are.
Objections are genuine concernsor reservations that potential
(05:56):
customers have about yourproduct or service.
These concerns may relate topricing, value, compatibility,
trust or other factors that willinfluence their decision.
There are also opportunitiesfor you to clarify.
They provide ways to talk withyour customer and provide
additional information or offerassurance that they can
(06:16):
alleviate their concerns.
They're also a natural part ofthe sales process.
It's common for objections toarise during the sales process
as customers weigh the pros andcons of what you're selling.
So they're nothing to panicabout, but they do need to be
addressed and you need toprepare for them.
So here's what objections arenot.
(06:37):
Objections are not outrightrejections or refusals of the
product or service what they arehesitations or uncertainties
that can often be addressed andresolved through your messaging.
They're also not personalcriticism and they shouldn't be
taken personally.
They're just a reflection ofwhat's going on in the
customer's brain.
They're also not the end of theconversation.
(07:00):
Instead, it's an opportunity totalk further with the customer,
understand their concerns andguide them toward a solution
that will meet their needs.
While objections can posechallenges for sure, they're not
inherently negative.
Addressing objectionseffectively can strengthen your
relationship with the customer,build trust with them and
ultimately lead to moresuccessful sales.
(07:22):
So how do you anticipate whatthe objections will be?
Some objections are probablystandard.
Pricing comes up a lot, butremember our example of how
pricing is relative.
Keep in mind that if most ofthe time, if people really want
something, they're gonna findthe money to get it.
Remember what I said about10Xing the value of your offer.
(07:42):
But to anticipate what theobjections will be, here are a
few tips.
Number one ask your customers oryour potential customers when
you're setting up your offer.
We all think people would loveto buy it, but ask your existing
customers what they think whatwould stop them from buying.
Or, if your promotion alreadyhappened.
(08:02):
Follow up with a simpleone-question email survey to ask
why they didn't buy.
I've done this and I've hadsome great feedback; things I
never would have thought orwould have known had I not asked
.
Once I learned what thosesticking points were, I was able
to address them in my futuremessaging and in my offer.
Entrepreneur Ryan Levesquewrote an excellent book called
(08:25):
Ask.
If you want to take a deeperdive into this process and I'll
put the link in the show notes.
Number two if you have a salesteam, then get their feedback.
Sales reps are on the frontlines and they talk to customers
day in and day out, and theycan provide really good insights
into the specific concernspotential customers raise.
Number three study yourcompetitors.
(08:46):
If you study your competitors,you can identify objections they
address in their marketingmaterials.
You can look at customerreviews on Google and Yelp,
social media, sales pitches.
These are all goldmine.
When I was growing up as theyoungest of four children, one
thing I learned is that I couldlearn from the mistakes of my
older siblings and avoid gettinginto trouble.
(09:07):
This is true of our competitorstoo.
They have already done thegroundwork for us, so it's okay
to take a look at what they'repointing out and making sure
that you're addressing that aswell.
Number four, website analyticsand search queries.
Review search queries andkeywords used by visitors to
(09:27):
identify specific concerns ortopics that they're researching
related to your product orservice.
The website Answer The Publiclooks at questions people are
asking about topics in searchengines and that can really be
enlightening when you'readdressing concerns on your
website or in your blog posts.
And number five, feedback fromyour existing marketing
campaigns.
(09:48):
As I said earlier, you couldask them after a campaign or you
can evaluate the performance ofyour marketing campaigns
including email ads, promotionsand see what questions they ask,
especially during the productpromotion or launch, if you've
got a chatbot on your website orif you're fielding sales calls.
(10:08):
Those are great ways to getinsight as to the questions that
people have.
So it's fine and great if you'relooking for objections, but
sometimes they're disguised asfears.
There's a difference betweenfears and business-related
objections and here's how toaddress them both.
So fears are a universalconcern that are common among
(10:32):
most people, regardless of theindustry or the situations.
For example, fear of wastingmoney, fear of missing out, fear
of making the wrong decisionand so on.
To address them, you want toapproach them with empathy and
understanding and show that youreally get these emotional
challenges that they're facing,and you want to provide
reassurances, and you can dothat through testimonials, case
(10:55):
studies or guarantees that showhow others have overcome similar
fears.
You can also offer educationalcontent that helps alleviate
fears by providing clarity andunderstanding.
For example, guides, faqs,how-to articles and so on that
can kind of really demystifycomplex processes and reduce the
(11:17):
anxiety for your buyers.
Now, business-specific fears area different animal.
These fears are specific toyour product or service that
you're offering.
They could include concernsabout return on investment,
maybe the technical complexityof it, maybe integration issues
if you have something that'ssoftware or SAAS.
(11:37):
So you want to address these byproviding detailed information
about your product or yourfeatures and you want to talk
about the benefits.
You want to address theconcerns directly and
transparently.
You can use case studies anduse cases, or you can include an
FAQ section on your sales pageor your website.
You want to highlight how youroffering has successfully
(11:59):
addressed similar challengeswith other people.
You can also use free trials,demonstrations or maybe a
webinar to allow potentialcustomers to experience your
product firsthand and see howyou address those specific
concerns.
And here's a pro tip, if youshare FAQs in an email, pay
(12:21):
attention to their clicks onthose emails and segment them
based on the concerns that theywant answered.
For example, you can create anemail that says click to learn
more about how you'll tripleyour ROI and if they click on
that, you can guess that there'sprobably a safe chance that
they're concerned about themoney or the investment.
This allows you to put thatperson into a segment that is
(12:43):
interested and needs to learnmore about their investment.
So you can tailor yourmessaging and your solutions to
address those questions inupcoming emails.
Or maybe you're offering atraining program about creating
video and they click on a linkthat says what to do if you're
not techie.
Again, with this basicinformation, you can address
their upcoming concerns justbased on their click behavior.
(13:05):
But sometimes fears andobjections can look similar.
For example, a fear may be whatif this product doesn't work
for me?
But the objection or the thingthey say is I'm not sure that
this is worth the money.
In this case, the fear isrooted in uncertainty about the
product's effectiveness, whilethe objection shows up as
hesitation to buy, like I justtalked about.
(13:28):
Overcoming this requiresreassurance through testimonials
, guarantees, case studies or arisk-free trial to build trust
and confidence in your offer.
So you'll need to reframe fearsand objections to better
address them sometimes.
If you're selling your offerthrough a webpage, webinar, a
sales call or an email.
(13:49):
Here are some steps to take.
First of all, identify the fear.
Pinpoint what specific fearyour ideal customer might have.
For example, it could be a fearof wasting money on a social
media program when they are notsure social media will even work
for them.
Number two translate that intoan objection.
So convert this fear into amore tangible objection.
(14:10):
So it might be something likeI'm concerned about investing in
a social media course thatwon't deliver measurable results
.
Number three provide thesolutions.
Once you have the objectionframed, offer solutions or
reassurances for them.
For example, you couldhighlight case studies or
testimonials that demonstratethat your program's success in
(14:32):
delivering a return on theirinvestment.
Number four empathize andeducate.
Acknowledge the fear or theobjection empathetically.
Let them know that you totallyunderstand their concern and
then educate them on how yourapproach mitigates those risks.
And number five a call toaction.
(14:53):
Finally, guide them toward thecall to action that addresses
their objection directly.
This could be scheduling aconsultation, downloading a case
study or signing up for a freetrial.
By reframing the fears intoobjections, you make them so
much easier to address head-on,with specific solutions and
information that buildsconfidence in your product and
(15:14):
service.
Okay so when, where and how toaddress objections.
As I mentioned earlier, youshould address objections
throughout your entire trail tothe sale, so from the moment
they become aware of yourproduct or service, all the way
through the sales process.
But you'll get the mostfeedback before people click to
(15:34):
purchase.
So I recommend using all orsome of the following techniques
to address some of these.
Number one is FAQ style content.
This can be on your website,your sales page, in an email, in
a webinar, anywhere that youcan address questions that
people commonly have.
Number two, a chatbot.
If you have a chatbot on yoursite, program it to address
(15:57):
common questions and offer livechat if you can, or get back to
them with answers that yourchatbot doesn't address ASAP,
then you want to keep a recordof those questions so that you
can make sure to address them inyour future marketing.
Number three, share stories ofhow your product or service has
solved a specific problem foryour customers through a
(16:18):
testimonial or case study.
When you're asking fortestimonials from your prior
customers, ask them if anythinghelped them back or if they
hesitated to buy from you, andwhy they did.
Hearing how their real-lifeexperience overcame their
hesitation is golden.
And number four, create acomparison chart or some kind of
(16:39):
content that positions yourproduct against the competitors.
Address common objections byshowing why your solution is
superior or better suited tocertain needs.
This can be really powerful,especially if you're comparing
your product or service to a bigbrand.
Number five, address priceconcerns directly.
If pricing is a commonobjection, consider creating
(17:01):
content that explains the valueof your offer.
Break down your pricingstructure and justify the cost
with the benefits that they'regoing to be receiving.
Go above and beyond to show howyour product or service can
bypass what they think it'sworth.
And number six, you can host alive Q&A session on social media
or do a webinar where youinvite potential customers to
(17:23):
ask questions.
And, last but not least, you canalso use stories to overcome
objections.
I recently heard someone saythat when we tell a story, it's
not really about us.
As we're telling it, thelistener is inserting themselves
into the story.
Storytelling is a powerful toolthat can effectively overcome
objections on an emotional leveland show the solutions through
(17:45):
the narrative.
Here's how you can usestorytelling to address
objections.
First of all, share storiesthat resonate with your audience
experiences or challenges.
That helps create an immediateconnection between you and them
and shows that you understandtheir concerns.
When potential customers feelemotionally invested in a story,
they're more likely to bepersuaded by its message and the
(18:08):
solution it presents.
And finally, stories are morememorable than facts or figures
alone.
By framing your valueproposition within a story, you
increase the chance that thepotential customers will
remember and recall yoursolution when making their
decision.
As the old saying goes, factstell, but stories sell.
Integrating techniques likethese into your content strategy
(18:31):
can help build trust, reducehesitation and ultimately drive
conversions by preemptivelyaddressing these objections.
So I thought it'd be helpful toshare some examples of effective
objection handling content.
My first example is fromPatagonia, the sportswear
company.
They have something called theWorn Wear campaign, they wanted
(18:55):
to address objections related tothe environmental impact and
how durable their products were.
They know their customers arevery focused on caring for the
planet, so they launched theWorn Wear campaign, promoting
the longevity and sustainabilityof their products by
encouraging customers to repairand reuse their clothing rather
than buying new products.
(19:15):
As a result, this campaign notonly aligned with Patagonia's
brand values, but they alsoaddressed objections about
product durability andenvironmental responsibility,
and that was a win-win withtheir environmentally conscious
audience.
Number two, Casper, which is anonline mattress company, started
(19:35):
their 100-night trial guarantee.
So they wanted to addressconcerns about the quality and
the comfort of their mattressesand when you buy it online, you
just don't know right.
So they offered a risk-free100-night trial period for their
mattress, allowing customers totry it out and return them for
a full refund if they weren'thappy.
(19:56):
This approach reassured theirpotential customers who might
hesitate to buy a mattresswithout trying it out first.
It effectively addressed theobjections related to comfort,
quality and the online buyingprocess.
And number three Zendesk, whichis a customer service software,
created an ROI calculator toolon their site.
(20:18):
Their goal was to address thecost concerns and the potential
ROI for their software.
So they developed aninteractive ROI calculator tool
that allows potential customersto input their specific data,
like the number of supporttickets they have, the agent
salaries and so on, to estimatethe potential savings and ROI
(20:40):
from using Zendesk.
By doing this, theydemonstrated the value early on
in the buyer's journey.
Okay, next we want to talk aboutmeasuring success.
You always want to measure themetrics to make sure that what
you're doing is working.
So tracking the effectivenessof objection handling content is
really key to understanding howwell your strategies are
(21:02):
working and make the necessaryadjustments.
Here are some metrics that youcan track.
First of all, engagementmetrics.
You can measure the time on thepage, how long visitors spend
on objection handling content,and you can find out that
information on Google Analytics.
You can also track how far downthe page a visitor scroll if
(21:23):
you have a sales page set upsetup Deeper scrolls on the page
suggest that they are probablymore interested in the content,
and again, you can use GoogleAnalytics to find that
information.
Number two conversion metrics.
You can calculate thepercentage of visitors who take
(21:43):
actions after engaging withobjection handling content, such
as signing up for a free trialor reading one of your emails
that counter the objections.
You can also look at your salespage's bounce rate and monitor
the percentage of visitors wholeave the page without
interacting further.
A high bounce rate can indicatethat the content is not really
effectively addressing all thoseobjections.
(22:05):
Also, monitor comments andreviews and see what they have
to say.
Do they present objectionsstill or do they give you
feedback that some of theirobjections have been countered?
And, last but not least,monitor your sales metrics.
Track how many leads generatedfrom objection handling content
(22:25):
ultimately converted into pancustomers.
By tracking metrics like thisover time, you can evaluate how
effective your objectionhandling strategy is and you can
identify areas for improvementand, of course, optimize your
content to better meet the needsand concerns of your audience
in the future.
So, wrapping up, I want you tothink about objections in every
(22:47):
bit of copy you write in everysales page and make sure that
you include it for everypromotion, in emails and other
places on your website whenyou're selling your offer.
So that doesn't mean that it'sjust at the point in which
they're ready to lay down theircredit card.
It also means in the awarenessstage, when they're just getting
(23:08):
familiar with you, theconsideration stage, when
they're willing to learn moreabout you.
The comparison stage, whenthey're comparing you to others.
The evaluation stage, whenthey're just ready to try you
out.
The sell stage, when they areready to buy.
And even after the sale, togive them reassurance that they
made a good decision by buyingfrom you, so they tell others
(23:28):
too.
Okay, so that's a wrap.
If you have any questions aboutthis episode or anything
related to it, dm me onInstagram at Janice Hostager
Marketing.
I'd love to hear from you andremember to subscribe for more
good marketing information.
You can also find links toanything we talked about today
in our show notes atmyweeklymarketingcom.
(23:51):
Forward slash 101.
Thank you for joining me today.
Until next time, keep onmarketing.
Bye for now.
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