Handling objections is a crucial determinant of success in telemarketing. Whether you’re making cold calls for B2B lead generation, nurturing long-standing prospects, or even calling lapsed or existing customers, you will face resistance.
What separates top telemarketers from the rest is their ability to manage these objections confidently and turn them into opportunities.
This article will walk you through essential techniques for handling telemarketing objections effectively. If your team isn’t well-versed in these strategies, it’s crucial to build the expertise needed for success. You certainly won’t succeed every time, but you will magnify your chance of success if you follow our suggestions below for dealing with objections. And, if you can’t, just make an enquiry for our help using our contact form.
Why Objections Are a Natural Part of Telemarketing
In the world of outbound calls, objections are par for the course. No matter how good you or your company’s products and services are, buyers are often locked into contracts with other suppliers.
Prospects might hesitate for various reasons—budget constraints, timing issues, or competing priorities. Rather than seeing these as roadblocks, successful telemarketers treat objections as gateways to deeper conversations.
If you’d like further Outbound Telemarketing Tips, check out our article on Outbound Telemarketing Tips: 50 Do’s and 50 Don’ts
Build Rapport to Combat Telemarketing Objections
The first step in heading towards a positive outcome is to build rapport. In high value sales, it is unlikely that a decision-maker will allow you to ask for what you want if you haven’t built up some form of rapport. And that starts with the very first words that come out of your mouth when the prospect answers the phone. That means avoiding classic telesales phrases like:
“How are you today” or “Hello Mr Jones, I’m calling from GSA and I’m calling to introduce my company to you.”
The key is to engage and to sound friendly, authoritative, professional, and consultative. Don’t over-sell. Don’t talk too much from the start and try to engage in a two-way discussion rather than a one-way sales pitch. Using this strategy, you’re less likely to get immediate roadblock objections thrown at you and you’re more likely to be able to anticipate and plan for those objections before they arise.
Understanding the types of objections your team will face is critical. Below are some of the most common objections in telemarketing, and some ideas for how to respond effectively. However, before addressing these, it’s vital to understand the approach you need to take and some of the words you need to say.
Ask Good Telephone Objection Handling Questions
Throughout an effective telemarketing call, it is important to ask a good blend of open questions, to unearth information, and closed questions for qualification. But take care that it doesn’t come across like an interrogation or a survey.
Effective questioning techniques are particularly relevant when the prospect has stated his or her objection. The key is to remain calm, don’t jump in, or overreact, or even more fatally, over-pitch. Rather, pause and take a little time to ask appropriate questions to clarify the objection. This not only shows that you are interested in the prospect, but it also gains more information and gives you time to respond and ultimately move towards the objective.
Phrases like, “I understand that price is important” demonstrate empathy. But, don’t jump from there straight to your pitch. Try to focus on benefits and ways you solve pressing problems. Then, when the time is right, identify whatever outcome you can achieve and ask for that.
Listen more than you talk
Perhaps it’s not what you’d expect, but telemarketing and listening skills go together. It’s not about being a smooth talker. It’s more about the art of listening and understanding that wins out in the end.
Active listening means not becoming distracted. That’s passive listening, or even not listening, while you’re readying your next sales pitch. Don’t jump in too soon and try to ‘persuade’ the buyer of the error of their ways. Don’t be too hasty in trying to ram your solution down their throat. If they explain why your service isn’t appropriate or timely, or don’t have the necessary funds, listen and periodically respond with a phrase like “I see”. The speaker may divulge a piece of information that will help you sell to them now or in the future. If you don’t listen, the prospect’s next step may well be to slam the phone down.
Don’t Rush Things
At the first hint of a call not going to plan, salespeople often start defending or emphasising how great their company is. They default to over-pitching their product features when a buyer hits them with an objection. They forget that the buyer may have an entrenched view and there is no point pushing against a closed door. Telemarketers need to get the buyer to leave the door ajar for them.
Allowing oneself time to think is a good thing. A pause and a “hmm” or a “that’s interesting” demonstrates how the caller is taking the prospect’s objection seriously.
Once again, following this with good open questions (and sometimes specific closed questions to further qualify), will unearth what’s really behind the initial objection and hopefully hold the door open for opportunities.
Handling and Responding to Telemarketing Objections
The better the questions, and clarification, in the earlier part of the discussion after the initial objection, the more likely rapport will have been established, and the better your ability to handle and respond. When you’re ready, you can use an objection-handling method that you believe will work best for the specific objection. We will cover specific objection-handling techniques later. Sometimes you can challenge the objection head-on e.g. “It’s interesting that you feel we’re expensive when most of our customers tell us we’re well priced against competition….” Sometimes you can reposition the objection in the context of some other factor within the discussion e.g. “I understand your point about price being a factor. In terms of durability, what are you looking for?”
The essence is to consider a relevant approach that doesn’t lock horns and alienate the buyer and ensures that the gates of the conversation remain open
Check whether you’ve Answered the Objection
Once you have responded, it is wise to establish whether the objection-handling worked! You can ask the prospect if they feel that you have answered their question. If the buyer’s response is positive and they indicate that they understand the answer to the objection, ask if there are any more concerns. As necessary, handle these new or outstanding objections using the same process before you move on.
Go for the Close
Of course, handling buyer objections isn’t as simple as providing a response followed by the buyer saying “Okay then” and everyone lives happily ever after. However, our end game is to gain some kind of consensus so that we can move towards our outcome. That may not be immediate. By all means, go for a relevant close IF the prospect indicates their objections have been answered. That might mean booking a face-to-face appointment, setting up a demo, booking attendance at an event, or some other result.
Ultimately, you can’t win them all. Some buyers are immovable and for good reasons. So, assuming that the prospect is the right one in the first place, withdraw to fight another day. But, don’t forget to agree on a definite time for speaking again at the end of the call.
Whatever the desired outcome is, it is unlikely that you will achieve this until you’ve satisfied the buyer’s requirements in terms of responding to their objections.
How to Handle Common Telemarketing Objections
Our overriding approach and recommendation for handling objections is to address them by using the skills above. Equally, typical objections come in different forms, so let’s take a look at a few of these.
Price or Budget Objections
Price is a frequent sticking point in telemarketing, especially when dealing with businesses on tight budgets. But, that’s often because you have not garnered sufficient buyer interest, and built rapport, in the early part of the call. Many prospects will say that they don’t have the funds, or they may push for a discount right off the bat. However, price is often a proxy for other concerns, like perceived value. Some prospects just like the thrill of haggling.
How to Handle It: Whilst we all want to win business, we also want to win profitable business. And, we need to value the services that we offer. Therefore, if you can, instead of focusing solely on cost, shift the conversation to value, and try to gain a deeper understanding of why price is an issue. Are they already using a competitor at a lower price? If so, what does the contract look like? Is it like-for-like? Has anything changed? Does what you’re offering mirror what they’re already using, or are there additional requirements and benefits? Before jumping in to debate the price, try to drill down, with questions, to allow you to demonstrate how your product or service solves their pain points, offers ROI, and enhances what they do.
Timing or “Not the Right Time”
Timing objections—“We’re not ready” or “It’s not a priority right now”—are common, especially when reaching out cold. Often, this is more about reluctance to change than actual timing. Of course, there may be legitimate reasons for the delay, and, once again, it pays to try to establish if these are genuine, through good questions.
How to Handle It: Reframe the objection by asking probing questions about their current situation. For example, “I completely understand the timing concern—could you tell me when would be a better time, or what challenges are stopping you right now, or how much of a priority is this for you?” This keeps the dialogue open without pushing them into a hard commitment. Ultimately, if you can find a small gap, that allows you to position your service advantageously, this may work. Naturally, price plays a role here. A well-known tactic is using discounts or add-ons to move prospects off the fence. But, do this with care since price discounting is a race to the bottom. So, you could consider statements such as “if you were able to move forward before the end of the month, I can add in / waive the set-up fee / reduce the cost by X.
Lack of Trust or Buyer Inertia
Especially in B2B calls, prospects may feel uneasy about trying something new or may question the relevance of your product to their immediate needs. They may say, “We’re already working with someone,” or “We don’t need this right now,” or “It’s a risk to change”. Equally, any change involves extra work for them which they may not be willing to do.
How to Handle It: Without getting boring here, building rapport, and asking relevant questions is the best approach. Ultimately, prospects won’t buy if you lack credibility. If you have pertinent examples of recent experience, this will go a long way towards reassuring sceptical buyers. Build credibility quickly by referencing case studies, and testimonials, and offer them the opportunity to speak to satisfied customers. Provide social proof that resonates with their industry and situation. Asking for a short, no-obligation meeting can also reduce the perceived risk of engaging with a new supplier.
Developing a Winning Attitude Toward Objection Handling
Your team’s mindset is key when dealing with objections. If they see objections as hurdles, their morale, and call rates, will suffer. But if they view them as challenges that require persistence, and a calculated approach, they can turn objections into victories.
Here are our 8 short tips for how to handle telemarketing objections
Tip #1: Accept That Objections Are Normal
Objections are a natural part of telemarketing. They shouldn’t cause fear or frustration for your team. Instead, objections offer valuable insights into a prospect’s concerns and provide an opportunity for callers to refine their pitch. The first step in overcoming objections is to embrace them.
Tip #2: Build Confidence Through Preparation
Preparation is everything when it comes to objection handling. Before any call, get familiar with common objections and be ready with proven responses. The more prepared you are, the more confident you will sound when those inevitable objections arise.
Tip #3: Good Questioning and Active Listening are Essential
Handling objections effectively relies on understanding the prospect’s true concerns. You can’t do that by doing a sales pitch, without bothering to ask engaging questions that matter to your buyer. Don’t ruin things by just going into a sales pitch to demonstrate that you actually don’t care. Active listening is vital. When a prospect voices an objection, don’t rush to counter it. Let them finish their points, and then respond with empathy.
Tip #4: Clarify the Objection
Sometimes, the objection isn’t what it seems. A prospect may express a price concern when, in reality, they’re unsure about the product’s fit for their needs. Ask clarifying questions, such as, “Can you tell me more about what concerns you about that?” This not only shows interest in their specific challenge but can uncover underlying issues.
Tip #5: Acknowledge and Redirect
Acknowledging a prospect’s objection can further help to build rapport. Instead of dismissing their concerns, or pushing them aside, validate them, then gently guide the conversation forward. For example, “I hear that timing is an issue right now. Many of our clients had the same concern, but they found that starting sooner gave them a huge productivity improvement, and took them ahead of competitors.”
Tip #6: Leverage Social Proof
Prospects want to know that they’re not alone in their concerns. If others in their industry have successfully worked with your product or service, mention it. This technique—called social proof—can quickly build trust and help overcome objections. For example, “[Company A] and [Company B], have successfully implemented our software and saw a 20% increase in efficiency within the first quarter. Their production manager, [Name] said that software completely transformed how they manage their workflow and that it’s been a game-changer. I can ask him to speak to you if that helps.”
Tip #7: Offer a Trial or Demo
Sometimes, the best way to counter objections is to offer a low-commitment opportunity to experience your service firsthand. A free trial, demo, or pilot project can help prospects feel more comfortable and eliminate doubts. If that’s feasible, suggest it as an option. But, try to gain something in return. So, get some commitment that if the test delivers an agreed outcome, they will adopt the solution in its entirety.
Tip #8: Don’t Take Objections Personally
Telemarketers need to separate their personal feelings from the conversation. Prospects may reject an idea or service without rejecting the caller personally. Build resilience by recognising that objections are not about you but rather about the prospect’s needs and situation. Rejection is par for the course in outbound calling, and you need to build a thick skin. Check out this blog for tips.
Empower Your Team to Overcome Telemarketing Objections
Objections are inevitable, but with the right strategies, they become opportunities to build rapport, and trust, and ultimately, close more deals. If you’re managing a team of telemarketers, encourage your callers to embrace objections, stay confident, and continually hone their skills, using some of the techniques above. With time and practice, objections will no longer be seen as obstacles—but rather as pathways to success.
If you believe that running outbound calling in-house is the way to go, they must be trained in how to handle objections and other indispensable telemarketing techniques.
Find the Right People for the Job
If your team isn’t equipped to handle these challenges effectively, it’s worth considering whether outsourcing this function could yield better results. A team of expert telemarketers, such as those we have at GSA, who are well-versed in handling objections, can help you make the most of every call.Want to improve your team’s telemarketing skills, or run an outbound campaign? Contact us about training your telemarketing team, or running a telemarketing pilot campaign, contact us using the form on this website.
