How do you handle objections or concerns that come up during the discovery process?

If you're getting objections that early in the sales process, it's a red flag. It's critical in sales to disqualify and to do it as early as possible. Time is your greatest asset. Of course, if your prospect is asking questions or voicing concerns as part of their due diligence, answer and address, but if you are getting objections or push back, my advice would be to go negative and say something along the lines of "It doesn't seem as though this is the best fit. Would you agree?" If they do not agree and think the conversations should continue, they will tell you why and you've tied them down a bit in the process.

To effectively navigate objections, preparation is paramount.

1. Begin by deeply understanding your case studies through direct customer interviews. Develop a comprehensive list of the top three objections you are likely to encounter, and prepare structured responses that tie the discussion back to the broader challenges the prospect faces if they leave the pain unaddressed.

   • If objections reveal fundamental misalignment or indicate that the prospect is unqualified, consider whether it’s best to conclude the conversation. Winning fast and losing fast ensures you don't spend valuable time on deals that are unlikely to close.

2. When objections challenge your solution’s fit within their process, leverage relevant case studies to demonstrate success, and encourage your champion to articulate the long-term consequences of not solving the problem. Redirecting the conversation to the bigger picture and establishing relevance will help position you as a strategic partner.

   • Remember, discovery is about having a point of view informed by knowledge of their business, and using that to establish credibility as a trusted partner.

3. Handling objections well is critical to running a world-class sales cycle. Objections are opportunities to validate or enhance your position, and your responses should be rehearsed and ready. If you don’t have an answer, acknowledge it and commit to following up, but work to gain alignment on next steps during the call. Objections can be revisited if necessary—the key is maintaining forward momentum in the sales process.

When handling objections throughout the sales process, I generally advise first understanding the 'why' behind the objection/question, and then when you are comfortable with your understanding of the objection/question, then use a variation of the ARC Process (shown below) to manage the objection/answer.

Understanding the Why behind an objection

In sales you never want to answer questions that are not asked, and you never want to answer questions without knowing the intent behind the question/objection.

If you have a suspicion as to the objection or the question, then I’d suggest normalizing it and better understanding it by reversing and framing your question back by saying, “Typically when a customer asks…it is because…to what extent would you say that is the case here?”

Then once you fully understand the objection and the why behind it, you can use a variation of the ARC Process to overcome it:

• Acknowledge: validate the objection/question and normalize it

• Re-frame/Respond: clearly & succinctly provide your perspective

• Confirm: then finally confirm that part of the conversation with a proposed path forward and validate that is acceptable with the prospect

Example

The prospect raises concerns over the cost of your solution, and you understand it's because they are also investigating a competitors who is cheaper but of lower quality. The ARC framework would sound something like this...

(Acknowledge) Naturally, cost is always a consideration and I would be surprised if you hadn't raised it. (Re-frame) Our customers have shared that while we are a premium offering compared to other providers, the enhanced quality, speed, and performance of our solution not only provides better peace of mind, but also saves money over the long-term duration of the relationship, which makes it a sound investment. (Confirm) throughout our conversation, you've said that quality & speed are your top two criteria in choosing the right solution for you. If that's the case, is there any reason why you would not choose to invest in the best option?