Objection database
Objection database: how to answer sales objections (150)
Search customer objections (150) in ten categories. Each has its own page: what is really behind it, two or three response frameworks with example wording, a follow-up question, what not to say and a scenario to practise.
What is the objection database?
A free, searchable list of client objections heard on sales and advisory calls. Each entry explains what may be behind the objection, gives response frameworks, a follow-up question and what not to say. No sign-up is needed.
Objections shown: 150 of 150
Price
The price looks bigger than the value the customer can see, or the budget is the polite reason.
Too expensive
That’s too expensive for us.
The price looks higher than the value the customer can see today.
A cheaper competitor
Your competitor is cheaper.
The customer has a lower number in hand and wants to know why yours is higher.
No budget this year
We have no budget for this.
“No budget” can mean the money truly does not exist, it is committed elsewhere, or the problem is not important enough to justify finding it.
Budgets are frozen
Budgets are frozen right now.
A freeze usually applies to new spending, not to everything.
Can you give a discount
Can you do a discount?
Many buyers ask for a discount as a habit, to test whether the price is fixed.
Unclear what I’m paying for
I don’t see what I’m paying for.
The customer cannot connect the price to a result, so every line looks like cost.
A cheaper, smaller package
Can we just take a cheaper package?
The customer wants to spend less and is looking for a way to say yes without overspending.
Per-user pricing doesn’t fit
Per-user pricing doesn’t work for us.
The customer expects to pay for value rather than headcount, perhaps because only some people will use it, or usage is uneven.
Worried about hidden costs
What other costs are hiding in there?
Past experience has taught the customer that the first price is not the final one.
Will it pay for itself
How do I know it will pay for itself?
The customer needs a reason to justify the spend to themselves or to someone above them.
A free alternative exists
We can do this ourselves for free.
The customer sees a free tool or an internal effort as the real competitor.
Last year it cost less
Last year it cost less. Why the increase?
The customer feels penalised for staying and suspects you are betting on inertia.
Can we pay later or in parts
Can we pay later or in instalments?
The total feels too large to pay at once, or cash flow is tight.
Above what we normally spend
That’s above what we normally spend on something like this.
The customer has a mental benchmark and your price breaks it.
Just give me the price
Just give me the price.
The customer wants to qualify you quickly, often because they have been through long pitches before.
Timing
A bad moment, a real priority clash or a polite way to postpone.
No time right now
I don’t have time right now.
The call has landed at a bad moment, or the customer uses the time excuse to end it.
Call me next quarter
Call me back next quarter.
This is a polite deferral, but it may also be an honest timetable: priorities or budgets really change at quarter boundaries.
It’s our busiest season
It’s our busiest season.
The customer is telling you that changes are risky when workload peaks, and that they cannot give attention to a new supplier or project now.
Not a priority right now
It’s not a priority right now.
Other things are competing for the same time and money, and this has not made the list.
After the new budget year
Come back after the new budget year starts.
Budgets are planned months ahead, so a decision for next year often needs to be proposed now.
Just rolled out something else
We just rolled out something else.
The customer has recently spent time and money on a change and is tired of change.
I’m in a meeting
I’m in a meeting right now, I can’t talk.
The customer is truly unavailable, or using the line as a quick exit.
You have two minutes
You’ve got two minutes.
The customer is giving you a short window, and that is an opportunity as well as a test.
Come back after the holidays
Come back after the holidays.
The customer expects little to happen over the holiday period and prefers to restart afterwards.
We need it by Friday
We need this by Friday, can you do that?
The customer has a hard deadline, and the question is whether you can deliver.
Implementation takes too long
Implementation takes too long.
The customer fears disruption, effort and a long wait before they see any benefit.
Our team isn’t ready
Our team isn’t ready for change.
The customer is worried about adoption: people who resist, are overloaded or are fed up with new things.
We’re in a reorganisation
We’re in the middle of a reorganisation.
Roles, budgets and priorities are unclear, and no one wants to make decisions that might be reversed.
I’ll wait for the next release
I’ll wait for the next version.
The customer expects something better soon and does not want to commit to something that may be outdated.
Caught me at a bad time
You caught me at a bad time.
A bad moment is not a bad fit.
Trust
The customer protects themselves from risk, a past disappointment or an unknown name.
Never heard of you
I’ve never heard of your company.
An unknown name feels like risk, and the customer has nothing to measure you against.
Burned by a supplier before
We’ve been burned by a supplier like you before.
A bad experience has taught them to expect the same pattern again, and it may sit with a specific person who is still in the room.
Sounds too good to be true
That sounds too good to be true.
Experience has taught the customer that big benefits usually come with a catch, so they are protecting themselves.
Need references
Do you have references?
This is usually a reasonable request for proof, from someone close to a decision who wants cover if it goes wrong.
Are you too small?
You’re quite small. Will you still be around?
A small supplier raises the question of continuity: what happens to support, updates or delivery if something goes wrong for you.
Worried about data security
How safe is our data with you?
They are worried about what happens to information they are responsible for, and about being blamed if it goes wrong.
Salespeople say anything
Salespeople will say anything to close.
This is a statement about trust in the profession, based on real experience, rather than about you personally.
Prove it works
Prove it works.
The customer wants less risk than a conversation can provide, and says so bluntly.
Read bad reviews
I read some bad reviews about you.
They have done their homework and found something that worries them, or they are testing your honesty.
Where did you get my number?
Where did you get my number?
The customer may be irritated by an unexpected call, wary of data misuse, or checking whether you are legitimate.
Is this a scam?
Is this a scam?
The customer is protecting themselves, and often has good reason: scam calls are common and usually pushy.
What’s the catch?
What’s the catch?
They expect a downside to appear later: a condition, a fee, a minimum term.
Last rep broke promises
Your last rep promised things that never happened.
A colleague, or the company, made commitments that were not kept, and the customer is carrying the cost of that.
Why believe your numbers?
Why should I believe your numbers?
A figure you quoted has made the customer suspicious, perhaps because it sounded too tidy or because they cannot see where it comes from.
Are you recording this call?
Are you recording this call?
The customer wants to know who will hear what they say, and whether it could be used later.
Competitor
An existing supplier, a rival offer or the effort of changing.
We already have a supplier
We already have a supplier.
This is often the polite default, not a considered position.
Happy with what we have
We’re happy with what we have.
Satisfaction is real, but it is often untested: nobody has shown them an alternative, so there is nothing to feel unhappy about.
Everyone uses the big name
Everyone uses the big name in this market.
The customer sees the market leader as the safe choice: nobody gets blamed for picking it.
Comparing three quotes
We’re comparing three quotes.
A comparison means they are serious and also that price may dominate if nothing else is visible.
Competitor has a feature
Another provider has a feature you don’t.
A missing feature is sometimes a deal-breaker and sometimes a tick-box nobody will use.
Switching is too much hassle
Switching is too much hassle.
The customer is weighing a certain effort now against an uncertain gain later.
Build it ourselves
We’d rather build it ourselves.
The team likes control and may have the skills, or the budget is easier to justify as internal time.
Tied to our current vendor
We’re tied to our current vendor.
There may be a contract, a dependency on their systems, or just a feeling of being stuck.
They offered a better deal
They offered us a better deal.
Someone has put a number or package on the table, and the customer is testing whether you will move.
Worked with them for years
We’ve worked with them for years.
Loyalty and familiarity are doing the work here, along with personal relationships and the effort of building trust.
I only buy from one brand
I only buy from one brand.
The brand is a shortcut for trust, quality and identity, so the customer does not have to evaluate every option.
Why not go with them?
Why shouldn’t I go with them instead?
This is a fair request to differentiate, and also a trap: if you criticise the competitor, you lose credibility.
A spreadsheet works fine
A spreadsheet works fine for us.
A spreadsheet is free, familiar and flexible, so any alternative has to beat something that already feels good enough.
Cheaper online
I can get it cheaper online.
The customer has seen a lower price and wants you to justify the difference or meet it.
A friend recommended another
A friend recommended someone else.
A personal recommendation is strong, because it carries trust you have not yet earned.
Need
The customer does not see a problem, or sees it but not as yours to solve.
We don’t need it
We don’t need it.
The customer does not see a problem that your offer would solve, or does not want to admit one.
Everything works fine
Everything works fine as it is.
Satisfaction with the status quo is real, and so is the customer’s reluctance to change something that works.
We already do that
We already do that.
The customer believes they already cover what you are offering.
That’s not a problem for us
That’s not a problem for us.
Either the problem truly does not affect them, or they have learned to live with it, or it is sensitive to admit.
We tried it before
We tried that before and it didn’t work.
A failed attempt has left a lesson: this does not work, or it was done badly, or the conditions were wrong.
We’re too small
We’re too small for something like this.
The customer assumes your offer is meant for larger organisations, or that it would be too costly or complex for them.
We’re too big and complex
We’re too big and complex for something like this.
The customer expects your solution to be too simple for their scale or their needs.
I don’t understand what it does
I don’t really understand what it does.
The explanation has not landed, usually because it was too abstract, too technical or about features rather than the customer’s situation.
It looks too complicated
It looks too complicated.
The customer sees effort, risk or jargon, and expects to struggle.
Doesn’t apply to our industry
That doesn’t apply to our industry.
The customer believes their sector is different, with its own rules, habits and risks.
A nice-to-have
It’s a nice-to-have, not a must-have.
The customer sees the benefit but not the urgency.
Too young to think about it
I’m too young to think about that.
A younger customer sees the topic as something for later, and often is not wrong about what is urgent.
We handle that internally
We handle that internally.
The customer prefers to keep control and avoid external dependence, and may be proud of an internal team.
Nobody has complained
Nobody has ever complained about it.
No complaints can mean no problem, or that problems are not reported, or that people have given up.
My team is experienced
My team is experienced, they don’t need training.
The manager sees training as an implication that their people are not good enough.
Stall
A delay that hides a question, a doubt or a polite no.
I need to think about it
I need to think about it.
Something is unresolved: a doubt, a missing fact, a price worry or a reluctance to say no.
Just send me information
Just send me some information.
It may be real interest, or a polite way to end the call.
Call me back later
Call me back later.
“Later” is often a polite deferral, but sometimes it is true: the customer is busy.
I’ll get back to you
I’ll get back to you.
Sometimes it is a genuine intention; often it is a soft no.
Maybe next time
Maybe next time.
A soft, friendly no. It leaves the door open without offering anything.
I need more information
I need more information first.
It may be a genuine gap, or a way to delay without saying no.
I want to look around first
I want to look around first.
A sensible buyer compares options, and shopping around is reasonable.
Not sure yet
I’m just not sure yet.
Uncertainty is a feeling, not a fact, and it may come from fear of making the wrong choice.
Let me check my calendar
Let me check my calendar and come back to you.
Often a polite way to avoid committing to a meeting, but not always.
Great demo, we’ll be in touch
That was a great demo, we’ll be in touch.
Enthusiasm in the room does not equal a decision.
I’ll discuss it with the team
I’ll discuss it with the team.
A sensible step, and a way to share responsibility.
Let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it.
A reasonable wish for a significant decision, and sometimes a way of avoiding a refusal.
We’ll let you know
We’ll let you know.
Common after proposals and meetings, often a polite no or a sign that the decision is outside the room.
I’ve been meaning to reply
I’ve been meaning to reply to you.
A prospect who went quiet has come back, with an apology instead of an answer.
Let’s wait and see
Let’s wait and see.
A wish to postpone commitment until something becomes clearer.
Brush-off
A reflex to an unexpected call, often before the customer has heard anything.
Not interested
I’m not interested.
On a cold call this is a reflex more than a decision: the customer was interrupted and has heard nothing yet.
Take me off your list
Take me off your list.
A direct request. Do not negotiate.
Don’t call me again
Don’t call me again.
A clear boundary, possibly said with irritation.
No thanks, bye
No thanks, bye.
A fast, final-sounding rejection that gives you perhaps two seconds.
I don’t buy over the phone
I don’t buy anything over the phone.
The customer does not trust phone sales, or has been pushed before, or has a rule.
We’re all set, thanks
We’re all set, thanks.
The customer is content, or says so to end the call.
This isn’t for me
This isn’t for me.
A personal, vague refusal.
What is this about
What’s this about?
A guarded question at the start of a cold call.
Who is this
Who is this?
A direct question, sometimes sharp, sometimes simply puzzled.
We don’t take sales calls
We don’t take sales calls.
A policy, or a habit, voiced by someone who guards their time.
This is spam
This is spam.
The customer is annoyed at unwanted calls, and you have just become the representative of all of them.
Not buying anything today
I’m not buying anything today.
The customer assumes you are about to ask for money immediately and wants to shut that down.
Try someone else
Try someone else.
The contact is passing you on, either because they are not the right person or to get rid of you.
I get these calls every day
I get calls like this every day.
The customer is tired of sales calls and groups you with the rest.
You people never stop calling
You people never stop calling.
The customer is frustrated, possibly because they have been called many times.
Contract
Fear of commitment: length, exit, terms, guarantees and what happens if things go wrong.
The commitment is too long
The contract is too long.
The customer is afraid of being stuck with something that does not work or no longer fits.
What if we cancel
What if we want to cancel?
The question about leaving is a sign of interest: the customer is picturing the relationship, and the worst case.
Worried about auto-renewal
I don’t like automatic renewals.
Customers have been caught by renewals they forgot about, so they distrust them.
I don’t want to be locked in
I don’t want to be locked in.
Lock-in means dependence: on a supplier, on data, on a way of working.
Can we start with a trial
Can we do a trial or pilot first?
A trial request is a buying signal wrapped in caution: the customer wants to reduce risk before committing.
We need different terms
We’d need different terms.
The customer wants something changed in the standard conditions.
Too much paperwork
That’s too much paperwork.
The customer fears effort and bureaucracy, perhaps from past experience.
We pay on sixty-day terms
We pay on sixty-day terms.
The customer is telling you about their process, which may conflict with your terms.
We can’t commit to that volume
We can’t commit to that volume.
The customer is uncertain about demand and does not want to be liable for more than they use.
Will you guarantee results
Will you guarantee the results?
The customer wants certainty, because they carry the risk of the decision.
Our lawyers want changes
Our lawyers want changes.
A legal review has produced edits.
What if the service goes down
What if the service goes down?
The customer is thinking about their risk if something goes wrong: lost work, a delayed customer, blame.
What happens to our data
What happens to our data if we leave?
The customer wants to know they will not be trapped or lose what is theirs.
Lock the price for three years
Can you lock the price for three years?
The customer wants budget certainty and protection against increases.
I’m not signing today
I’m not signing anything today.
A clear boundary against a pressure the customer may be anticipating.
Gatekeeper
A receptionist, assistant or switchboard who protects someone’s time.
What is this regarding
What is this regarding?
The gatekeeper has to decide whether to pass you on, and wants a clear and credible reason.
Email the info address
Just email the info address.
A common way to redirect callers away from a person and into a queue.
They’re not available
He or she isn’t available.
Genuine absence, or screening.
They’re in a meeting
They’re in a meeting.
A standard screen, and often true.
We don’t accept solicitations
We don’t accept solicitations.
A policy statement, usually delivered quickly and firmly.
Leave your number
Leave your number and they’ll call you back.
A polite way to end the call without access, though sometimes a real offer.
Who are you with
Who are you with?
A routine question, but it determines how you are treated.
Are they expecting your call
Are they expecting your call?
A screening question where the honest answer is no.
You’ve got the wrong person
You’ve got the wrong person.
An opportunity as much as a rejection: you now know this person is not the contact, and they may know who is.
Fill in the website form
Fill in the form on our website.
A process that sorts enquiries into a queue.
Register as a supplier first
You need to register as a supplier first.
A formal process to approve vendors, common in larger organisations and public bodies.
I handle all of that
I handle all of that.
The person on the phone may be the real decision-maker, or may be protecting their role and their boss.
They’re only in on Thursdays
They’re only in on Thursdays.
A useful piece of information and a gift: you now know when to call.
We can’t give out names
We can’t give out names.
A privacy or security policy, which you should respect.
I can’t give you a direct number
I can’t give you a direct number.
A routine protection of the colleague’s time.
How to use the database
- Find the objection you heard, by category, industry or a word from it, and read what is really behind it.
- Pick the response framework that fits the customer and say it in your own words. The wording is a direction, not a script.
- Ask the follow-up question, avoid the phrase that backfires and practise the answer out loud before a real customer hears it.
Common questions
What is an objection in a sales or service call?
An objection is a concern or doubt a customer voices before deciding. It is a signal to understand the customer better, not a reason to push harder.
Should I memorise the example wording?
No. The examples show a direction. Use your own words and the facts of the conversation, follow your company’s rules and respect a clear no.
How can I practise objection handling?
Say the answer out loud to a customer who pushes back, then review which sentence helped and which to say differently. DIRI AI offers this practice with an AI customer in the browser.
Practise the one that stops you
Pick an objection, talk to an AI customer and see in the report which sentence helped and which to try again.
Start practising for free