Customers say “We’ve been burned by a supplier like you before” for a reason. Here is what usually sits behind it, how to respond and what to avoid.
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. The real concern is not you but repeating the mistake. Ask what went wrong: late delivery, hidden costs or silence after the sale each need a different answer.
Typical in: Software and SaaS, Insurance and finance, Real estate, Telecom and energy, Professional services, Retail and e-commerce, Manufacturing and logistics, Contact centre and customer service
Pick the framework that fits the customer. The wording is an example direction, not a script: say it in your own words.
Say out loud what the customer seems to feel, so they can correct you.
“It sounds like that experience cost you time and some trust, and you do not want to go through it again. I would rather hear what happened than guess. What went wrong last time?” Then listen without defending anyone.
Ask what sits behind the objection, so you answer the real concern.
“Thank you for telling me. So I do not repeat the same mistakes, which part let you down most: what was promised, how it was delivered, or how they behaved afterwards?” Note the answer and use their exact words later.
Shrink the decision to something low-risk that moves things forward.
“I cannot undo what happened, and I will not ask you to just trust me. What I can do is put in writing what we would do and by when, and let you check it against what went wrong before. Would that help?”
After your response, ask:
If we did work together, what would you need to see in the first month to feel it was going differently this time?
Avoid: That wasn’t us, so it has nothing to do with our company.
It brushes aside a real experience and makes the customer feel judged for raising it. They stop sharing, and the actual cause of their distrust stays hidden.
Reading is not the same as saying it. Talk to an AI customer who raises this kind of objection and see in the report which sentence helped.
Practise this objectionA 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. The real concern is not you but repeating the mistake. Ask what went wrong: late delivery, hidden costs or silence after the sale each need a different answer.
Name the feeling: “It sounds like that experience cost you time and some trust, and you do not want to go through it again. I would rather hear what happened than guess. What went wrong last time?” Then listen without defending anyone. Clarify before you answer: “Thank you for telling me. So I do not repeat the same mistakes, which part let you down most: what was promised, how it was delivered, or how they behaved afterwards?” Note the answer and use their exact words later. Propose a smaller step: “I cannot undo what happened, and I will not ask you to just trust me. What I can do is put in writing what we would do and by when, and let you check it against what went wrong before. Would that help?”
If we did work together, what would you need to see in the first month to feel it was going differently this time?
Avoid “That wasn’t us, so it has nothing to do with our company.” It brushes aside a real experience and makes the customer feel judged for raising it. They stop sharing, and the actual cause of their distrust stays hidden.
Educational conversation training. It is not legal or financial advice and it promises no results. Always follow your company’s rules, the terms of the product and a customer’s clear no.