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Why Your Sales Team Still Can't Handle Objections (And What Actually Works)
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The biggest lie in corporate Australia is that objection handling is just about having the right script.
I've been watching sales teams fumble through objections for seventeen years now, and mate, most of what passes for "training" in this space is absolute rubbish. Last month alone, I sat through three different workshops where consultants preached the same tired SPIN selling nonsense from the 1980s. Meanwhile, actual buyers have evolved beyond recognition.
Here's what no one wants to admit: 67% of sales objections aren't really objections at all. They're trust gaps masquerading as price concerns.
The Melbourne Problem (And Why Sydney Gets It Right)
Working across both cities, I've noticed something fascinating. Melbourne sales teams treat objections like personal attacks. They get defensive, start justifying, and immediately dive into feature-dumping mode. Absolute disaster.
Sydney teams? They've cracked something different. Maybe it's the harbour confidence, who knows. But they listen. Actually listen. When someone says "it's too expensive," they don't launch into ROI calculators. They pause and ask, "What would need to change for this to feel like the right investment?"
That single question shift changes everything.
The Objection Paradox
Most sales managers think objection handling is about overcoming resistance. Wrong. Dead wrong.
The best objection handlers I know - and I'm talking about the ones pulling seven figures - they welcome objections. They practically throw a party when someone pushes back. Because objections mean engagement. Someone who objects is someone who's still in the conversation.
No objections? That's when you worry. That's politeness. That's "thanks, we'll think about it" followed by radio silence.
The uncomfortable truth: If you're not getting objections, you're probably not asking hard enough questions.
What Actually Works (Spoiler: It's Not What You Think)
Forget everything you learned about "handling" objections. Start thinking about managing difficult conversations as partnership opportunities instead.
The framework that actually works:
Acknowledge → Explore → Align → Advance
But here's where most people stuff it up. They rush through acknowledge and explore to get to align. Classic amateur mistake.
Acknowledge (The Bit Everyone Skips)
"I hear that price is a concern for you." Full stop. Don't add "but" or "however" or any other transition that basically says "your concern is invalid." Just acknowledge it exists.
I learned this the hard way in 2019 when I lost a $200K deal because I couldn't keep my mouth shut for three bloody seconds. The prospect said "this seems expensive" and I immediately jumped into justification mode. Game over.
Explore (Where the Magic Happens)
This is where 83% of salespeople fail miserably. They think exploring means asking leading questions that push toward their preferred outcome.
Actually exploring means asking questions you genuinely don't know the answer to:
- "What's driving that concern?"
- "Help me understand what expensive means to you in this context."
- "What would need to be different?"
Sounds simple. It's not. Requires actual curiosity, which most salespeople trained in traditional methods don't possess.
Align (The Partnership Moment)
Here's where you find common ground. Not where you convince them they're wrong, but where you genuinely align on what matters.
"So it sounds like you need to see clear ROI within six months, and you're concerned this investment might not deliver that quickly enough. Did I get that right?"
If they say no, you haven't been listening. Go back to explore.
Advance (Movement Toward Resolution)
Only now do you move forward. And sometimes moving forward means walking away. Sometimes the objection is valid and unsolvable.
I know, controversial. But I'd rather lose a deal early than waste six months on something that was never going to work.
The Australian Context (Why American Methods Don't Work Here)
Americans love aggressive closing techniques. "What would it take to get you to sign today?" That sort of thing.
Australians hate being pressured. Hate it. We've got tall poppy syndrome embedded in our DNA, and pushy sales tactics trigger every cultural antibody we possess.
The objection handling that works here is collaborative, consultative, and slightly self-deprecating. "Look, I might be completely off base here, but..." works better than "Studies show that companies like yours..."
Cultural fit matters more than most trainers realise.
Common Objections and What They Really Mean
"It's too expensive" usually means "I don't understand the value" or "I don't trust you yet."
"We need to think about it" usually means "I'm not the real decision maker" or "you haven't addressed my real concern."
"We're happy with our current solution" usually means "you haven't shown me compelling reason to change."
"The timing isn't right" sometimes actually means the timing isn't right. Sometimes.
The key is reading between the lines. Most objections are coded messages about something else entirely.
Technology and Modern Objections
Here's something that's changed dramatically since 2020: buyers are doing their own research before they ever talk to you. They've probably already handled half their own objections through Google and peer reviews.
The objections you're getting now are the sophisticated ones. The ones that survived their own internal research process. These require different approaches than the basic price/feature objections of previous decades.
Which brings me to emotional intelligence. You need emotional intelligence training if you want to handle modern objections effectively.
The Role Playing Revolution
Traditional role playing for objection handling is mostly useless. Scripted scenarios between colleagues who know each other's moves? Please.
What works: video recording real prospect calls (with permission), studying the objection patterns, and practicing responses to actual objections from actual prospects in your actual industry.
Also works: having your most cynical team member play devil's advocate on every major proposal before it goes out. Better to face objections internally than be blindsided on the call.
The Follow-Up Philosophy
Most objection handling ends when the call ends. Massive mistake.
Real objection handling includes thoughtful follow-up that addresses concerns raised during the conversation. Send articles. Share case studies. Connect them with existing customers who had similar concerns.
The sale happens in the follow-up, not in the initial objection handling moment.
Measuring Success
Traditional metrics focus on conversion rates after objections. That's backwards thinking.
Better metrics:
- Average time from objection to resolution
- Number of objections that surface additional decision makers
- Percentage of objections that lead to deal expansion
- Customer satisfaction scores post-objection conversations
If your objection handling is working, it should improve relationships, not just close deals.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Training
Most objection handling training fails because it treats symptoms instead of causes. You can't script your way out of fundamental trust issues or poor value propositions.
If you're getting the same objections repeatedly, the problem isn't your objection handling skills. The problem is your positioning, your targeting, or your value proposition.
Fix the root cause, and objections become easier to handle naturally.
What's Next
Objection handling isn't going anywhere, but it's evolving. Buyers are smarter, more informed, and less tolerant of manipulation.
The sales professionals who thrive in this environment are the ones who view objections as valuable feedback rather than barriers to overcome.
They're also the ones investing in proper communication skills rather than just sales tactics.
Start there. Everything else is just technique.