In today’s edition, we explore why objections in sales aren’t roadblocks, they’re signals. Objections show you where trust is missing and where real buying decisions are made. When you stop fearing objections and start leaning into them, you open up opportunities most salespeople miss. Let’s unwrap how you can flip them in your favour…
This week’s suggested resource: How to Handle Objections
A few years ago, British Airways ran a passenger survey.
They wanted to know what customers cared about most when they flew.
Some people thought the answers would be things like ticket price, flight times, or baggage limits.
But one of the biggest factors passengers mentioned?
Dirty tray tables.
It seems small, right?
But here’s what’s fascinating.
When passengers saw a dirty tray table, they didn’t just think, “This is a bit grubby.”
They thought, “If they’ve missed this, what else have they missed? Have they been this careless with the engines?”
A small issue triggered a much bigger fear.
And that fear, if left unaddressed, could turn into an objection the next time the customer needs to book a flight.
Long-term, it’ll cost British Airways a seat, a customer, or loyalty.
Now, fears work the same way in sales. That’s where the objections stem from.
So they’re rarely about the thing on the surface.
When a prospect says:
“It’s too expensive.”
Or “We’re happy with our current supplier.”
Or “Now’s not the right time.”
It’s easy to back off.
It’s easy to assume the door is closed.
But objections are rarely the end.
They’re a window into what your prospect actually cares about.
Objections are opportunities in disguise.
- They show you where the fears are.
- They show you what trust gaps you need to close.
- They show you where you need to slow down, listen, and get curious.
Because when someone raises an objection, they’re still talking to you.
That means they’re still engaged. And going silent could cost you a customer.
So, going back to what prospects say during objections, such as price, timing, or suppliers. It’s important to know those are just the surface-level words.
What’s really happening is this: the buyer is protecting themselves. They’re guarding against risk, uncertainty, and the fear of making the wrong decision. Objections are their way of saying, “I’m not sure it’s safe to say yes yet.”
And that’s your opening.
These objections are your clues and you need to track them like a detective. They tell you where the buyer doesn’t feel confident, where they don’t fully trust, or where past experiences might be shaping their fear.
If you can lean in with curiosity, rather than backing off, you’ll often find that the first objection isn’t the real one.
You’ll uncover the deeper issue, the emotional driver, or the story they’re telling themselves that’s holding them back.
That’s when you can genuinely help. That’s when you can ask questions like:
- “What would need to be true for you to feel comfortable moving forward?”
- “What’s your biggest concern if you said yes today?”
- “Can I ask, what’s really behind that hesitation?”
So here’s what you need to remember…
Don’t look at objections as roadblocks.
Look at them as signals.
They tell you:
- What your prospect is worried about.
- Where you need to build more value.
- Where you have an opportunity to solve something that really matters to them.
If you can lean into objections, rather than avoiding them, you can turn them into the very reason someone says yes.
So here’s a task for you. Try to answer:
- What’s one objection you’ve heard recently that you could have leaned into more?
- What’s one question you can ask next time to uncover what’s really going on?
When you stop fearing objections, you start finding opportunities.
