Handling Objections During Sales Calls

A prospect tells you: "We’re also looking at [Competitor]." Most reps make one of two mistakes: - They panic and start discounting before the customer even asks. - They attack the competitor, thinking that will win trust. The best reps? They guide the conversation...without badmouthing or getting defensive. Here’s how we teach folks to do it at Sales Assembly: 1) Find the gap. Instead of “We’re better because…” ask: “What made you start looking in the first place? What’s missing today?” This gets them to focus on their pain, not a feature battle. 2) Understand their criteria. Instead of “Why are you considering them?” ask: “What’s most important to you in a solution?” You want them defining success in your playing field. 3) Focus on fit, not features. Instead of “We’re better at X,” ask: “What’s been standing out to you in each option so far?” If they highlight something critical you do better, that’s your opening. 4) Help them think ahead. Instead of “They don’t do [X] like we do,” say: “A lot of teams in your space have prioritized [X] because it impacts [Y]. How are you thinking about that?” This frames the conversation around outcomes - not a feature war. 5) Guide the decision process. Instead of “Who’s your front-runner?” ask: “What’s your process for narrowing down options?” If they don’t have a clear decision path, they’re likely to stall. 6) Make the decision feel easy. Instead of “How can we win this deal?” ask: “If you had to make a decision today, what would give you confidence?” This surfaces final concerns...so you can remove them. The goal isn’t to beat competitors. It’s to help buyers feel confident that choosing you is the right move.

13 ways to disagree, Without damaging relationships: Disagreeing can feel risky. You don't want to seem difficult,  Create tension, Or burn bridges. So a lot of us stay quiet -  Even when we see a better way. But disagreement doesn't have to be destructive. And the words we use can play a huge role. Start with language that builds trust, Shows respect, And invites deeper thinking: 1) "That's an interesting point - can I share another angle?" ↳Shows curiosity and invites dialogue 2) "Can you walk me through your thinking a bit more?" ↳Invites them to expand, showing you value their reasoning before responding 3) "I think we're aiming for the same outcome, but I'd take a different path" ↳Highlights shared intent 4) "I agree with you on X - where we might differ is on Y" ↳Starts with common ground to reduce defensiveness 5) "What if we looked at it this way instead?" ↳Keeps the tone exploratory and positions disagreement as thoroughness 6) "Let's test both ideas and see what works best" ↳Makes it about outcomes, not egos 7) "Can I challenge that assumption for a moment?" ↳Frames disagreement as critical thinking 8) "I understand your concern, but my experience has been different" ↳Grounds your view in personal insight 9) "I'm not sure I agree - can we walk through the reasoning together?" ↳Invites collaboration rather than confrontation 10) "I think we may be prioritizing different things - can we align on that first?" ↳Focuses on clarity and common goals 11) "I hear what you're saying, but I have a different take on this" ↳Acknowledges their view before stating your own 12) "That's a fair point - my only concern is..." ↳Validates their perspective while introducing a new consideration 13) "I'm not sure that's the best approach - can I explain my thinking?" ↳Opens space for rationale, not rejection The strongest teams, partnerships, and friendships are built on trust - The kind that welcomes challenge, not just compliance. Use these phrases to disagree respectfully,  While keeping conversations open. Any you'd add? --- ♻️ Repost to help others speak up with confidence. And follow me George Stern for more content like this.

8 Ways to Disagree Without Fighting (transform conflict into productive chats): Most arguments escalate because of how we communicate. These techniques transform conflicts into productive conversations. 1. "Validation First" ↳ Acknowledge their viewpoint before sharing yours ↳ Creates psychological safety for honest dialogue 2. "The Curiosity Bridge" ↳ Ask genuine questions instead of making statements ↳ Shifts from debate mode to exploration mode 3. "Impact Ownership" ↳ Use "I feel" instead of "You made me feel" ↳ Removes accusatory language that triggers defensiveness 4. "Precision Disagreement" ↳ Challenge specific points, not the entire perspective ↳ Makes disagreement manageable rather than overwhelming 5. "Common Ground Anchoring" ↳ Start with what you both agree on before addressing differences ↳ Establishes a foundation of alignment first 6. "Future Focus" ↳ Frame discussion around solutions, not past mistakes ↳ Directs energy toward resolution rather than blame 7. "Language Softeners" ↳ Use phrases like "I wonder if" instead of "You're wrong" ↳ Reduces defensive reactions while preserving your point 8. "Reflection Pause" ↳ Take a moment of silence before responding to heated comments ↳ Prevents impulsive statements that escalate tension Disagreement doesn't require division. It requires communication skill and emotional intelligence. How do you usually handle disagreements? 🤔 ♻️ Share this to help someone transform their difficult conversations ➕ Follow Helene Guillaume Pabis for more relationship intelligence insights

Disagreeing with your boss won’t ruin your career.   But AGREEING with everything will.   The fastest way to become invisible at work is to nod along, stay quiet, and avoid conflict.   The people who get noticed aren’t the ones who agree all the time.   They’re the ones who challenge strategically.   Here are 7 strategies to disagree with your boss and come out looking like the sharpest person in the room:   1. Challenge Ideas, Not Egos ↪ Start with respect. End with impact. Say, “I see where you’re coming from. Here’s another angle I’ve been thinking about.” Disagreement feels less like defiance when it sounds like collaboration.   2. Lead with Curiosity, Not Criticism ↪ Turn disagreement into a question. Say, “I’m curious, what do you think might happen if we approached it this way instead?” Questions invite dialogue. Statements invite defensiveness.   3. Use Data as Your Shield ↪ It’s hard to argue with facts. Say, “Based on the latest data from [source], this approach might lead to [specific outcome]. What are your thoughts?” When the focus is on evidence, it feels less personal and more professional.   4. Find the Overlap Before You Disagree ↪ Start with common ground. Say, “I completely agree with [shared goal]. The only thing I see differently is how we get there.” Align on the destination before debating the route.   5. Use the ‘Pre-Emptive Respect’ Technique ↪ Acknowledge expertise before offering an alternative. Say, “You’ve got a lot of experience with this, and I respect that. Here’s a perspective I’ve been considering based on [specific observation].” It shows you’re adding value, not undermining authority.   6. Disagree in Private, Align in Public ↪ Never surprise your boss in a meeting. If you have a strong disagreement, raise it privately first. Say, “I’ve got a different view on this. Can we talk it through before the team meeting?” Challenge behind closed doors. Support in the open.   7. Focus on the ‘Why,’ Not Just the ‘What’ ↪ Don’t just disagree... explain your reasoning. Say, “Here’s why I see it differently: [brief, clear rationale].” Clarity makes your perspective harder to dismiss.   Agreeing with your boss all the time doesn’t make you loyal.   It makes you forgettable.   Smart leaders don’t want yes-people.   They want people who think critically, speak up, and help them see what they might miss.   The key isn’t avoiding disagreement.   It’s knowing how to disagree without making it personal.   What’s your approach when you see things differently from leadership? Share your thoughts in the comments.   🔔 Follow Mostyn Wilson for more insights on career success. ♻️ Share this post to help build better workplaces. __ Like this? Try my newsletter. You'll love it.

After my talk at the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) on cultivating compassion to enhance the NICU experience for all families, a nurse asked me a profound question. She wanted to know how to support a family who had been in the NICU for a long time and had grown tired, becoming more “challenging” or “difficult,” when in the beginning they were more “agreeable.” Immediately, her choice of words caught my attention. I had already shared how the language we use has power—it shapes how we think, speak, and act. I asked her to clarify what she meant by "difficult" and "agreeable." What specific behaviors had led the team to perceive the family this way? How had the communication with this family evolved from the start of their NICU journey? While it's true that heightened stress and emotions are common in the NICU, both for families and staff, we must be cautious about using labels like these. They can strain the relationship between families and staff, further isolating the family. It’s natural, in moments of frustration, to think “this family is being difficult,” especially when outcomes don’t match our expectations. But often, when a family is seen as "challenging" or "difficult," they are signaling a need for psychological safety. These families are frequently overwhelmed, anxious, or feeling powerless in an already stressful environment. Creating psychological safety in these moments is essential. It allows families to express their concerns without fear of judgment, building trust between them and the care team. As I shared with the nurses during my talk, families come to us with their own unique backgrounds- exposures, education, and experiences. Add to that information from other NICU families, their community, or what they’ve read online. All of this must be acknowledged. The key to building that connection is curiosity—asking questions to understand their perspective. This is how you can truly make a difference. As professionals, it's essential that we regularly practice emotional intelligence, effective communication, and empathy-driven compassion. These skills are intertwined, vital to our work, and can be continuously developed to foster meaningful connections and provide better support to those we serve. If you’re dealing with a complex case or want to improve your staff's ability to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care, feel free to send me a message. I’d love to provide a training session to support your team and elevate the care in your unit! 💚 #nicu #familycenteredcare #emotionalintelligence #compassion #nicubaby #nicujourney #nicuexperience #nicuparents #nicumom #addressingbiasinhealthcare #advocacy #communication #traumainformedcare #psychologicalsafety

A CEO asked me four words during a $50,000 negotiation, and I handled it exactly wrong. "Do you do monthly payment terms?" I snapped back instantly. "No. Most SaaS companies sell annual contracts. We only do annual terms." Almost defensive. And it nearly turned the negotiation into an argument. Here's what I found out later, after we cleaned up the friction I created: He didn't want monthly payments at all. This was June. He wanted $25,000 of the bill to land in January for budgeting reasons. Given the contract size, I was happy to do that. The whole standoff was pointless. The conversation should have gone like this: Him: "Do you do monthly payment terms?" Me: "Help me understand what's driving you to need that." Him: "I need half of this to hit in January for accounting purposes." Done. No friction, no argument, same outcome in thirty seconds. There's an old negotiation parable that captures this perfectly. Two people are fighting over one orange. About to split it in half, one finally asks: "Why do you want it?" The first wanted the peel to brew beer. The second wanted to eat the fruit. One peeled it, both walked away with 100% of what they came for. Every ask your buyer makes works this way. The ask is a means. The need underneath it is the end. Respond to the ask and you're haggling. Uncover the need and you're actually negotiating. One more tactical note: don't ask "why do you need that?" The word "why" puts tense people on defense. Ask "what's causing you to need that?" instead. Same question, none of the sting. The next time a buyer hits you with a demand, put your reaction on hold and find the need behind the ask. P.S. Negotiation is one of the 11 skills that decide whether AEs close enterprise deals. We broke down all 11 in our research report → https://lnkd.in/g63fcp2D

Empathy is playing an increasingly central role in leadership, and that’s a big positive, but many of us get empathy wrong. Here’s what we’re missing: the essence of empathy is realizing you can’t understand how someone else feels.   You can listen, support, and walk beside them, but you can’t fully live their experience. And that’s okay—because empathy isn’t about perfect understanding; it’s about presence. It’s about saying, “Even though I can’t feel exactly what you feel, I’m here for you anyway.” Rather than trying to offer advice, fix their pain, or explain it away, the most powerful thing you can do is simply hold space. Let someone be heard without judgment. Let them feel without being rushed toward solutions. Empathy asks us to trade certainty for curiosity. To put aside assumptions and open ourselves to someone else’s truth, even when it’s uncomfortable or unfamiliar. It’s not about agreeing, and it’s definitely not about centering ourselves in someone else’s struggle. It’s about connection over correction. Next time someone opens up to you, resist the urge to say, “I know exactly how you feel.” Instead try, “I can’t imagine exactly what that’s like, but I’m here.” This kind of quiet humility—that’s empathy. For more on careers, leadership, management, and professional development, follow me and subscribe to my newsletter.

A sales manager once told me that if I was not willing to talk over prospects and tell them why they were wrong, I did not deserve a job in sales. That outdated mindset sets sellers up for failure. Nobody wants to deal with a combative sales rep who treats every question like a battle. For decades, sellers have been told to tackle, crush, and smash objections. This approach creates terrible conversations. It is why so many prospects ghost sellers later in the sales cycle. They never felt safe being honest about their doubts or concerns in the first place. 👉 Here is what actually works when you hear an objection. Start with gratitude. This shift reframes your role from someone whose job is to defend their solution to someone whose purpose is to understand their buyer. Research published in The Journal of Positive Psychology shows that gratitude practices enhance resilience and reduce stress. Gratitude clears space for curiosity. 👉 Then apply the 3C Mindset Approach: 1. Curiosity Before responding, get curious about why you are hearing the objection. 2. Conversation Your primary objective should be simply to ask one additional question after hearing an objection. Stop thinking about solving for the objection as your primary goal. Instead, focus on continuing the conversation. 3. Conclusion Having your call end in agreed upon next steps is not the only positive outcome of a sales call. It's ideal, but also be open to finding ways to help or learn and grow even when continuing a sales cycle isn't in the cards. When you shift from crushing objections to continuing conversations with gratitude and curiosity, you build trust. Prospects share real concerns instead of hiding them. Your win rates improve because you actually understand why buyers buy or walk away. My take - Hearing an objection is always better than a hang up, a lie, or getting ghosted later in the sales process. 📌 What is the most common objection you hear that you could apply the 3C Mindset to?

As Data Analysts, we spend hours cleaning data, writing queries, building dashboards, and validating numbers. But no one prepares you for this moment: You present your insights… And someone says — “I don’t think this is right.” This is where most analysts struggle. Because handling pushback is a soft skill no one teaches — but every analyst needs. In the beginning of my career, I used to feel defensive. If someone questioned my numbers, I felt like they were questioning my ability. But over time, I realized something important. - Pushback is not rejection. - It’s part of decision-making. Here’s what I learned: First — don’t react, clarify. Ask calmly: - “Which part feels incorrect?” - “Is it the number or the interpretation?” Many times, the issue is not the data — it’s how it’s being understood. Second — separate ego from analysis. Your job is not to prove you’re right. Your job is to find the truth. If someone challenges your insight, go back to: – What’s the data source? – What’s the definition used? – What filters were applied? Be ready to explain your assumptions clearly. Third — understand stakeholder perspective. Sometimes the business leader has ground reality knowledge that data alone doesn’t show. For example: - Data shows sales dropped. - But sales head knows a major distributor went offline temporarily. That context matters. Fourth — document definitions and logic. When your numbers are transparent and well-documented, pushback reduces automatically. And finally — treat pushback as refinement. Many of my best insights improved because someone questioned them. Handling pushback well makes you look: - Confident - Mature - Business-ready Anyone can build a dashboard. Not everyone can defend insights calmly and logically. If you’re preparing for analytics roles, remember: - Technical skills get you the job. - Soft skills help you survive and grow.

Your ability to respond well when challenged is one of the most visible ways you create (or destroy) team psychological safety. Because every challenge is a double test: of your idea, and of your leadership. If you shut it down, you protect your ego but weaken the team. If you welcome it, you strengthen both. But many leaders’ reflex is to defend, shut it down, or quietly think, “they don’t respect me.” 🔬 But research paints a different picture: ▪️ Amy Edmondson’s studies at Harvard show that the strongest predictor of high-performing teams is psychological safety and one of the clearest signs of it is people daring to challenge authority. ▪️ Francesca Gino’s work on constructive dissent finds that dissenting voices improve team decision quality by surfacing overlooked risks and alternatives. ▪️ Charlan Nemeth’s decades of research on dissent shows that even when dissenting views are “wrong,” they stimulate deeper, more creative thinking across the group. 🗣️ So, how to respond in practice: 1. Signal safety in the moment Instead of reacting defensively, anchor the moment: “Thanks for raising that.” That micro-response protects the climate for future challenges. 2. Ask for the reasoning, not just the opinion Instead of “why do you disagree?” (which sounds confrontational), try: “walk me through how you see it.” You shift the frame from judgment to joint exploration. 3. Separate identity from idea It’s easy to feel personally attacked. Train yourself to see the challenge as about the idea on the table, not about your worth as a leader. This is where intellectual humility comes in as a hallmark of inclusive and adaptive leadership. 4. Turn it into collective inquiry Shift from “me vs. you” to “us vs. the problem.” Ask: “What risk or angle are we missing if we only follow my path?” This reframes challenge as contribution. 👉 Your leadership isn’t measured by how often your team agrees with you. The actual measurement is what you do with their disagreement. That’s the work I do with leadership teams - helping them build psychological safety so that challenge becomes a fuel for sharper decisions, stronger trust, and higher performance. P.S.: How do you usually react when a team member challenges you? Do you lean in, or shut it down too quickly?