Common cold call objections & how to handle them

Despite all of the disruption that’s occurred over the last few years, one age-old sales tactic continues to stand the test of time: cold calling.

Often considered a foundational sales technique, cold calling remains a dynamic and essential strategy for B2B sales teams wishing to connect with potential customers.

But - as every sales rep knows too well, cold calling is not without its challenges. From navigating gatekeepers and dealing with rejection to adapting to changing buyer behaviors, there’s no shortage of obstacles reps encounter during cold calls.

The good news: you can prepare for every cold call objection by practicing crafted responses. By preparing to overcome the objection, you can respond rather than react.

Keep reading to learn about some of the most common cold calling objections sales reps encounter — and some cold calling objection rebuttals that can help you overcome even the hardest objection.

10 of the most common cold call objections

While prospects can come up with some interesting and unique sales objections, these are some of the common objections sales reps encounter — along with ways and best practices that can help you push through them.  

Cold Call Objection #1: “I’m not interested” or “This doesn’t seem like a fit.”

This objection typically indicates a lack of perceived value or relevance of your products.

To overcome it, start by empathizing with their concerns and then ask open-ended questions to uncover their pain points such as: 

What makes you say that?

Have you used a solution like ours before? If so, was there something you didn't like?

I mentioned [insert problem statement] companies like [company name have], is this not a problem for you? Or are you not focusing on this right now?

From there, tailor your response to show how your solution addresses the prospect’s specific needs. If possible, share real-world customer success stories that illustrate how your product has delivered value in similar situations.

How you can respond:

“I appreciate your honesty. Can you let me know what makes you say that? Based on my research, I do think having a conversation could help both you and I understand more."

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Cold Call Objection #2: “I don’t have the budget for something like this.”

In any economic environment, budget objections are quite common. But today, we're seeing this be one of the top objections to shut down a cold call quickly.

Luckily, this objection can be overcome by demonstrating a clear return on investment (ROI).

First, they likely don't even. know how much your product really costs or the potential revenue it can help them generate. But don't get defense or go immediately into pricing!

Instead, focus on open ended questions and how your product can help the prospect save money or generate revenue. As the old adage goes: a penny saved, is a penny earned!

Get your manager's permission before testing out this one - but we've seen it work!

If you're further into the cold call and here this objection and have already told them the price, you can ask them what they think the price should be. From there, tell them that if they agree to taking a demo and testing out the product, you can offer the first week, month, etc... for the price they named!

How you can respond:

“I hear you, a lot of companies I speak with are telling me budgets are tight right now. If budget weren’t a concern, would our solution address at least some of your current challenges?"

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Cold Call Objection #3: “We already have something like this.”

When prospects tell you they are using a similar solution, focus on how your product's unique value props.

LeadIQ is one of dozens of contact database providers out there - so we get this one a lot! What we focus on when we hear this one is our free Chrome extension, that we're consistently rated #1 for implementation by G2 (something a lot of customers find frustrating about our competitors!), and we offer free data tests with no strings attached. One of these usually works to keep the conversation going!

What unique features does your solution offer? Perhaps better performance or cost-effectiveness. Whatever the case may be, share examples of how your product has outperformed competitors and helped customers achieve better results. ‍

How you can respond:

"I totally get it, but I was curious when was the last time you compared cost and efficiency to your current tool? We are helping companies like [similar company] fix [pain point] at a lower cost with more output. We get that adopting a new provider can be daunting - but exploring what's out there can help you get more out of your existing provider even if you choose to stick with them!"

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Cold Call Objection #4: “I need to consult with my team.”

This objection suggests that the target company uses collaborative decision-making to make purchase decisions. While hopefully you're cold calling decision makers from the start - sometimes they actually don't have full decision-making authority.

If you hope to land a new account, you need to respect their process and offer to provide any materials that can help them make the pitch to their colleagues. One way to overcome this objection is by requesting a meeting with the larger team. You can work with the initial prospect prior ot the larger call to prepare a presentation by sending them some questions like: 

What do you think your team's top priorities in a solution are?

What frustrations does the team have with your existing solution?

Are they price sensitive or willing to pay if they can see the value in things like implementation and custom features?

By showing up with a compelling presentation that addresses their pain points and highlights the benefits of your solution, you can clearly demonstrate the value of your product and hopefully close the deal.‍

How you can respond:

“I totally get it - most decisions aren't made in a silo! How about I send a follow-up email based on what we talked about today and some additional information. From there, I can put together a custom presentation for the larger team and we can find some time in the coming weeks? I can work with you to ensure it hits the points you think they care about most."

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Cold Call Objection #5: “This isn’t something we’re focused on right now.”

When prospects dismiss you by nodding to other priorities, reframe your pitch and highlight the immediate relevance and value of your solution.

A great open-ended question to overcome this objection is "What are you focused on right now?" 

From there, you can likely connect your solution to the current challenges and goals the prospect is focused on and highlight how your product can help them achieve their objectives more efficiently and effectively. If you can, share customer success stories that emphasize the importance of addressing the pain points quickly.

How you can respond:

"Definitely understand - businesses today have to focus on the most valuable levers and opportunities. Out of curiousity, what problems or solutions are you focused on right now?"

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Cold Call Objection #6: “This isn’t a good time. Can you send me something?”

In a world that moves faster every day, people being busy shouldn’t surprise you.

If you hear this common objection, respect the prospect’s time but still try to lock down a commitment for a future meeting. You can do this by asking what sales material they might find most valuable and when they think they can take a look at it by. You can follow up with them after sending the sales material to book a call or ask if they need more information. Picking up the phone again and giving them a ring to get their thoughts is another good way to go about this objection.

Once the follow-up meeting arrives, make sure you are well-prepared and ready to address needs and concerns.‍

How you can respond:

“Yes - I'm happy to send you something. What sales material would be most useful to you and your team? I can send over our one pager or happy to record a short demo of our platform and the features I think would really help your team on Loom?"

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Cold Call Objection #7: “I’m not the decision-maker.” 

Whie we all hope we're dialing a decision-maker, this isn't always the case. You might think someone has authority such as having a lofty title - but titles can be ...very confusing in today's day and age! We know 25 year olds who have VP titles but no decision-making authority!?

Next time you encounter this objection, kindly ask the prospect who the decision-maker is.

They may or may not give you a name - but with a great contact database like LeadIQ, you can easily find their contact info and reach out to them directly! We wouldn't be good marketers and sales people if we didn't pitch our platform! But this truly is so much better asking the prospect to have them connect you with the decision-maker themselves! Why rely on someone else when you can make this connection happen yourself!

‍How you can respond:‍

“Ah - well with [insert title] I bet you at least have some way in this decision. Who on your team or in the company ultimately makes decisions like these?" 

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If they give you a title like "CFO" or "Usually our VP of Sales has to review everything", you can say "thanks so much - I'll follow up with them. If I don't hear back from them I'll give you another ring or shoot you an email to make sure I have the right person!"

Cold Call Objection #8: “I’ve never heard of you.”

According to one recent study, 82% of consumers buy products from brands they already know about.

The same idea holds true in the world of software sales. When you encounter this objection, it's all about establishing credibility and trust.

One way to do this is to share information about your company’s history, achievements, partnerships, and any recognition or awards you’ve received. Other references — including case studies and customer testimonials — can be helpful, too. Explain how your solution can help the prospect solve their problems and why it’s worth considering even if they haven’t heard of you before.

‍How you can respond:‍

“Ah - we're growing our reputation day by day! We were launched in [year] by our co-founders X, and Y who [some major accomplishment or background that makes them legitimate in the industry]. We work with dozens of similar companies like [similar company to them #1, #2]. We're growing fast and were recently recognized in [publication name] for [award]. That was a lot about us - your company is also growing pretty quickly too right?"

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Cold Call Objection #9: “I used your product before and I didn’t like it” or “I like [competitor] more.”

If you hear this objection, acknowledge it while expressing regret that they didn’t have a positive experience in the past.

Highlight improvements or updates that your team has made in the interim, and share any customer success stories and testimonials that demonstrate your product’s value. Here, free trials and other incentives can be particularly helpful in convincing a prospect to give you another shot.

‍How you can respond:

“If you don't mind me asking, what turned you off from [company/service] the last time you used it? Over the past couple of quarters, we've been making strides to make improvements. Would you be opposed to sitting down to take a look at how we have improved since you last used us? It's a learning opportunity for us as well so we'd definitely appreciate your time." 

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Cold Call Objection #10: “I’m not comfortable giving more information.”

Not every prospect is keen on sharing information with cold callers, which is perfectly understandable - especially with all those pesky scam calls we get today!

In this instance, reassure the prospect that you want to earn their trust and explain how the information you’re asking for will be used — e.g. to provide a custom demo. By being transparent about your data-handling practices and your compliance with data privacy regulations, you can build trust and alleviate the prospect’s concerns.

"Definitely understand, I'm a stranger! Generally when I talk to people in a similar role, they have [pain point], and we chat about how we can help with that. You can tell me whatever you feel comfortable with now and we can always schedule a follow-up where we can both share more information." 

Take your cold calling game to the next level

Now that you have a better idea about how to navigate some of the most common cold outreach objections, it’s time to continue sharpening your cold calling skills.

When you’re ready, here are some resources you may want to check out:

• 14 cold calling tips from expert sales gurus
• 6 do’s and don’ts of cold calling
• 6 cold calling tips from Jason Bay & Will Aitken

Happy cold calling - you've got this.