Sales executive and educator Jeff Hoffman shares his tricks for getting past the most common objections during sales calls.

There are few certainties in this world. If you’re a salesperson, getting rejected is one of them. “Just send me some more info.” “We don’t have the budget for that right now.” “No thanks, we’re all set.” Most initial objections follow the same patterns, and we’ve heard them all time and time again.
It’s what you do next that sets top performers from the rest.
Over the next few weeks on Strictly Sales, Jeff will be discussing his top tips and tricks on how to counter the most common sales objections.
Kicking things off this week — “Just send me some information.” Even though the lead is pushing you off the phone, there are ways to ensure you get to speak with them again. Learn how by tuning in below.

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Key Takeaways

• Asks for specifics. What information are they looking for from you? [2:39]
• Give them a day to look over the information. Let them know that you’ll be calling back tomorrow, ask if a live person will be able to take that call. [2:48]
• Who else can you ask for? In case the person you speak to isn’t available tomorrow, ask for a different contact. [4:44]

“Every rep who listens to this needs to have an answer to [this] question. It always baffles me when reps don’t have a great answer. Because, what, you’ve never heard [this] objection before? You should be pretty well accustomed to hearing, ‘send me information.’“ — Jeff Hoffman, M. J. Hoffman and Associates

Transcript

Announcer: Strictly Sales with Jeff Hoffman and Cece Bazar. For more information go to OpenView Labs or MJHoffman.com.
CeCe: Hi there and thank you for joining the Strictly Sales Library, your Wiki for all your sales questions. My name is Cece Bazar and I am joined here today by Jeff Hoffman. Jeff thanks for being here.
Jeff: Oh, my pleasure, Cece. Thanks for inviting me.
CeCe: Excellent. So, we would like to talk a little bit about common objections and give people out there listening a bit size way to handle things that they’re hearing all the time on the phone. The first common objection that we’d like to handle is that famous line, “Oh great, just send over some information.”
Jeff: Yeah, pretty common.
CeCe: Pretty common. So, before we jump right into the role play here, anything that you would like to offer up as kind of a theory around that?
Jeff: Well, I mean I think we all know that when people say send me some information, they’re unlikely that they want information. They just probably want to get you off the phone call as politely and end it with as little adversity as possible. So it’s a really common way that we got to end conversations.
So I want to start by saying that every rep who listens to this needs to have an answer to that question and it always baffles me when reps don’t have a great answer. Because it’s almost like, what you’ve never heard that objection before? You should be pretty well accustomed to hearing send me information.
So, there are a lot of ways you can handle it. And let’s be really clear what objections are. This isn’t a real objection. And we talk about objections in other podcasts and objections are rooted in questions or challenges about our products or services. And there’s all kinds.
But when some offers an objection on a cold call, because when you hear something like, “Send me information,” it’s not really an objection because it is not something you can’t handle, it’s not something you can’t move, it’s not something you can’t overcome. It’s not a question of what can I say for them to not want information or can I say I did want information but now I want to talk to you. It’s just not going to happen.
CeCe: Right.
Jeff: What we want to do is establish some level of continuity so that when we send the information we still have high social value. So probably the best way of doing it is in a role play. So…
CeCe: Excellent.
Jeff: Why don’t we have… Cece maybe you can be that harried prospect that just doesn’t have a lot of time when I called.
CeCe: All right. Well, Jeff thanks so much for the call…could you just send me some information in an email, that would be great, I’ll take a look at it and let you know if I have any questions.
Jeff: Okay. I am happy to do that. We have a lot of information here I can send in an email. Was there something specific that you wanted to see in this email?
CeCe: If you could just send a one-pager on your product and maybe some pricing that would be great.
Jeff: Okay, I can send that over. Question for you, I am going to give you a day to look over the one page I send over to you and when I give you a call tomorrow, Cece, to get your feedback on that doc, will you take my call? All right stop. I am not going to let you answer yet because there a lot of answers you can give me.
CeCe: Right.
Jeff: But that’s the first way I want to handle that request.
CeCe: Okay.
Jeff: So let’s talk about what I did. So the prospect said send me information and I did what?
CeCe: You said, “Is there anything in particular that you were looking for?”
Jeff: Right. Now that we all know what they are about to say which is….
CeCe: Oh, just a one-pager, some pricing information.
Jeff: Yeah, so it’s like general information, a one-pager. And I answered very slowly too. I said ….a pause, I would be happy to do it, what do you want to see and you gave me some general info. And then I said I would be happy to do that and I am going to give you a day. What does that mean? I would give you a day.
CeCe: A window of 24 hours to review the information.
Jeff: That’s true but it was interesting that I was going to “give” you a day. Like it’s for me to give, I don’t really think that’s true but I am using language that I’m letting you off the hook. I am giving you one day to read this and when that day is expired I am going to call you, will you take my call. It’s a very direct close. Chances are… I am not saying, “Is it okay if I call you tomorrow?” or “When can I follow up?” or “Can you call me if you have any questions?” I said I’m calling you the question is not when, but the question is will you take the call? Chances are overwhelming she’s not going to say yes… you’re not going to say yes, Cece?
CeCe: No.
Jeff: You’re also not going to say no. You can say tomorrow is crazy, or I don’t know if I’m around, if I’ve got time… some kind of goofy answer and then I’m going to go for my ultimate close. So, will finish up the call. We’ll go back into role play. Cece, when I call you tomorrow will you take my call?
CeCe: Well, tomorrow is kind of crazy for me, give me a try, I don’t know.
Jeff: When I do call tomorrow and want to speak with someone live, who should I ask for? Time out. That’s probably the best I can do with this. I’m calling tomorrow and that’s unmovable. It’s unmovable; I am calling your company tomorrow. Either I am going to call you and you’ll take it or you can give me the name of someone else and I’ll call them.
CeCe: Okay.
Jeff: She says I don’t know. It’d be me or you could try so and so or I’m not sure….I don’t know what she is going to say. I can’t promise you know gold and riches on the send me information. We want to maintain some level of steering the ship so I can absolutely call tomorrow and see if I can work the call again.
CeCe: Absolutely. I love it. I think that this is gold. Everyone out there that’s listening, this is how you handle that question and I know everyone gets it all the time. I shadow Reps and I hear these calls. And it’s normally met with, “Okay. What’s the best email address that I can send that to?”
Jeff: Yeah.
CeCe: This keeps you in control and keeps you steering the ship.
Jeff: Agree.
CeCe: Jeff thanks so much for this. This is great.
Jeff: You bet.
Image by Gerard Stolk