The short answer
How do you practise handling objections?
Run five different objections in a row and handle each the same way: ask one clarifying question, restate the concern in the buyer’s terms, then respond to that concern only. Repeat any round where you skipped a step.
Foreword
Why it matters
The same words (“it’s too expensive”, “we’re fine”) can mean very different things. Clarifying first means you answer the real concern. Practising the sequence repeatedly makes it the response you reach for under pressure12.
Retrieval
61%
of a passage recalled a week later after three practice tests, against 40% after four readings1
What we’ll cover in this guide
- Part 01: The sequence
- Part 02: Five rounds
- Your practice task: a short exercise to try with Selly
- Conclusion and what to practise next
Part 01: The sequence
Every round follows the same three steps.
Ask, restate, respond
Ask one clarifying question
“Compared with what?”, “What makes you say that?” or “What would need to be true?”
Restate the concern
“So the worry is less the price and more that the team won’t use it?”
Respond to that concern only
A short answer, then check whether it helped.
Reflection questions and how to get started
- Did you skip the restatement? It is the step most people drop.
- Did your response match the restated concern? Check it.
Part 02: Five rounds
Run five different objections back to back, so the sequence becomes automatic.
Building the habit
Vary the objection
Price, timing, current supplier, authority, “send me information”.
Keep the sequence identical
The objection changes; your three steps do not.
Reflection questions and how to get started
- How many rounds kept all three steps? Aim for five out of five.
- Which objection broke the sequence? Practise that one again.
Your practice task
- Choose five different objections.
- In Selly, run each one: ask a clarifying question, restate, then respond.
- After each round, check the feedback for whether you restated the concern.
- Repeat any round where you skipped a step.
Conclusion
Clarifying is a habit, and habits come from repetition. Five objections, the same three steps every time, until you ask before you answer without thinking about it.
