SSC Objection Handling and Conflict Resolution 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the best initial response when a prospect raises an objection?
- Immediately counter the objection with facts
- Acknowledge the objection, clarify its root cause through questions, and then respond with targeted information (Correct answer)
- Ignore the objection and continue the pitch
- Offer a discount to resolve the objection
Correct answer: Acknowledge the objection, clarify its root cause through questions, and then respond with targeted information
Acknowledging and probing the objection shows respect for the buyer's concern and ensures you address the real issue, not a surface symptom.
Question 2: A prospect says, 'I need to think about it.' This statement most likely indicates:
- Genuine enthusiasm for the product
- An unaddressed concern, insufficient urgency, or a hidden objection that has not been surfaced yet (Correct answer)
- They have already decided to buy and are preparing the paperwork
- A request for additional product literature
Correct answer: An unaddressed concern, insufficient urgency, or a hidden objection that has not been surfaced yet
'I need to think about it' is typically a polite stall that signals a concern the buyer has not yet voiced.
Question 3: What does the 'feel, felt, found' technique help a salesperson accomplish?
- Empathize with the prospect's concern, normalize it, and redirect it using a positive outcome story (Correct answer)
- Restate the prospect's objection word for word
- Identify the prospect's emotional state before pitching
- Replace the product demo with a case study
Correct answer: Empathize with the prospect's concern, normalize it, and redirect it using a positive outcome story
The feel-felt-found technique (I understand how you feel; others have felt the same; what they found was...) uses empathy and social proof to overcome objections.
Question 4: When a buyer objects to your pricing by referencing a competitor's lower price, the best response is to:
- Match the competitor's price immediately
- Ask what is included in the competitor's offering and demonstrate the superior ROI of your solution (Correct answer)
- Dismiss the competitor's product as inferior without evidence
- Offer a larger discount than the competitor's price
Correct answer: Ask what is included in the competitor's offering and demonstrate the superior ROI of your solution
Uncovering what the competitive offer actually includes often reveals value gaps that justify your higher price.
Question 5: What is a 'latent objection'?
- An objection that arises after the contract is signed
- A concern the buyer has but has not yet expressed, often surfacing later as a reason not to buy (Correct answer)
- An objection about a product feature that is no longer available
- A written formal complaint from a customer
Correct answer: A concern the buyer has but has not yet expressed, often surfacing later as a reason not to buy
Latent objections are unspoken reservations that can kill a deal at the last minute if the salesperson fails to proactively uncover them.
Question 6: What is the primary difference between a genuine objection and a smokescreen objection?
- Genuine objections are always about price; smokescreens are about timing
- A genuine objection is a real barrier to purchase, while a smokescreen is an excuse hiding a different underlying concern (Correct answer)
- Smokescreen objections only arise in large enterprise deals
- Genuine objections cannot be overcome
Correct answer: A genuine objection is a real barrier to purchase, while a smokescreen is an excuse hiding a different underlying concern
Smokescreen objections mask the real issue (e.g., saying 'price' when the real issue is lack of internal support) and require deeper probing to uncover.
SSC Objection Handling and Conflict Resolution 1
What is the best initial response when a prospect raises an objection?