Dear SaaStr: What Are the Top “Unspoken Objections” Prospects Have?
Objections in a sales process are essentially the reasons or concerns a prospect raises that prevent them from moving forward with a purchase. But .. objections aren’t just the ones that are spoken out loud. They can also be unspoken, lingering in the background, and those are often the trickiest to deal with.
Spoken objections are the ones you hear directly from the prospect. You hear these all the time, every day. These might include:
- “It’s too expensive.”
- “We don’t have the budget right now.”
- “We’re already using a competitor.”
- “We don’t have the resources to implement this.”
These are straightforward and give you something to work with. You can address them head-on by showing ROI, offering a smaller starting package, or demonstrating how your product solves their pain points better than the competition .
Unspoken objections, on the other hand, are the ones they don’t verbalize but are still holding them back. And more often, they are the real reason. These can include:
- A lack of trust in your company or product.
- Uncomfortable with sales experience
- Concerns about whether your solution will actually deliver the promised results.
- Internal politics or resistance from other stakeholders.
- Fear of change or the effort required to implement your solution.
Unspoken objections are often revealed through their behavior—stalling, vague responses, or avoiding commitment.
This is why it’s critical to ask open-ended questions and dig deeper into their concerns.
For example, instead of asking, “Do you have any concerns?” you might ask, “What would need to happen for you to feel confident moving forward?” This approach helps uncover those hidden roadblocks.
So, no, objections aren’t just what’s spoken. The best salespeople are skilled at identifying both the spoken and unspoken concerns, addressing them proactively, and guiding the prospect toward a solution. If you’re not uncovering the unspoken ones, you’re leaving deals on the table.
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