Demo Objection-Handling Swipe File

The framework: LAER

Every script below follows the same shape — don't skip steps even when you're tempted to jump straight to the answer.

• Listen — let them finish completely, no interrupting
• Acknowledge — name the objection back without judgment ("that makes sense given...")
• Explore — ask one question to understand the specific version of the objection you're dealing with
• Respond — answer the specific version, not the generic one

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Price/budget objections

"This is more than we budgeted for."

"Totally fair — can I ask, is that a budget that's fixed for this fiscal year, or is it more that the number surprised you and you haven't had a chance to check? (pause for answer) Here's how I'd think about it: we built the ROI together earlier and it showed [$X] a year in value against a [$Y] investment — that's a [Z]-month payback. Does the price feel high against the number, or against a budget line that isn't there yet?"

"We don't have budget allocated for this right now."

"Understood — when does your next budget cycle open up? (pause) In the meantime, is it useful for us to keep the business case documented so it's ready to go the moment budget opens, or would it help more to look at a phased start that fits inside what's available now?"

"Your competitor is cheaper."

"They might be on list price — can I ask what you're comparing feature-for-feature? (pause) A lot of the price difference usually comes down to [specific differentiator, e.g., implementation support / data depth]. If we're both landing at the same outcome you need, which matters more to you: the lower sticker price or the lower total cost of getting it wrong?"

"We already have a tool for that"

"We already use [Competitor/internal tool] for this."

"Makes sense, most teams we work with did too before switching. Can I ask what's working well with it, and what made you take this call anyway? (pause) Usually when I hear that combination, it's [specific gap]. Is that showing up for you too?"

"We built something in-house that does this."

"That's a real investment — who owns and maintains it today? (pause) The question I'd ask is: what happens to that system when [the person who owns it] moves on, or when you need [a capability it wasn't built for]? That's usually the moment teams start looking externally."

Security/compliance/IT concerns

"Our security team will never approve this."

"That's a conversation worth having early rather than late — what's the specific concern, data residency, SSO, something else? (pause) I can get you our security documentation and a technical contact today so your security team can review it in parallel, not as a bottleneck at the end. Can we get that call scheduled this week?"

"We can't have our data leave our environment."

"Understood — is that a hard requirement, or is it about where the data lives versus who can access it? (pause) We support [specific option: on-prem/VPC/data residency region] — let's get your technical team and ours on a call to confirm it satisfies the requirement precisely."

"This looks complicated / change management"

"This looks like a lot of change for my team."

"I hear that a lot, and it's a fair concern — can I ask, is the worry about the learning curve for your team, or about rolling it out without disrupting what's already working? (pause) Most teams are live on the core workflow within [X days], and we build the rollout plan with you rather than handing you a manual and walking away. Would it help to see what week one looks like for a team your size?"

"I need to check with my team/boss"

"I need to run this by my team before we go further." (mid-demo)

"Of course — what specifically do you think they'll want to know that we haven't covered yet? (pause) Let's make sure we get that answered now while we're both here, so when you bring it to them you're not the one fielding questions you don't have answers to."

"I'll need my boss to sign off on this."

"Makes sense — what does your boss care most about when they're evaluating something like this: cost, risk, or the outcome? (pause) Would it help if I joined that conversation directly, or if I put together a one-pager with [that specific thing] front and center so you're not translating this secondhand?"

"Just send me info, I'll review it later" (mid-demo stalling)

"This all looks good — just send over some info and I'll take a look."

"Happy to send everything over — before I do, what's the one thing that would make this a clear yes for you versus a maybe? (pause) I want to make sure what I send actually answers that, instead of a generic packet you have to dig through."

Competitor comparison objections

"How are you different from [Competitor]?"

"Fair question — what have you seen from them so far that stood out, good or bad? (pause) The biggest difference teams tell us matters is [specific, honest differentiator]. If that's the deciding factor for you, I'm happy to show exactly how that plays out in your workflow."

"We're also evaluating [Competitor] — what should we know?"

"I'd rather you make a fully informed choice than just hear our pitch. The honest answer: they're strong at [genuine competitor strength]. Where we tend to pull ahead is [specific, honest differentiator]. What matters most for your use case — I can be straight with you about which of us is the better fit for that specifically."

Timing/priority objections

"This isn't a priority for us right now."

"Understood — when you say not a priority, is that because the pain isn't big enough yet, or because something else is ahead of it in the queue? (pause) If it's the queue, what would need to be true for this to move up? I'd rather come back at the right moment than push now."

"Let's revisit this next quarter."

"That works — can we put a specific date on the calendar now rather than a general 'next quarter,' so it doesn't quietly slip? And in the meantime, is there anything happening between now and then that would change the picture — budget, headcount, a deadline?"