You’re an entrepreneur. You know that small businesses are swimming, maybe even struggling, in the deep end of the digital age. They desperately need an online presence to stay afloat, but the owners? They’re already drowning in daily operations. They just don’t have the time to master digital marketing.
This is your moment. You have the solution. You walk into the meeting, present your plan, and the small business owner; let’s call her Sarah, nods along, clearly seeing the value. The air thickens with anticipation, you’re just inches from the finish line… and then, the familiar wall goes up.
The Inevitable Roadblock
In every successful sales conversation, you will encounter the “No, but…” moment. It’s the objection, the hesitation, the part where Sarah’s natural instinct to protect her business budget kicks in. Marketers who fold here? They let the air out of the deal and watch it drift away. But you, the sharp entrepreneur, understand that anticipating and confidently addressing common client objections is the secret to neutralizing hesitations and keeping the sales conversation moving toward a positive close.1
Think of it like this: you’ve told a compelling story about your solution, and Sarah is the hero who gets to live a better life thanks to your help. The objection is just the scary monster in the middle of the story, the final test she has to overcome. Your job is to hand her the sword to defeat it.
Your Client’s Biggest Monsters
Through years of closing deals, you’ll find that most objections fall into a few predictable categories. Let’s look at the most common ones and how you confidently provide the counter-narrative.
“It’s Too Expensive” (The Budget Monster)
This is the classic. It’s often not about the dollar amount itself, but about their perceived Value.2 Sarah might say, “Your package is just too expensive for a small business like mine.”
Your Confident Counter: Don’t apologize for the price. Instead, pivot back to the cost of inaction, the real villain.
“I completely understand that the investment seems significant, Sarah. But let’s look at it another way. You mentioned you’re currently losing about 15 hours a week trying to manage social media and ads, not to mention the sales you miss because your competitors show up first online. If my service only frees up those 15 hours and brings in just two new, high-value clients a month, wouldn’t you agree the investment essentially pays for itself, and then some? Is the price really the issue, or is it that you just need to see a clear path to return on that investment?“
You validate her concern, but immediately frame your price as a fractional cost compared to the enormous value and profit you deliver.
“We Can Just Do It Ourselves” (The DIY Monster)
This objection comes from a place of pride and control. The client believes they can delegate the tasks to an existing employee or handle it personally.
Your Confident Counter: Acknowledge their internal talent, then introduce the concept of Specialization and Opportunity Cost.
“That’s a fair point. I know your team is incredibly capable. But remember what we talked about; you have a business to run. Digital marketing isn’t just about posting once a day; it’s about search engine optimization, paid ad campaigns, content funnels, and constant analytics testing. When your in-house team is learning all that, they’re not focused on what truly makes your business money, like serving customers and developing new products. Which is more valuable: your team spending hours learning a new, complicated skill, or them using those hours to grow the business in ways only they can? We don’t replace your team; we simply specialize in the one area that’s eating their time and not delivering the results you need.”
“I Need to Think About It” (The Hesitation Monster)
The vaguest, and often most frustrating, objection. It’s a polite shield, and your goal is to respectfully get past it to the real concern.
Your Confident Counter: Use a technique of gentle probing to uncover the hidden issue; either trust, budget, or a missing piece of information.
“Absolutely, Sarah, you should take the time you need. This is an important decision. Just so I know where we stand, and I don’t leave any questions unanswered, in a perfect world where the price was exactly what you wanted, is there anything else, any specific detail or concern, that would still hold you back from moving forward today? I want to make sure I’ve fully explained the part of our service that addresses your biggest concern.“
This question forces her to reveal the true sticking point, which you can then address directly and close the loop.
Closing the Story
See? Every objection is a signal, not a stop sign. It’s the client’s way of asking for more confidence, more clarity, and more evidence that you are the right person to guide their business. By practicing these confident responses and truly listening to the fear behind the objection, you show the client you’re not just a salesperson; you’re a strategic partner who’s ready to build a better future with them.
You possess the marketing knowledge that small businesses lack, and Stop Selling; Start closing: Your Guide to Effective Business Negotiations is designed to turn that knowledge into closed contracts.
Ready to Master the Close?
Handling objections with poise and purpose is the critical difference between a presentation and a contract. If you’re ready to move beyond just understanding these concepts and want to practice the specific strategies that put cash in your business, then it’s time to double down on your skills.
Take the next step. Explore our upcoming hands-on workshop designed for entrepreneurs like you. This in-depth session dives deep into objection handling, advanced negotiation techniques, and the full Stop Selling; Start Closing program to equip you with the authentic confidence needed to secure more clients and build lasting business relationships.
Click here to explore the workshop and unlock your full deal-closing potential.
