Objection Handling Guide
Version: 1.0 | Last Updated: Nov 2025
How to Use This Guide
Before the Call:
- Review common objections for the industry/persona
- Practice responses out loud
- Have proof points ready (case studies, stats)
During the Call:
- Listen fully before responding
- Acknowledge their concern
- Ask clarifying questions
- Provide evidence-based response
- Confirm objection is resolved
Pricing Objections
"It's too expensive"
Response: "I understand price is important. Let me ask: compared to what? Most customers find we're less expensive than buying 3-4 point solutions (recognition + training + engagement + communication). Plus, our ROI calculator shows you'll save $[X] in reduced turnover alone, which pays for PulsePlus [X] times over."
Follow-up Questions:
- "What's your budget for employee engagement solutions?"
- "What's the cost of your current turnover rate?"
- "How much are you spending on training that employees don't complete?"
"We can't afford it right now"
Response: "Fair enough. Let me ask: what's the cost of NOT solving this problem? You mentioned [TURNOVER/LOW ENGAGEMENT/TRAINING ISSUES] is costing you $[X] annually. Can you afford to keep losing that money while waiting?"
Alternative: "Would a pilot with one department fit your budget? We can prove ROI on a smaller scale first, then expand when budget allows."
"Your competitor is cheaper"
Response: "You're right, [COMPETITOR] is cheaper. They also only do [ONE THING]. PulsePlus includes gamification, training, chat, AI content generation, and automation. When you add up what you'd need to buy separately to match our capabilities, we're actually more cost-effective. Plus, we drive measurable ROI—not just feel-good metrics."
Proof: Show feature comparison matrix from competitive battlecard.
Product/Feature Objections
"We don't need gamification"
Response: "I hear that a lot, but let me reframe it. You don't need gamification—you need higher engagement, better training completion, and lower turnover, right? Gamification is just the proven method to achieve those outcomes. Microsoft research shows 90% productivity gains. IBM shows 226% training completion improvements. It's not about games—it's about results."
Ask: "What methods are you currently using to drive engagement? How's that working?"
"Our employees won't respond to gamification"
Response: "That's a common concern, but research shows 89% of employees report higher happiness with gamification across all demographics—from Gen Z to Boomers. The psychology works because we all respond to progress, achievement, and recognition. It's human nature, not generational."
Proof: "We've successfully deployed with [SIMILAR CUSTOMER TYPE]—manufacturing workers, call center agents, engineers—and seen 80%+ engagement."
"This seems too complex to set up"
Response: "Actually, that's one of our biggest differentiators. Our AI generates quests, achievements, and objectives in seconds. Most customers are live within 2-4 weeks. Compare that to traditional gamification projects that take 6-8 weeks of manual setup."
Offer: "Let me show you the AI content generator in the demo—you'll see how fast it is."
"We already have [15FIVE/BONUSLY/LATTICE]"
Response: "[COMPETITOR] is great for [THEIR CORE FUNCTION]. But do they offer [MISSING FEATURE]? Most customers use us alongside [COMPETITOR] because we complement each other. For example, 15Five for performance reviews, PulsePlus for daily engagement and training."
Alternative: "If you're happy with [COMPETITOR], that's great. But if you're looking to solve [PAIN POINT THEY MENTIONED], that's not what they're built for—that's what we do."
Implementation Objections
"We don't have time for another implementation"
Response: "I get it—change fatigue is real. Good news: PulsePlus takes 2-4 weeks to go live, and we handle most of the heavy lifting. Your team's time commitment is about 10 hours total during setup. Compare that to the thousands of hours you're losing to [THEIR PROBLEM]."
Offer: "We can also start with a small pilot—50-100 users—so it's not a massive undertaking."
"Our IT team is too busy"
Response: "That's why we built PulsePlus as a fully managed SaaS solution. No infrastructure to deploy, no servers to manage. IT's involvement is limited to SSO setup (2-3 hours) and maybe an API integration (5 hours). Everything else is handled by us."
Reassure: "We have dedicated implementation engineers who work directly with IT to make this as painless as possible."
"We need to see it work before we commit"
Response: "Absolutely—that's why we offer POCs. Let's run a 60-day pilot with one department. We'll define clear success metrics upfront. If it works, you expand. If it doesn't, no hard feelings. Fair?"
Offer: POC Proposal Template.
Timing Objections
"Now isn't the right time"
Response: "I understand. Let me ask: when WOULD be the right time? And what changes between now and then that makes it better?"
Uncover: Often this means "I don't have budget" or "I don't have authority." Dig deeper.
Alternative: "What if we started planning now for a Q[X] launch? That gives you time to budget and prepare."
"We want to evaluate other options first"
Response: "Smart approach. Which other vendors are you looking at?"
Then: Use competitive battlecard to differentiate. Ask discovery questions that highlight our strengths vs. their weaknesses.
"We need to discuss this internally"
Response: "Of course. Who else needs to be part of that discussion? Let's get them on the next call so we can answer their questions directly."
If they resist: "What concerns do you think they'll have? Let me give you talking points to address those."
Authority/Decision-Making Objections
"I need to talk to my boss"
Response: "Makes sense. What's your boss's biggest concern likely to be? Let's make sure we address that before you present it."
Offer: "Would it help if I joined you for that conversation? I can walk through the ROI and answer technical questions."
"We need legal/procurement approval"
Response: "Totally normal. What does your legal/procurement process typically look like? What do they need from us?"
Proactive: Offer: DPA, security documentation, standard contract, references.
Competitive Objections
"We're already talking to [COMPETITOR]"
Response: "Great—[COMPETITOR] is a solid option for [THEIR STRENGTH]. Let me ask: what matters most to you—[FEATURE WE WIN ON] or [FEATURE THEY WIN ON]?"
Then: Position our differentiators (privacy, AI, comprehensiveness, research-backed).
"We prefer [COMPETITOR] because [REASON]"
Response: Acknowledge their reason, then pivot to our strength.
Example: "I hear you—15Five has great performance management tools. If annual reviews are your #1 priority, they're a good fit. But if you're looking to drive daily engagement, reduce turnover, and accelerate training, that's what we're built for."
ROI/Value Objections
"How do we know this will work?"
Response: "Great question. Three ways:
- Third-party research: Microsoft shows 90% productivity gains, IBM shows 226% training improvements
- Customer proof: [SIMILAR CUSTOMER] achieved [RESULT]
- Pilot program: We can run a 60-day POC with measurable success criteria"
"We tried gamification before and it failed"
Response: "I'm sorry to hear that. What went wrong?"
Common reasons:
- No integration (manual data entry killed it)
- No manager buy-in
- Poor design
Then: "Here's how we avoid those pitfalls: [ADDRESS THEIR SPECIFIC FAILURE]"
"We can't measure the ROI"
Response: "Actually, ROI is very measurable. We track:
- Turnover reduction (hard dollars saved)
- Training completion rates (efficiency gains)
- Productivity improvements (output increases)
- Engagement scores (leading indicator of retention)
Let me show you our ROI calculator—we can model your specific situation."
Technical Objections
"We need on-premise hosting"
Response: "We're cloud-only (Firebase/Google Cloud), which gives you automatic scaling, 99.9% uptime, and global CDN. On-premise would actually cost more and lose key features like real-time sync and auto-scaling. That said, we do offer dedicated environments for enterprise customers if that addresses your concern."
"Our security team won't approve this"
Response: "Security is our priority too. We're SOC 2 Type II (in progress), GDPR compliant, HIPAA-ready, and built on Google Cloud infrastructure. Let's schedule a technical review with your security team—we have documentation covering architecture, encryption, and data protection."
Offer: Technical Evaluation Guide.
"We can't integrate with our systems"
Response: "Which systems? We integrate with Salesforce, Jira, ServiceNow, Greenhouse, Workday, and most major platforms via API or CSV import. If you have a unique system, our Rules Engine can process data from any source."
Cultural/Change Objections
"Our culture isn't suited for gamification"
Response: "I hear this often, but gamification works across all cultures—from conservative financial services to creative agencies. Why? Because progress, achievement, and recognition are universal human motivators. It's not about creating a 'game culture'—it's about making work more rewarding."
Examples: "We've successfully deployed in [CONSERVATIVE INDUSTRY EXAMPLE]."
"This feels manipulative"
Response: "I appreciate that concern. Gamification isn't manipulation—it's transparency. We're making progress visible and recognizing contributions. Compare that to opaque annual reviews and subjective manager feedback. Which feels more fair?"
Privacy angle: "Plus, we're privacy-first—we don't track or sell employee data. It's about empowerment, not surveillance."
Urgency/Priority Objections
"We have bigger priorities right now"
Response: "What's higher priority than [THEIR PROBLEM YOU'RE SOLVING]? You mentioned it's costing $[X] annually. What project has a bigger ROI than solving that?"
"This isn't on our roadmap this year"
Response: "Fair enough. When does your planning cycle start for next year? Let's at least get this evaluated so it's on the roadmap for Q[X]."
Final Thoughts on Objection Handling
The Framework:
- Listen - Let them fully explain the objection
- Acknowledge - Validate their concern ("I understand...")
- Clarify - Ask questions to understand the root cause
- Respond - Provide evidence-based answer
- Confirm - "Does that address your concern?"
Never: ❌ Argue with the prospect ❌ Get defensive ❌ Skip over objections ❌ Use scripted, robotic responses
Always: ✅ Use customer stories and data ✅ Pivot to value and ROI ✅ Offer proof (POC, references, case studies) ✅ Stay confident and consultative
Document Owner: Sales Enablement Review Cadence: Monthly based on win/loss feedback