Launch day arrives. Your sales team starts pitching. And then the objections hit.
"This is interesting, but we already have [competitor]." "I don't see how this is different from [alternative]." "The price seems high for what it does." "We're not ready to make a decision on this."
Most teams discover these objections in real-time, scrambling to create responses while deals stall. The better approach: anticipate objections before launch and prepare your team to handle them.
Why Launch Objections Are Predictable
Here's what most product marketers don't realize: 80% of launch objections are completely predictable.
Market category objections: "We already have a solution for that." Every mature market triggers this response. If you're launching into an existing category, buyers will compare you to what they already use.
Pricing objections: "That's expensive." Always comes up, especially if you're pricing above market average or introducing a premium tier.
Differentiation objections: "How is this different from X?" If your positioning isn't sharp, buyers default to comparing you to the closest alternative.
Timing objections: "We're not ready to change right now." The default response when buyers don't see urgency in solving the problem you address.
Implementation objections: "This seems complicated to set up." Any product that requires integration, migration, or change management will face this.
You know your market, your product, and your competition. You can predict 90% of what you'll hear. The question is whether you've prepared responses.
The Objection Inventory Exercise
Six weeks before launch, run this exercise with your core team:
Step 1: Brainstorm every possible objection. Get sales, product, CS, and marketing in a room. Spend 30 minutes listing every objection you might hear. Don't filter—capture everything.
Step 2: Categorize objections. Group them into themes: pricing, competition, product capability, implementation, timing, trust/credibility. This reveals patterns.
Step 3: Prioritize by likelihood and impact. Some objections will be rare edge cases. Others will come up in 70% of conversations. Focus on the high-likelihood, high-impact objections.
Step 4: Develop responses for top 10 objections. Don't try to create responses for every possible objection. Focus on the ten that matter most.
The output: an objection handling guide that every customer-facing person can reference.
Developing Objection Responses That Actually Work
Most objection responses are terrible. They're defensive, generic, or unconvincing. Here's the framework for creating responses that land:
Acknowledge, reframe, provide evidence, ask a question. Four-step structure that works across objection types.
Example objection: "You're more expensive than [competitor]."
Bad response: "We're not that much more expensive, and we offer more value."
Better response:
- Acknowledge: "You're right that our starting price is higher."
- Reframe: "The difference is that we include [X, Y, Z] that [competitor] charges extra for."
- Evidence: "Most customers find they save $X annually because they don't need to buy [additional tools]."
- Question: "How are you currently handling [X, Y, Z]?"
This structure validates the concern, shifts the frame, backs it with proof, and opens dialogue.
Category-Specific Objection Responses
"We already have [competitor]" objection:
Don't trash the competitor. Don't claim you do everything they do but better. Instead, position yourself as solving a different problem or serving a different use case.
"Most of our customers use [competitor] for [primary use case] and use us for [specific use case we excel at]. They're complementary tools."
Or if you're direct competition: "That makes sense—[competitor] is a solid choice for [their strength]. Where we differentiate is [your unique value]. Can I show you how we approach [specific workflow]?"
"This seems expensive" objection:
Never justify your price by listing features. Justify it with outcomes and ROI.
"I understand the price concern. Let me ask: what's it costing you right now to [do the thing manually / use inferior solution / not solve the problem]?"
Then walk through the economic value: "Most customers see ROI in [timeframe] because [specific outcome]. Would that ROI timeframe work for your business?"
"How is this different from X?" objection:
This means your differentiation wasn't clear. Don't list feature differences. Explain the strategic difference.
"The main difference is [fundamental approach/philosophy]. While [competitor] focuses on [their approach], we're built specifically for [your approach]. That means [concrete implication for the buyer]."
Follow with a side-by-side demo or comparison showing the difference in action.
"We're not ready to make a decision" objection:
This is a timing/urgency objection. Understand the root cause: Are they genuinely not ready, or do they not see the cost of waiting?
"I understand. Can I ask what would need to happen for this to become a priority?"
Then surface the cost of inaction: "One thing to consider: every month you wait, you're [losing X, missing Y, or risking Z]. Is that a concern?"
"This looks complicated to implement" objection:
Implementation fear is real. Don't minimize it—address it directly with proof.
"Implementation is definitely something we take seriously. Here's our typical timeline: [X weeks for setup], [Y hours for your team]. We also [provide Z support]. Can I connect you with a customer in [similar situation] who went through implementation?"
Social proof from similar customers kills this objection faster than any promise you can make.
Creating the Objection Handling Guide
Don't make this a 40-page document nobody will read. Make it scannable and actionable.
Format: One page per objection. Each page includes:
- The objection (exact wording you'll hear)
- Why this objection surfaces (helps sales understand the root concern)
- The response framework (acknowledge, reframe, evidence, question)
- Supporting proof points (customer stories, data, case studies)
- What NOT to say (common mistakes to avoid)
Delivery: Don't just email a PDF. Run role-playing sessions where sales team practices responses. Record yourself handling each objection and share the videos. Make it interactive.
Accessibility: Put it in your sales enablement tool, CRM, or knowledge base where reps can access it mid-conversation. Create a Slack channel where people can ask "how do I handle X objection?" and get real-time help.
The Pre-Launch Objection Role-Play
Two weeks before launch, run objection role-plays with your sales team.
Setup: Pair up sales reps. One plays prospect, one plays rep. The prospect uses objections from your guide. The rep practices responses.
Rotate: Switch roles. Everyone practices both giving and handling objections.
Debrief: After each round, discuss what worked and what didn't. Refine responses based on what feels natural to your team.
This does two things: builds confidence and surfaces gaps in your objection handling guide. If the team struggles with a particular objection, you need a better response.
Tracking Objections Post-Launch
Your objection inventory won't be perfect. Real conversations will surface objections you didn't anticipate.
Daily objection log: For the first two weeks post-launch, have sales log every objection they hear. Review daily. If a new objection comes up 3+ times, create a response and update your guide.
Win/loss feedback: Lost deals will reveal the objections you didn't handle well. Interview lost prospects to understand which objections you failed to overcome.
Response effectiveness tracking: Track which responses lead to deal progression and which don't. If your pricing objection response consistently fails, revise it.
This creates a feedback loop that continuously improves your objection handling.
The Objections You Can't Overcome
Some objections reveal disqualified prospects, not handling failures.
"We don't have budget" (and they genuinely don't): No objection response fixes a budget problem. Qualify budget earlier in the process.
"This solves a problem we don't have": If they don't have the problem, they're not your ICP. Move on.
"We need feature X that you don't have": If feature X is truly a dealbreaker and you don't have it, acknowledge it honestly and ask to stay in touch for when you build it.
Don't waste energy trying to overcome objections from people who aren't a fit. Focus your best objection handling on qualified prospects.
The Reality Check
Launch objections will happen. The question is whether your team is prepared or scrambling.
Teams that anticipate objections, develop strong responses, train their teams, and iterate based on feedback close deals faster and lose fewer opportunities to objections.
Teams that wing it learn the hard way, one stalled deal at a time.
Build your objection handling guide now, before you launch. Your future self (and your sales team) will thank you.