This is the card that stays open during every sales call. The moment any objection fires — sticker shock, “let me think,” “send me a proposal,” “I have someone” — your eyes come here first. No exceptions.
Why this card exists: in 5 of 6 stalled calls reviewed (2026-05-07), the deal was lost at a moment your script already had a handler for — but you went to “I’ll send a proposal” instead. Build the reflex of looking here.
⚡ THE REFLEX (use this BEFORE any specific handler)
The first thing out of your mouth — every time, every objection, no exceptions:
“I completely hear you… do you mind if I ask you a question… do you think this process is something that can help you get closer to [GOAL]?”
| If they say… | Then… |
|---|---|
| YES | The objection isn’t about the offer — it’s logistics or fear. Go to step 2. |
| NO | You missed something in the pitch. Say “What did I not explain well?” — re-pitch the weak part, then come back here. |
Step 2 — surface the real concern:
“Super helpful. What’s the biggest thing holding you back? Tell me your main concern.”
Whatever they say next is the real objection. Match to a handler below.
The loop pattern (every objection cycle)
For every objection, work through these three beats:
-
Buy time (only if you need a second to think):
“Can you tell me more about that?”
“Can you give me an example?”
-
Acknowledge — “AND” never “BUT”:
“That makes sense… AND…”
“Super reasonable… AND…”
“I hear ya… AND…”
Why “AND” not “but”: “But” erases the agreement and triggers defensiveness. “And” stacks your point on top without invalidating them.
-
Address — go to the specific handler below.
Specific handlers
”Too expensive” / sticker shock
“Yeah, I hear you. Quick question — expensive compared to what? Because if you spend [PRICE] with us and it brings in [$20k] in jobs, that’s not expensive, that’s the best ROI you’ll ever get. If it brings in nothing, you’re right, it’s too expensive at any price. So the real question is: do you actually believe we can get the phone ringing? Let’s talk about that.”
Watch-outs:
- Never drop the price to “save” the deal. Erodes respect for the offer.
- The redirect IS the real question — handle “do you believe we can get the phone ringing?” — that’s the actual objection.
”Let me think about it” / “Decide by [Friday]” / “Send me a proposal” / “Talk to my spouse”
“Totally fair. Real quick though — when you say think about it, what’s the actual hesitation? Because nine times out of ten ‘think about it’ means there’s one specific thing that’s not sitting right, and I’d rather just address it now than have you sit with it all weekend. What’s the real concern?”
If they hold firm on a spouse:
“Cool — what specifically would [she/he] need to know to feel good about this? Let’s get that nailed down right now so the conversation goes well when you bring it up.”
If they’re shopping you against other bids:
“Totally — and I want you to. Real quick though — what specifically are you comparing? Pricing? Process? The guarantee? Because if I know what matters most, I can speak to it directly so you’re actually comparing apples to apples.”
If still firm after both passes: book the follow-up before hanging up.
“Cool — let’s get a 15-min call on the books for [day] so we can either close this out or you can tell me it’s a no.”
🚨 Lesson from real calls:
- Marcus Roach (2026-05-06): “I got two other ones… comparing apples to apples.” Tyler said “I’ll shoot you over a proposal” and lost the moment. The reflex above would have surfaced what he was actually comparing on.
- Edwin Tavares (2026-04-07): “I’ll have a decision by Friday.” Same miss. “What’s the actual hesitation?” would have unblocked the real objection live.
”Show me proof first” / “Can you guarantee it?”
Google version:
“Honestly, anyone who guarantees you Google Ads results in 30 days is lying. Here’s what’s real — first 30 days we’re gathering conversion data, that’s just how Google works. Real performance kicks in once Smart Bidding has data to learn from, usually 60–90 days. What I CAN promise is you’ll know exactly what’s happening every week, and if after 90 days you’re not seeing traction we’ll either fix it or you walk. That’s the deal.”
Facebook version:
“Honestly, anyone who guarantees you Facebook results in 30 days is lying. Here’s what’s real — first 30 days we’re testing creative and audiences to find what actually converts in YOUR market. Real performance kicks in once we’ve found the winners and can scale them, usually 60–90 days. What I CAN promise is you’ll know exactly what’s happening every week, and if after 90 days you’re not seeing traction we’ll either fix it or you walk. That’s the deal.”
Add the risk-reversal:
- If
month-to-month: “And we’re month-to-month, so if it’s not working at 90 days, you don’t owe me another month. That’s your guarantee.” - If
90-day minimum: “I ask for 90 days because that’s how long the algorithm needs to learn. 30 days would be paying for the data-gathering and missing the part that pays off.”
Watch-outs:
- Never promise a CPL or lead count. That’s the kind of promise that ends agencies.
- Your honesty about the 30/90 curve IS the proof. Lean in, don’t hedge.
”I already have someone doing this”
“Yeah, that’s great, glad you’re already running ads. Real quick — are they hitting the numbers you actually wanted, or are you on this call because something’s off?”
[LISTEN. Don’t interrupt. Then:]
“Tell you what — I’ll do a free 15-minute audit of their account next week, no pitch attached. I’ll tell you straight if they’re doing a good job or leaving money on the table. If they’re crushing it, stay with them. If not, we’ll talk. Sound fair?”
🚨 HARD RULE — NEVER tell them to stay with their current agency.
This is non-negotiable. The line “if you want to try another week with that and then switch it up…” killed the Guy Kouao deal on 2026-05-06. He was literally on this call because something was off — your job is to surface it, not to send him back to his current agency.
Watch-outs:
- Do not trash the current agency. Even if the numbers are obviously bad. Stay neutral: “Yeah, that’s a common pattern.” Trash-talking makes you look small.
- The audit IS a sales tool — but treat it like it isn’t. If you go into the audit pitching, you lose them. Pure diagnosis.
🎯 Quick-glance card (for mid-call)
| If they say… | Reflex |
|---|---|
| Any objection | 4.1 belief reset FIRST: “Do you think this can get you to [GOAL]?" |
| "Send me a proposal” / “Let me think" | "What’s the actual hesitation?" |
| "I have someone doing this” | Free 15-min audit — never tell them to stay |
| ”Show me proof” | 90-day fix-it-or-walk frame |
| ”Compare with other bids" | "What specifically are you comparing?" |
| "Too expensive" | "Compared to what? Do you believe we can ring the phone?” |
🩺 Lessons logged from real calls (2026-05-07 review)
These aren’t objection handlers — they’re bugs in your delivery that the cheat sheet alone can’t fix. Read these before every call.
1. Never say “twelve-fifty” for $1,250
Buyers hear $12.50. Confirmed in 3 of 6 calls reviewed:
- Marcus Roach (13:20): you said “12.50?” visibly confused.
- Guy Kouao (14:11): same delivery, same risk.
- Edwin Tavares (12:55): same — Edwin then did the math wrong, getting *“12.50 not $1,250).
Where you got it right: Brian Mehalso and Louie Poulos heard “$1,250” clearly — neither got confused.
Always say: “twelve hundred fifty dollars” OR “one thousand two-fifty” — never “twelve-fifty.”
2. Math the goal in revenue terms BEFORE saying the price number
In all 6 reviewed calls, you stated the price without first establishing the revenue math. Without it, 1,250 is a fraction of a much bigger number they want.
Before stating price, always say:
“You said you want [X jobs] at [Z] in new revenue per month. To make that happen, ad spend would be around [$A], and our piece is [PRICE].”
If you don’t have their target jobs and ticket, you skipped Section 2.2/2.3 of the script — go back and get them.
3. Always ask the close question
In 5 of 6 reviewed calls you didn’t ask any version of “You ready to get rolling?” / “Want to lock in your start date?” — the prospects who closed (Louie, Joseph) closed themselves.
Ask the close question every call, even when you think they’ll say no. The act of asking either commits them or surfaces the real objection (which you then loop through 4.1).
How to use this card
- Before the call — read the Reflex section + the 6-row Quick-glance card. That’s it. Should take 60 seconds.
- During the call — keep this tab open. The moment ANY objection lands, look HERE before responding. Read the words verbatim until the reflex is muscle memory (probably 10-20 calls).
- After the call — if a new objection landed that isn’t on this card, add it.