When making cold calls, there is one thing that you can be certain of and that is that you will run against some sort of objections from the prospect. Objections are like mini "stop signs" and the prospects use them to try to end the call. At some point on a cold call, an objection will come up and your ability to deal with it will dictate your sales effectiveness.

While you never know exactly what objection you will face, you are really only likely to face a defined set of between five to ten objections. With that being the case, you can make a list of the most common objections that apply to the products that you sell and you can script out the responses that are most likely keep the call going. If you memorize that list, you can drastically improve your cold calling effectiveness.

Below are examples of very common objections that come up on cold calls with some thoughts on responses that can keep the conversation going.

I do not have time.
The people we sell to are typically very busy and we are calling out of the blue. With that being the case, we must confirm that they not in the middle of something. If we identify that they do not have time to talk, a good response is that you can be very brief or you can ask them when the best time to call back is.

I do not have money.
When making cold calls, if the subject of not having money or budget comes up, you can redirect away from a purchase and move toward a demo or trial. Depending on what you are selling, you can state that you are not looking to sign them up and would simply like to set them up with a free trial for now.

I am not interested.
When someone says they are not interested, redirect by asking questions as to what they are doing today. This does not give fuel to their point that they don't have interest, nor does it try to overcome by trying to get them to have interest. It simply keeps the conversation going past the objection.

I am already using something today.
If they say they are already using something similar to what you are making cold calls about, redirect by asking them what they are using and how it is going. What is working well about it? What is not working well?

I am not looking right now.
If they are not looking now, position yourself as not trying to sell something now. Communicate that you are simply trying to begin a discussion and open the dialogue between you and them so they can be knowledgeable when they are ready do something.

Just send me information.
If you hear this when making cold calls, you can avoid complying by telling them that you do not have enough information to know what to send and then redirect with information gathering question.

Michael Halper is an ICF certified coach that works with individuals and organizations helping to drive growth and improvement. For more information about coaching and development visit Compass Coaching you can read more about Cold Calling Objections or Sales Coaching.