How to handle objections on LinkedIn

Most objections get a pleasantry

“We already do this in-house.” “We’ve got a supplier.” “It’s not a priority this year.”

7% of LinkedIn replies are a no with a reason attached. And the commonest answer to one, 54% of the time, was a pleasantry and nothing else. “Understood, thanks for letting me know.”

It feels gracious. It also closes the door they were already pushing shut. After a pleasantry, 1 prospect in 215 came back warm. And it spends a send from your LinkedIn quota.

Arguing makes them hold on harder

The other classic move is to handle it. They say they’ve got a supplier, you explain why you’re better. They say it’s not a priority, you explain why it should be.

Handling the objection brought 20% back. Better than a pleasantry. Still, 80% never wrote again.

An objection is a position, said out loud, and people like to stay consistent with what they’ve said. A counter-argument from a stranger feels like pressure. Pressure makes people dig in. You can win the point and lose the conversation in the same message.

A question hands them the floor

Answer with a question and 58% wrote back. 32% came back warm, against 4% for handling it.

A question changes who’s talking. People like explaining their own situation, and nobody knows it better. It shows you listened. And their answer tells you whether the objection was real or just the quickest way to end a conversation with a stranger.

Some nos have nowhere to go. “Not my area.” “We’ve just signed for three years.” Answering those spends a send from your LinkedIn quota that a new prospect would use better. The nos worth a question are the ones with a reason you can talk about.

One more thing. Not a single objection conversation booked a meeting unless somebody proposed a call. The question opens the door. The time walks them through it.

What to do today

• Ask before you answer. “Makes sense. How are you handling it at the moment?”
• Get curious about the reason. “Not this year” and “we do it in-house” need different next steps. One question tells you which you’ve got.
• Then propose the call. Once they’ve talked, a time is the natural next step.
• Drop the reflex pleasantry. “Understood, thanks!” brought back 1 prospect in 215.