Objection Handling
Objections – i.e. expressions of disapproval or opposition – are an integral part of the product management journey. Product objections often come from our customers, and knowing how to effectively handle these objections is a vital skill known as "objection handling."
Below, I’ll discuss why objections matter to product managers, and why product managers play a crucial role in handling product objections. I’ll then share best practices for objection handling, and I’ll cover the most common types of objections you might run into. Finally, I’ll discuss how to empower your organization to handle objections.
With that, let’s dive in!
Why Do Objections Matter to Product Managers?
Objections arise because our customers are deeply engaged with our product. They're entrusting a part of their daily lives to what we've built. Consequently, they'll have suggestions for new features and point out gaps in our product's functionality. This feedback is a valuable resource that can guide us in creating better products.
However, not every customer request should be implemented. As product managers, we need to be discerning and prioritize what aligns with our product vision and resources. We can't say "yes" to everything, but we should say "no" in a way that maintains trust and understanding.
Effective objection handling isn't about shutting down ideas; it's about explaining the rationale behind decisions and building trust with customers.
The Role of Product Managers in Objection Handling
Some might argue that objection handling is a task reserved for salespeople, not product managers. However, I firmly disagree with this notion.
Product managers are uniquely positioned to address objections effectively. Why? Because we possess a wealth of knowledge derived from both qualitative user research and quantitative product data.
Product managers possess a wealth of insights garnered from user research, complemented by quantitative data drawn from the entire customer base. This comprehensive perspective enables them to provide a clear picture of how customers interact with the product and make informed judgments about product development decisions.
We have a holistic view of how customers engage with our product, which enables us to make well-informed assessments and decisions. Product managers bridge the gap between the customer's perspective and the product's reality.
In essence, objection handling is not just about addressing customer concerns; it's about fostering a deeper connection between the product and its users. By effectively managing objections, product managers can transform critics into advocates and demonstrate their commitment to thoughtful product development.
Handling objections is not a task to be delegated but a responsibility that product managers should embrace to create better products and stronger relationships with their user base.
Best Practices for Objection Handling
Empathy is our guiding star in objection handling. When a customer raises an objection, our initial response should be to actively listen.
Do your best not to prematurely shut down their concerns, as doing so can make them defensive and unheard. If you interrupt them, you might be perceived as rude and uninterested!
Instead, take the time to genuinely understand their struggles. Be curious and empathetic. Dive deeper into their pain points to grasp the full story behind their objection. Remember, objections often stem from real challenges they're facing with your product.
Once you've established understanding and rapport, it's your turn to convey your perspective. Craft a narrative that makes sense not just from your viewpoint but also from the customer's. After all, objection handling is a form of storytelling, and people are naturally drawn to stories.
Craft a narrative that makes sense not just from your viewpoint but also from the customer's.
Avoid the mistake of solely presenting your technical or logistical challenges, as customers typically aren't concerned with the intricacies of your product's architecture or development timelines. Instead, frame the discussion in a way that resonates with them. Consider how their request might impact their overall goals and priorities. Show that you're their advocate, focused on delivering maximum value.
For instance, rather than emphasizing the technical hurdles of implementing a feature, discuss how it might affect their timeline for other requested features. Engage in an open dialogue about trade-offs, positioning yourself as their champion in making informed decisions.
By following these best practices, we can navigate objection handling with a customer-centric approach, fostering understanding and collaboration even in the face of objections.
Common Product Objections
As product managers, two buckets of product objections will regularly bubble up: feature request objections and timeline objections. Let’s walk through how to address each of these.
Feature Request Objections
Feature request objections typically manifest as, "I won't use your product unless you build this feature for me."
When confronted with a feature request objection, approach it with a strategic mindset. While the request may seem straightforward, it's crucial to dive deeper and uncover the underlying pain. Here are four steps to take when handling feature request objections.
Focus on the Pain, Not the Solution: Rather than fixating on the requested solution, your first step should be to uncover the true challenge the customer is facing. Often, you'll find that their pain can be addressed through existing features, workarounds, or even a shift in perspective, such as altering internal processes rather than seeking an external feature.
Empathize and Validate: Once you understand their pain, it's crucial to validate their feelings and concerns. Repetition is a powerful tool here; repeating your understanding of their challenge shows that you genuinely hear and appreciate their perspective. This step alone can often go a long way in resolving objections because customers want to feel heard.
Propose Next Steps: After validating their concerns, it's time to propose the next course of action. This could involve gathering additional customer feedback to assess the broader impact of the feature request, temporarily tabling the request for further evaluation, or deciding to implement the feature.
Maintain Proactive Control: Importantly, don't allow yourself to be solely reactive to the customer's demands. By proactively guiding the conversation and suggesting the next steps, you position yourself in the driver's seat. This proactive stance ensures that you make informed decisions that align with your product's vision and roadmap.
Remember, being customer-centric doesn't mean always saying "yes" to every feature request. It means understanding the pain points, empathizing with your users, and making decisions that benefit both your customers and your product in the long run.
Timeline Objections
Timeline objections often appear as urgent demands from customers, where they say something like this: “You're taking too long to build this thing. Build it faster, or I'll stop using your product.”
Typically, these timeline objections appear because something has changed. For example, a competitor might have taken action, or their leadership team might have issued a new mandate, or the economic landscape might have changed.
That’s why we shouldn’t react at the surface level to these kinds of objections. Instead, we need to dig deeper to discover the root problem and find ways to address both their surface-level ask and their deeper problems.
Uncover the Underlying Pain: To address timeline objections effectively, you must unearth the root cause of the customer's impatience. Why was the initial timeline acceptable to them, and why has it now become a source of frustration?
Empathize: Once you've grasped their pain and the reasons behind their urgency, validate their concerns by repeating your understanding. This simple act can go a long way in resolving objections.
Acknowledge Resource Constraints: Gently remind the customer that resource constraints are why we had set timeline expectations in the first place; we don’t have infinite bandwidth. Be transparent about your limited capacity and explain that you're tackling multiple priorities - and, all of these other ongoing priorities ultimately benefit the customer.
Collaborate: Engage in a productive discussion. If your customer expects a faster timeline, consider asking them for assistance in return. After all, value should flow both ways!
You can request that they reprioritize their other features, simplify the scope of the request, or provide additional resources, such as financial support, to expedite the work.
Clarify Limits: If the customer is unwilling to agree to any of the options above, emphasize that you have constraints and multiple commitments. Confirm that the original timeline cannot change unless they grant you the flexibility to do so.
Maintain Communication: After addressing the objection, proactively provide status updates to the customer. This ongoing communication helps build their confidence in your ability to meet their needs.
By following these steps, you can navigate timeline objections with transparency, empathy, and collaboration, fostering a stronger customer-product relationship even in the face of pressing timelines.
Empowering Your Org to Handle Product Objections
Objections are bound to arise from customers, and addressing them effectively is crucial. However, it's not always possible for you to be present to handle every objection personally. This is where proactive objection handling comes into play.
A valuable strategy is to create a comprehensive list of common objections as part of your product documentation. This list can then be shared with your customer-facing teams, such as sales, customer support, customer success, or account management. Here, I'll provide you with an example of how this objection handling document can be structured.
As we delve into this objection handling document, observe these key themes.
1) Customer Discovery and Validation: Always begin by conducting customer discovery when objections arise. Understand the underlying pain or issue that led to the objection. This step is crucial for offering relevant solutions.
2) Compelling Storytelling: To address objections successfully, tell compelling stories that explain why certain requests may not align with your product roadmap. These narratives should resonate with the customer's perspective.
3) Clear Next Steps: For each objection listed in the document, outline a set of clear next steps. This reduces confusion and ensures that your team knows how to proceed when encountering objections.
And now, here’s the list of product objections to handle!
Cross-Functional Guidelines for Handling Product Objections
"I require a specific integration with your product."
Discover the Use Case: Start by asking your customer why they need this particular integration. What specific problem or challenge are they trying to address? By uncovering the underlying use case, you can provide more relevant solutions.
Propose Workarounds: Once you've identified the use case, consider proposing a workaround that aligns with their needs. It's worth mentioning that many of our customers successfully use workarounds to address similar challenges. This can provide immediate relief while a more comprehensive solution is explored.
Highlight Ongoing Evaluation: Inform your customer that we are actively evaluating integration options that can deliver the highest immediate impact to our customer base. This demonstrates our commitment to enhancing our product's capabilities and ensures that their input is valued.
"I need your product to be available as a mobile application, not just a website."
Emphasize Mobile-Responsiveness: Inform the customer that our website is fully mobile-responsive. This means that it adapts seamlessly to various screen sizes, providing an excellent user experience on mobile devices. Highlight that this approach is user-friendly and doesn't require users to download and install an app, saving both time and phone storage space.
Share Past Experience: Mention that we had previously developed a mobile application but decided to discontinue it due to limited usage. Explain that we constantly evaluate the needs and preferences of our user base, and our decision was based on extensive data analysis. This shows that we are committed to providing the most effective solutions for our customers.
Highlight Mobile-First Approach: Share our product development philosophy, which is rooted in a mobile-first approach. Explain that our platform is designed to offer an exceptional experience on mobile devices from the ground up. Mention that this approach is backed by rigorous user testing and data analytics, ensuring that the mobile experience is optimized for user satisfaction.
"You offer a feature that suits ABC use case but falls short for DEF use case. I want it to be suitable for DEF."
Clarify the Current Limitation: Start by acknowledging the customer's request for enhancing a specific feature. Inform them about the current limitation, which makes it unsuitable for the DEF use case. It's important to be transparent about the existing constraints.
Assess the Need for DEF: Share insights from our customer data and feedback. Explain that across our diverse customer base, we haven't observed a significant demand for the DEF feature or use case. This helps the customer understand that their request might not align with the broader user needs.
Assess the Value of the Request: Engage the customer in a conversation to understand the importance of the DEF use case for their specific needs. Ask probing questions to determine what percentage of their overall use cases involve DEF and how much value it would add. Often, customers may realize that the request is more of a "nice-to-have" than a critical feature.
[Internal Only] Development Effort: For internal purposes, it's important to assess the development effort required to implement the requested feature. In this case, building out DEF would entail approximately one quarter's worth of development work. While understanding the customer's request is valuable, it's also important to weigh the return on investment (ROI) for such an endeavor. We’ve currently decided as a product team that the ROI for handling DEF is not yet worth it. If we see significant customer demand, we’ll reassess this decision.
"I want full customization of the logic within your product."
Educate on Market Norms: Begin the conversation by informing the customer that one of our well-known competitors, ABC Inc., does offer 100% logic customization. However, you should then emphasize that in the industry, only a few organizations opt for such extensive customization. Why? Because full-blown customization is often exceedingly complex and time-consuming for the customer.
Highlight Value in Pre-Packaged Logic: Share the unique value proposition we offer. Explain that our approach involves providing pre-packaged logic that is based on robust data analytics and in-depth customer research. This strategy delivers value to our customers by simplifying their experience. They appreciate the fact that our product comes with pre-configured logic that allows them to "set and forget," enabling them to focus on their core business operations rather than grappling with intricate customization.
[Internal Only] Testing Impact: For internal purposes, note that providing customers with the ability to fully customize our core logic poses challenges in terms of quality assurance and testing. This level of customization would exponentially increase the number of test cases, potentially slowing down our ability to rapidly release product updates. This internal perspective helps us weigh the trade-offs between customization and efficient product development.
"I'd like to modify the text in your product."
Highlight User-Centric Approach: Begin the conversation by explaining that our approach to crafting product text is user-centric. We conduct extensive field research with users to ensure that the text is not only informative but also compelling and easy to understand. This user-driven approach is crucial in enhancing user experience and reducing friction.
Emphasize Feedback Mechanisms: Assure the customer that we have robust feedback mechanisms in place within the product. These mechanisms allow us to continuously gather insights from users regarding areas of confusion or improvement. Our commitment to user feedback ensures that we can quickly address any issues related to the product text.
Ongoing Text Assessment: Inform the customer that we have a continuous assessment process for the text in our product. We regularly review and update the text to ensure that it remains intuitive and aligned with evolving user needs. This proactive approach helps us maintain a high standard of usability.
Encourage Focus on Core Business: Convince the customer that while text modifications are possible, their valuable time and resources might be better allocated to higher-value business processes. Our dedicated team is well-equipped to handle the intricacies of product text, allowing the customer to concentrate on strategic aspects of their business.
"I need you to expedite the delivery of this [already-committed] feature."
Complexity and Quality Assurance: Start by explaining to the customer that the feature in question is highly complex. Emphasize our commitment to delivering high-quality features and assure them that the time is being invested to thoroughly understand and address all edge cases. This approach ensures that the feature will meet or exceed their expectations in terms of functionality and reliability.
Ruthless Prioritization: Remind the customer that our organization serves multiple customers simultaneously and has finite resources. It's important to stress that feature development is a dynamic process, and resources are allocated based on prioritization so that our customers get the most value out of our product.
Options for Acceleration: If the customer is adamant about expediting the feature, explain that it would require securing additional resources beyond the current allocation. These unplanned resources would be dedicated to their specific ask to accelerate its development. Clearly communicate that the customer would need to cover the associated costs for securing these additional resources. This ensures that the allocation of resources aligns with their request and provides a fair solution.
"If you don't develop this feature, I'll terminate our contract."
Escalate Immediately and Discreetly: Immediately involve the product manager. They have a deep understanding of the product roadmap & customer needs, and they can provide valuable insights into the situation.
Probe for Pain Points and Context: Engage the customer in a conversation to understand the pain points that this feature is intended to address. Ask them why they are experiencing this pain and why they believe their proposed solution is necessary. Inquire about any workarounds they might have explored or implemented to mitigate the pain.
Clarify Deadlines and Commitment: Ask the customer if there is a specific deadline or timeframe they need to meet with this feature. This information can help determine the urgency of the request.
Consider Total Impact and Prioritization: Remind the customer that our product development prioritizes total impact. Evaluate whether fulfilling this request would benefit a significant portion of our customer base or if it's only tailored to their specific needs. If the feature request is not aligned with the broader impact and does not solve problems for other customers, it's essential to have an open conversation about the long-term viability of the partnership.
Collaborate on a Solution: Based on the insights gathered, work collaboratively with the product manager to determine the best course of action. This might involve discussing potential alternatives, timelines, or compromises that can address the customer's concerns while aligning with our overall product strategy.
Closing Thoughts
Objection handling is a critical part of a product manager’s job, whether they know it or not. After all, every ask can either be accepted or rejected - and you can’t possibly accept every ask while ensuring that your product is cohesive, delightful, and valuable to your total customer base.
Therefore, knowing how to handle objections empowers you to create better products, and converts your critics into your fans. By sharing clear reasoning for why you need to turn down their request, your customers will appreciate you for your transparency and thoughtfulness.
Objection handling is an indispensable skill for product managers, one that plays a pivotal role in shaping successful product development.
As we've explored various facets of objection handling, this skill not only helps in making informed decisions but also in cultivating strong relationships with stakeholders. When handled adeptly, objections can be transformed into opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
By providing clear and thoughtful explanations for why certain requests may not align with the product's vision or roadmap, product managers can establish transparency and build trust with customers and team members. This transparency fosters a culture of understanding, where stakeholders appreciate the careful consideration that goes into product decisions.
In conclusion, objection handling is not merely a defensive maneuver but a proactive strategy to drive product excellence. It enables product managers to navigate the complex landscape of customer demands, prioritize effectively, and ultimately deliver solutions that resonate with the broader user base.
So, embrace objection handling as a tool for growth! Watch how it can turn critics into advocates and shape the future success of your products.
Thank you to Pauli Bielewicz, Mary Paschentis, Goutham Budati, Markus Seebauer, Juliet Chuang, and Kendra Ritterhern for making this guide possible.
