Episode #434: Tim Wackel

In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Tim Wackel shares his tried-and-true strategies for navigating objections with confidence. He walks us through common mistakes salespeople make, emphasizing the importance of understanding where objections come from and responding thoughtfully rather than defensively. 

Tim breaks down his three-step approach: Understand – Play Back, and Connect—highlighting how to align with the prospect by showing empathy, gaining clarity, and building trust. Listen in to learn how to turn objections into opportunities for connection and build stronger customer relationships in the process.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:46] Common types of objections salespeople face
• [1:38] The biggest mistakes salespeople make with objections
• [3:00] How Tim responds to objections 
• [4:10] The role of empathy in objection-handling 
• [5:53] How to handle objections with confidence 
• [7:12] Tim’s top objection-handling dos and don’ts
• [8:54] Don’t get ahead of yourself
• [10:22] Handling a well-founded sales objection

The biggest mistakes salespeople make with objections

Tim believes that our role as salespeople is to understand objections. An “objection” is often a prospect who is uncertain or unclear and needs information. If you push back, it won’t end well. When you get an objection, you have to say “tell me more” so I can understand where you’re coming from. That’s the only way to find a path forward. 

Tim used to be offended by objections. Salespeople put time, energy, and emotional effort into opportunities, so it can be easy to take it personally. When faced with an objection, Tim cautions salespeople to avoid a knewjerk reaction. Pause, take a breath, and ask more questions to understand. 

Understand, Play Back, and Connect

Objections aren’t always logical—they’re often emotional. The best way to make sure the prospect feels heard is to agree with the prospect and ask questions. Tell them that you want to learn more to understand where their objection is coming from. 

Then you must drill down to where the objection is coming from. Once you get all of the information, synthesize it, and play back what you’re hearing. Ask if you’re tracking. That shows incredible empathy. 

Listen to hear how Tim teaches salespeople to handle objections with confidence.

Tim’s top objection-handling dos and don’ts

• Think about the objection(s) you’ll face, then prepare for them. 
• Once you’ve identified them, think about how you’ll respond. 
• What open-ended questions will you ask to get to the root of the disconnect? 
• Don’t get emotional.
• Don’t get ahead of yourself. Pause, take a breath, and don’t spiral out of control.
• Don’t become argumentative. 

This is about the ideas that you’re exploring together. Try to steer the conversation to be productive for both parties. That may mean no deal. Live to fight another day. 

Handling a well-founded sales objection

Tim’s customer didn’t want to move forward because every 4-6 months his company assigned a new rep to their account. He didn’t have faith in their ability to deliver the solution. It was a legitimate objection. So how did Tim handle it?

Tim knew he wouldn’t take him at his word. He had to build trust and rapport. He had to instill confidence in him that they were committed to his success. They put guarantees in place to let the customer know they wanted him to be successful. 

They worked through it because they invested time, energy, and effort into building the customer’s confidence. 

You have to ask yourself, “Why are they objecting?” If you don’t have the answer, you push into discovery. 

Connect with Tim Wackel

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Learn More About Tim Wackel

What was a pivotal moment or experience in your career that fundamentally changed the way you handle objections, and how did it shift your approach? 

Early in my sales career I had the opportunity to shadow one of the organizations best sales reps (and they were a master of dealing with objections). Watching this rep leverage their natural curiosity to learn more about objections actually diffused many of them (versus the attitude of trying to “overcome” the objection).  So instead of trying to convince the customer to change their mind about the objection, this rep would focus on understanding how the customer came to their conclusions. Classic case of seek first to understand, then to be understood. 

Can you share a specific technique or framework you’ve used to successfully overcome a tough objection? Please provide a brief example or case study where it worked effectively.

Don’t turn objection handling into a debate, but rather focus on “where” the customer is coming from and work hard to see the objection from their point of view. It’s difficult to diffuse an objection unless the customer feels heard and understood!

Objections can sometimes feel like dead ends in conversations. Can you share a particularly challenging objection you faced and the steps you took to turn it into a win?

To begin with, I would remind everyone that not every objection can be eliminated. Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree… and that’s OK. Secondly I would suggest that you float trial balloons to help validate whether or not you’re dealing with a “real” objection. EXAMPLE: Customer – Your price is too high!  Rep – So I hear you have some concerns about our pricing. Let’s assume for a moment that we can change our price to meet your needs – would you be 100% ready to move forward then?

What are the top three tools, resources, or training programs you recommend for sales professionals who want to improve their objection-handling skills?

It’s very difficult for me to name my “top 3” – because there are so many great tools and resources out there. I believe that the best of the best are in “constant learning” mode and consume tips, tricks and techniques from anywhere they can find them (LinkedIn experts, YouTube videos, sales training workshops, on-line programs, etc)

With evolving buyer behaviors and advancements in AI and technology, how do you see objection handling changing in the coming years, and what advice would you give to salespeople to stay ahead?

While AI and technology have their place in “selling” – I don’t believe they will play a significant role in objection handling anytime soon. My advice to stay ahead? Be a lifelong student and don’t get stuck in your ways!