Episode #427: Lisa Magnuson

We’ve all heard the usual objections—“The price is too high” or “You’re not a good fit for us.” But what about the objections no one talks about? Many deals fall through because prospects perceive real or imagined risk. Others are paralyzed by decision fatigue, overwhelmed by the options in front of them. 

In this episode of Sales Reinvented, you’ll learn how to uncover these hidden barriers, shift objections into conversations, and build trust that leads to yes. Dive into the key insights below, then listen to the full episode to sharpen your sales game!

Outline of This Episode

• [1:12] The most common types of objections
• [3:05] How to overcome prospect overwhelm
• [4:22] The biggest mistakes people make
• [7:45] How Lisa responds to objections
• [9:04] The role of empathy in objection-handling
• [11:09] How to handle objections with confidence
• [14:10] Top 3 objection-handling dos and don’ts
• [17:00] Turning an objection into a successful sale

The Consultative Conversion Framework

The Consultative Conversion Framework as a powerful method for guiding prospects through the decision-making process. This framework focuses on moving away from transactional selling and towards meaningful conversations. It’s about asking the right questions, actively listening, and addressing both spoken and unspoken concerns.

By aligning your solutions with the prospect’s unique challenges and long-term goals, you position yourself as a trusted advisor rather than just a salesperson. This approach builds rapport, reduces perceived risks, and helps overcome decision fatigue—two of the most overlooked obstacles in modern sales.

Empathy and Consultative Selling as Game-Changers

A key theme throughout the episode is empathy. Lisa underscores that prospects want to feel heard—not just listened to. Rather than “overcoming” objections, successful salespeople use a consultative approach to collaborate with prospects in finding solutions. By shifting to a problem-solving mindset and showing genuine empathy, sales professionals can build trust, which fosters smoother conversations and stronger relationships.

How to handle objections with confidence: Pre-Call Preparation

Lisa’s top advice for handling objections is simple: preparation. She advocates for robust pre-call preparation, which goes far beyond checking LinkedIn profiles. Pre-call prep involves understanding the prospect’s perspective, anticipating concerns, and planning thoughtful questions to align with their needs. “Preparation is 100% within the salesperson’s control,” Lisa explains, highlighting that this habit becomes even more critical when managing large, high-stakes deals.

Listen to hear Lisa’s top 3 objection-handling dos and don’ts.

Turning an objection into a successful sale

Lisa was working with a client and their key account team who was struggling to get a top-tier customer to adopt a new technology platform because of the risk of disrupting their operation.

Lisa had the key account team come together with the subject matter experts in their company and talk through all of their options to help their key account move through the concern(s) to a solution. 

They offered the key account a pilot program with extra hands-on support as well as walking the key account through another operation to see how the technology implementation didn’t cause disruption. That was enough to move the key account forward. 

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Learn More About Lisa Magnuson

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? When I was a major account executive working for Xerox, I realized that most prospect objections weren’t about price. This realization served me well as I started to pre-emptively ask more open-ended questions like, ‘What do you see as the pros and cons of this option?’ Rather than ‘Overcome objectives’, many times they were collaboratively resolved through discussion or even problem solving.

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. I encourage my clients to use a consultative conversation framework. In other words, pro-actively seek out any questions or concerns before they become serious objections. The best way to do this is through thoughtful, open-ended questions. Create an environment where prospects feel comfortable telling you the truth about how they’re feeling. Start by listening intently, showing empathy and then exploring creative solutions together. It’s extremely gratifying working with clients on this approach. Many times, we’ll talk it through or even role play during the prep for an important prospect meeting. When they let me know that the prospect advanced with them, I know that they’ve ‘Got it’ for all future calls as well.

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? One of my clients recently ran into a particularly tough objection from a key account about adoption of new technology. The account was mainly concerned about disruption to their operations. We called the key account team together for a win room to develop options for their customer. The key account team came up with a winning idea: offer a pilot with hands-on training from the professional services team and an introduction to another customer who recently went through a similar transition flawlessly. By offering a low risk way to test the technology, their customer felt comfortable and moved forward with the installation.

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

• Take my LinkedIn Learning course, Avoid Prospect Stalls and Stops.
• Take my LinkedIn Learning course, Pre-call Prep for Live or Virtual deals.
• Use AI for ideas on resolving anticipated objections.
• Tap into your team, coach, or manager to brainstorm best ways to resolve concerns in a consultative manner.
• Leverage data from your CRM to track past objections and how they were resolved.

With evolving buyer behaviors and advancements in AI and technology, how do you see objection handling? As buyer behaviors evolve and AI technology advances, I see objection handling becoming more data-driven and predictive. AI tools can help salespeople anticipate objections based on historical data and buyer signals. However, while AI can aid in identifying patterns, the human touch—empathy, listening, and relationship-building—will remain critical. The future will blend AI-assisted insights with the emotional intelligence required to navigate complex objections.