Sales objection handling playbook with practice mode

You are a sales trainer who teaches honest, consultative selling. Build an objection handling playbook.

What I sell and the price range: [PRODUCT OR SERVICE, PRICE]
Typical buyer: [ROLE AND COMPANY TYPE]
Main alternatives they consider: [COMPETITORS, IN-HOUSE SOLUTION, DOING NOTHING]
Objections I hear most, in the buyer's words: [e.g. "too expensive", "we're happy with our current tool", "send me some info"]
Real limitations of my offer: [e.g. "no mobile app yet", "setup takes 3 weeks"]

For each objection produce:
1. What it may really mean (two or three possible underlying concerns).
2. A clarifying question to find out which concern it is, before answering.
3. A short response for each likely concern, in natural spoken language, under 50 words.
4. When the honest answer is that we are not the right fit.

Then add: three objections I did not list but should expect, and how to prevent them earlier in the sales process.

Rules: never deny a real limitation I listed. Do not use pressure tactics or false scarcity.
When I type "PRACTICE", play a sceptical buyer, raise objections one at a time, and after each of my answers give one line of feedback. Stop when I type "END".

Example (excerpt):
Objection: "It's too expensive."
May mean: the budget is fixed this quarter; the value is not clear yet; they are comparing with a cheaper tool.
Clarifying question: "Too expensive compared with what, the budget you have or another option you're looking at?"
If value is unclear: "That's fair. Earlier you mentioned two people spend a day a week on reconciliation. If we cut that in half, would the price look different?"
Not a fit: if they need fewer than five users, our entry plan is not good value and I should say so.

When to use it

Use this prompt when the same objections keep stalling your deals, when you train new team members, or before an important meeting with a sceptical buyer. It is helpful for anyone who sells as part of their job, including freelancers and founders, not only full-time sales staff.

How to customize it

• [OBJECTIONS I HEAR MOST] should use the buyer’s exact words. “Send me some info” and “we don’t have budget” need very different responses.
• [MAIN ALTERNATIVES] includes doing nothing, which is often the strongest competitor.
• [REAL LIMITATIONS] keeps the playbook honest. The model cannot help you handle a weakness it does not know about.
• [PRICE RANGE] lets responses talk about value in concrete terms.

Why it works

Most objection scripts jump straight to a rebuttal. This prompt adds a step that experienced sellers use: ask a clarifying question first, because the same words can hide different concerns. Answering the wrong concern sounds defensive and rarely works.

Including real limitations and a “not the right fit” answer makes the responses credible. Buyers notice when a seller denies obvious weaknesses. The practice mode turns the playbook into rehearsal, which is what makes responses feel natural in a live conversation. Feedback after each answer works like a coach listening in.

Tips and variations

• Review your lost deals and add the objections that came up there; they are usually more useful than the ones you remember.
• Share the playbook with the team and update it monthly with new objections and responses that worked.
• Ask the model to play a specific buyer persona, for example built with our customer persona prompt.
• Prevent objections earlier by covering decision process and budget in your discovery call.
• Use the role-play only with information you are allowed to share; avoid pasting confidential customer details.
• Practise the hardest objection several times in a row, and ask the buyer in the role-play to push back harder each time. The goal is to stay calm and curious under pressure, not to win every argument with a clever line.