Part 6 of 7
Handle Objections and Close the First Project
The four objections you will actually hear, and how to get to a decision cleanly.
An objection is an unanswered question, not resistance to overcome. Treat it as information: they are telling you exactly what is missing from their confidence. The four below cover nearly everything you will hear for a first project.
The four you will hear
What they mean and what to do
- 01
"It's too expensive"
Usually means value is unclear, not that the number is wrong. Go back to what they said the problem costs them. Ask: "Compared to what?" — the answer tells you whether it is budget, priority, or unclear value.
- 02
"I need to think about it"
Almost always an unvoiced concern. Ask kindly: "Of course — what's the part you're least sure about?" That question surfaces the real objection more reliably than anything else.
- 03
"How do I know this will work?"
A proof request, and entirely fair when you are new. Answer with your mechanism, your method, and a reduced-risk first phase. Do not answer with confidence alone.
- 04
"We're not ready yet"
Sometimes true. Ask what would need to be true for them to be ready, and when that is likely. Then follow up on that date. Half of these become clients later if you actually follow up.
Do not discount to close
Dropping the price when someone hesitates teaches them the number was arbitrary and invites them to push again. If you need to reduce risk, reduce scope instead — a smaller first phase at a proportional price keeps the rate intact.
Reducing risk without cutting price
- Offer a smaller scoped first phase with a decision point at the end of it.
- Stage payments — part up front, part on completion.
- Define a clear, checkable success criterion so nobody is guessing later.
- Put a specific end date on it, so it is not open-ended.
Closing
Closing is mostly removing ambiguity. Most first projects are lost not to a competitor but to indecision — nothing happened, and eventually both sides moved on.
- 01Summarise their problem in their words, then the scope, price and timeline in yours.
- 02Ask directly: "Do you want to go ahead?" Then stop talking and let them answer.
- 03If yes, send the agreement the same day while momentum exists.
- 04If not yet, agree a specific date to revisit and put it in both calendars.
- 05If no, ask what made it a no. That answer improves your next five conversations.
The follow-up most people skip
One clear, useful follow-up after a week recovers a meaningful share of stalled deals. Not "just checking in" — send something genuinely useful related to what you discussed, then restate the one next step.
Template
Follow-up framework
Day 0 — After the call
Written summary: their problem in their words,
your proposed scope, price, timeline, one next step
and a decision date.
Day 7 — If no reply
Something useful, not a nudge. A relevant example,
a short observation about their situation, a resource.
Then one line restating the next step.
Day 21 — If still nothing
Close the loop honestly: "I'll assume the timing
isn't right — happy to pick this up whenever it is."
This gets replies more often than another chase.
If they said "not yet" with a reason
Follow up on the date they gave, referencing
what they said would need to change.Before you use it
- Never send 'just checking in' — it adds nothing and signals you have nothing to add.
- Three contacts total, then stop. Persistence past that damages the relationship.
- Closing the loop honestly at day 21 often produces the reply the chases did not.
Do this now
Write your answer to "how do I know this will work?" before your next call. It is the objection a first-time provider hears most and improvises worst.
Recap
- Objections are unanswered questions, not resistance.
- "What's the part you're least sure about?" surfaces the real concern.
- Reduce scope, not price, when you need to reduce risk.
- Most first projects are lost to indecision — ask directly and set a date.