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You hear “just send me something” and your heart sinks. You know they’re brushing you off. You know they’re not really interested in seeing anything.
Most sellers respond by trying to overcome the objection. They explain why sending something won’t work. They push harder. They try to convince the prospect their objection is wrong.
The prospect hangs up. Or worse, they agree to next steps they’ll never follow through on.
Either way, you’ve lost the opportunity.
I learned something after making this mistake hundreds of times early in my career. Overcoming objections isn’t the goal. Keeping the conversation going is the goal.
That shift changes everything.
Key Takeaways
- The Three Cs Framework replaces “overcome objections” with a curiosity-first approach that keeps prospects engaged
- Curiosity means asking open-ended questions when you hear brush-off objections like “send me something”
- Conversation outcomes include disqualification, learning, practice, and sometimes meetings
- Conclusion requires direct questions about mutually agreed next steps with specific timelines
- Most objections are rooted in fear of messing up, not lack of interest
Who This Is For
This is for B2B sellers who hear objections on every cold call. You don’t know how to respond without sounding pushy. SDRs and AEs who were taught to overcome objections find that approach creates resistance. Anyone who wants to have real conversations instead of battling through scripted rebuttals.
Why “Overcome Objections” Training Fails on Cold Calls
My first role out of college was as an ISR. I was full cycle, doing the prospecting, the cold calling, the meeting setting, and the closing. I cut my teeth calling CFOs during the Great Recession.
I was taught that the number one thing I needed to do was overcome objections. That mindset kept me stuck for months, maybe years. Here’s what happened when I approached calls that way.
I became a seller instead of a helper. I created an environment where prospects regretted giving me an objection. They probably wished they had just hung up on me.
Instead of hearing the objection and leading with curiosity, I bulldozed them. I tried to convince them why their objection was silly. Then I pivoted straight into my product pitch.
It immediately had them put their walls up. The conversation was over before it really started.
The Three Cs Framework I Teach
Here’s the framework I teach for handling objections on cold calls. It came out of all those mistakes I made early on.
The framework has three parts. Curiosity, conversation, and conclusion. Each stage builds on the one before it.
First C: Curiosity
Keeping the conversation going is the most important thing you can do when you hear an objection. Don’t worry about overcoming it. Just keep the conversation going.
The way to keep the conversation going is to be curious.
Let me show you what this looks like in practice. Somebody says “sure, just send something over.” It’s easy to want to believe they’re truly interested in seeing something.
They’re not. They’re just trying to brush you off to get you off the phone. That is an objection.
Here’s how to lead with curiosity. You say “John, no problem. I can absolutely send something over. Out of curiosity, what would you want to see?”
You’re not overcoming the objection. You’re not saying “well, John, we don’t actually send things over like that.” You’re not getting aggressive or telling them no.
You’re saying yes and. Yes, I’ll send that over. If you were going to partner with a company like ours, what would you want to know?
You’re asking that open-ended question. You’re leading with curiosity. You get to continue the conversation. You develop a deeper understanding of what’s important to this person.
Second C: Conversation
When you lead with curiosity, you create space for real conversation. The outcome isn’t always going to be setting up a meeting. There are multiple positive outcomes that come from keeping the conversation going.
Maybe you disqualify them. That’s still a good outcome. You’re getting them out of your pipeline. You’re not wasting time there.
Maybe you learn something about the challenges your prospects are facing. Maybe you get to practice handling that specific objection. That’s still valuable.
Maybe you find out your competitor is a significantly better fit. You can give them a referral. That’s going to be the best choice for them.
This is counterintuitive. New reps especially are indexed on “overcome objection, set meeting.”
Pivoting from overcome to continuing the conversation through curiosity is a real game changer.
Third C: Conclusion
If you’re on a cold call, the next thing you want is another confirmed meeting. Not “I’ll take a look and let you know if I’m interested.” Not “just send me something.”
Those are not real pipeline. That’s hope, wish, dream pipeline.
You need a mutually agreed next step with a specific timeline. Without that, your forecasts will let you down over and over again.
Here’s how to move toward conclusion. First, get clarity. The best way to do that is to take their words and repeat them back.
“John, you said your number one priority in Q4 is reducing churn by 15%. Did I get that right?”
You get confirmation. Then you repeat it again within the context of how you can help.
“Knowing that reducing churn is the most important thing for Q4, I have an AE. She can share two or three ways we’ve helped other SaaS companies in your space.”
Then you ask that very direct question about getting a meeting booked. “Should we set up that next call? Do you have your calendar in front of you right now?”
Here’s what’s tough about asking such a direct question. Oftentimes they’re going to push back. They might say no.
That’s not bad. It’s better to ask the direct question and get that maybe or no. You avoid wasting your time and your AE’s time. You avoid bad pipeline.
It gives you a chance to surface outstanding objections before this prospect ghosts you. Because that’s what’s going to happen if you don’t ask directly.
Why Objections Are Rooted in Fear
Most objections are rooted in fear. They’re rooted in a lack of trust. This person doesn’t know you. This is a cold call.
According to Forrester (https://www.forrester.com/press-newsroom/forrester-the-state-of-business-buying-2024/), 86% of B2B purchases stall during the buying process. Tight budgets and economic uncertainty are complicating the buying process. Buyers are more risk-averse than ever.
What’s happening in your prospect’s mind is a fear of messing up. A fear of spending time on the wrong things. A fear of giving their trust to the wrong people.
A fear of buying the wrong products or software. There’s a real cost to that. It could be their jobs. Their next promotion. Having to lay off some of their staff.
Keep that mentality in mind when you’re thinking about how to earn their time and attention. When you lead with curiosity instead of combat, you’re addressing that fear directly.
Common Mistakes Sellers Make With Objections
The biggest mistake is treating objections like obstacles to overcome. When you do that, you’re fighting the prospect. They feel it immediately.
Another mistake is taking objections personally.
The objection isn’t about you. It’s about their fear, their uncertainty, or their lack of context.
Sellers also assume they know what the objection really means. Someone says “send me something” and you assume they’re not interested. Maybe they are interested. Maybe they’re in a meeting. Maybe they genuinely want to review materials first.
You won’t know unless you ask.
Sellers give up too quickly. One objection and they back down.
Or they push too hard. They bulldoze through multiple objections without pausing to listen.
The Three Cs Framework gives you a middle path. You’re not giving up. You’re not bulldozing. You’re staying curious and keeping the conversation alive.
How to Practice This Framework
Role play objections before you ever get on a call. I work with reps who role play their call openers and pitches over and over. But they don’t role play objections. That’s shocking.
If you’re getting on a cold call with somebody, you’re going to hear at least one objection.
If they’re not voicing at least one objection, it probably means they weren’t really listening. They’re not very interested. We want a little bit of pushback.
Pushback means they’re part of the conversation. They’re involved. They’re thinking about what you’re saying.
Prepare for the 13 most common objections. “How much is it?” “Not interested.” “Can you just send me something?” “I’m not the right person.”
These come up at every stage of the sales cycle.
Write out your curiosity-based responses. Practice them out loud. Get comfortable with the pause after you ask an open-ended question.
That pause is where the magic happens. If you don’t give them a chance to speak early, you’re delivering a monologue. People hang up on monologues.
The Mindset Shift This Requires
You have to stop thinking about objections as rejection. An objection is information. It’s a signal about what matters to this person or what they’re worried about.
When someone objects, they’re still engaged. They’re telling you something. Your job is to stay curious. Your job is to learn what that something is.
This framework also requires you to be okay with disqualification. Not every conversation ends in a meeting. Some conversations end with clarity that this isn’t a fit.
That’s a win. You’ve saved time. You’ve learned something. You’ve treated the prospect like a human being instead of a quota number.
The confidence to ask direct questions at the conclusion stage comes from genuinely believing you can help. If you don’t believe your solution is valuable for this person, you won’t ask for the meeting with conviction.
Do the research. Build the segmented list. Show up prepared. Then you’ll have the confidence to stay curious when objections come up.
Thank you to this week’s newsletter sponsor @ mixmax (be sure to tag the company)
Last month I sat down with @ Heath Barnett (please tag), the VP of Revenue at Mixmax to talk about signals. We broke down which actually work + when and how to use them. Listen here: https://www.mixmax.com/decoding-signals?utm_campaign=39690576-Webinar%20-%20March%2018%202026%20-%20Decoding%20Signals&utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=lesliev
FAQs
What if I ask a curiosity question and they still say no?
That’s valuable information. You’ve learned in 30 seconds that this isn’t the right fit. Thank them for their time and move on. Getting a clear no early is better than chasing someone who will ghost you later.
How do I stay curious when I’m hearing the same objection 20 times a day?
Write out your curiosity-based response. Practice it until it feels natural. Even if you’ve heard “send me something” 100 times, this specific person is saying it for the first time. Treat it that way.
Should I use the Three Cs Framework for objections later in the sales cycle?
The framework works throughout the sales cycle. It’s especially powerful on cold calls where trust hasn’t been established yet. Later in the cycle, you’ll have more context. You can ask more specific questions.
What if being curious feels manipulative?
Curiosity is only manipulative if you’re faking it. If you’re genuinely trying to understand their situation, that’s not manipulation. That’s good selling. The mindset matters more than the technique.
How many curiosity questions should I ask before moving to conclusion?
There’s no magic number. You’re listening for clarity about their priority or challenge. Once you have that, you can move toward conclusion. Sometimes that’s one question. Sometimes it’s three.
What are the most common objections I should prepare for?
The big ones are “How much is it?” “Not interested.” “Send me something.” “I’m not the right person.” “No budget.” “No time.” “Already working with someone.” Prepare curiosity-based responses for all of these.
How do I know if I’m bulldozing instead of being curious?
If you’re talking more than the prospect, you’re probably bulldozing. If you’re explaining why their objection is wrong, you’re bulldozing. Curiosity means you ask a question and then zip your lip.
Can you recommend books that will help me learn more?
Yes. Read Profit Generating Pipeline: A Proven Formula to Earn Trust & Drive Revenue by Leslie Venetz. It’s available at www.salesledgtm.com/book. The book outlines a 9-step formula for prospecting and revenue generation adapted to the modern buyer.
How can I learn more about hiring Leslie as a speaker or working with her team?
Visit www.salesledgtm.com to learn more about services and schedule time to connect.