objection-handling
Installation
SKILL.md
Overview
Based on "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss. Voss, former FBI lead hostage negotiator, argues that rational argument rarely moves people in high-stakes conversations - emotional acknowledgment does. His Tactical Empathy framework - labeling emotions, using calibrated questions, and getting the prospect to say "that's right" - is directly applicable to sales objections. The goal is not to counter the objection. The goal is to make the prospect feel heard, then redirect.
Workflow
Step 1: Identify the objection type
Before responding, classify the objection. Different types require different responses.
| Type | What it sounds like | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Smokescreen | "Send me more info" / "We'll revisit next quarter" | They don't see enough value yet or don't want to say no |
| Genuine concern | "We're worried about integration complexity" | A real blocker that needs a real answer |
| Stall | "We're not ready to make a decision right now" | Stakeholder alignment is incomplete internally |
| Price | "This is more than we expected / budgeted" | Value hasn't been established relative to cost |
| Competitor | "We're also looking at [competitor]" | You haven't differentiated clearly enough |
Responding to a smokescreen with a feature argument makes it worse. Classify first.