9 Cold Calling Objections and How to Respond for More Sales

One of the toughest parts of B2B sales is undoubtedly dealing with cold calling objections. 

Knowing what to say to someone who has hinted (or said very blatantly) that they don’t want to talk to you. 

It can throw off your confidence.

But the truth is, objections are not rejections. There is a difference between ‘take me off your list and never call me again’ and ‘I’m busy, I can’t talk right now’. 

We spoke with sales expert Ryan Reisert and Ivana Ivanova, a Cognism SDR who loves cold-calling objections. 

They and other Cognism SDRs have a list of common sales objections and ways to respond at their fingertips. A list of notes they can refer to during the call to stay level-headed and continue the conversation!

Keep reading to learn their top tips on objection handling. While you’re here, check out our Objection Response Generator.👇

TL;DR

9 cold calling objections and rebuttals

Before you even start to consider the words that come out of a prospect’s mouth, you should analyse their tone as they answer the phone. 

So much of human-to-human communication is non-verbal, and you can learn a lot about how interested your prospect is simply from the tone of their voice. 

Say they answer your cold call with a sunny-sounding ‘hello’; you should try to match this upbeat energy and intonation with an equally sunny reply. 

Calls that start this way will likely be easier to manage. Generally, you’ll have less resistance when moving into your sales pitch. 

Ivana shares that when she first started as a sales development representative, she was taught to always make calls with a smile on her face. 

You’ve surely heard of this - the old “smile and dial”!

The idea here is that prospects, even over the phone, can tell you’re smiling. They can hear it in how you speak, which can help get conversations off on the right foot.

Not all calls will start off with rainbows and fairies, unfortunately. Sometimes, you can tell the person receiving your call isn’t instantly happy you phoned. 

You shouldn’t try to match any negative energy with equal negativity. It’s unlikely you’ll get far that way. 

Keeping things as positive as possible is always a good idea, but it’s smart to note that you may have more cold call objections coming.

Ivana elaborates on this:

“If you say, for example, ‘Hi Jack, how are you?’ and you get back a flat ‘I’m good’, without asking how I am in return, then that is essentially the first roadblock.” 

“They have their guard up, and you can tell the conversation might be a little more tricky.”

“Your positive intonation can usually turn the conversation around, and I have a strategy to lead the conversation on for any common cold call objection.”

Why do prospects push back?

It also helps to understand the reasons why prospects push back so that you can help put them at ease and open a productive conversation.

Objections aren’t just rejections—they’re often signs of uncertainty. Buyers are overwhelmed with choices, internal red tape, and concerns about making the wrong decision.

Instead of focusing solely on overcoming objections, the best salespeople act as trusted advisors—guiding buyers toward clarity and confidence.

There can be a number of reasons why you might be feeling pushback. Here are a few to keep an eye out for:

1. Fear of making the wrong decision

Your buyer might think, “Last time we bought a tool like this, it didn’t work out. I don’t want to waste our budget or look bad internally."

77% of B2B buyers described their last purchase as complex or difficult.

Prospects may choose to stick with what they have to avoid the pain of another complex buying cycle where they risk putting their neck on the line if they make a bad decision.

How to handle it:

• De-risk the decision: “I completely understand—no one wants to make a decision they regret. That’s why we work closely with companies like yours to ensure this fits your needs before moving forward. Would it help if I shared how similar teams have successfully implemented this?”
• Use social proof: Provide examples of companies that had similar hesitations but later saw success.

2. Lack of internal consensus

Another common reason that deals are slow or get dropped altogether is because you don’t have enough internal buy-in from important decision-makers:

“I like what I’m seeing, but I’m not the only decision-maker. I need to get buy-in from my team."

Individual stakeholders may not feel they have enough authority to complete the deal. 

The average B2B buying group has grown from 6 to 12 stakeholders, making decisions more complex.

How to handle it:

• Help them build the business case: “It sounds like internal alignment is a key factor here. Would it be helpful if I shared resources or a template that could make that conversation easier for you?”
• Offer to assist in multi-threading: “Who else would need to be involved in this decision? I’d be happy to tailor a conversation for them.”

3. Scepticism of salespeople

Unfortunately, no matter how good a sales rep you are, your prospect has likely been burned by previous reps who haven’t offered them a valuable experience. A lot of prospects say:

“I don’t trust sales reps. I’d rather do my own research than be sold to."

A study by Brevet highlights that only 13% of customers believe a salesperson can understand their requirements, further emphasising the disconnect between buyers and sales representatives.

How to handle it:

• Lead with insight, not a pitch: “I completely understand. My goal isn’t to sell you something that doesn’t fit—I’d rather help you figure out if this is the right solution for your needs.”
• Show expertise: Instead of jumping into a demo, share industry trends, case studies, or data-backed insights.

Okay, with that out of the way, let’s get to the top 9 most common objections you’ll face from prospects, and how to respond! 👇

Many sales reps ask how to get past the email me objections when cold calling.

Ivana has a few ways to respond to this objection, as there are multiple reasons why the prospect might say this. 

1. They don’t like phone calls; they prefer to speak over email. 
2. They’re busy at that particular moment, so it’s not convenient to talk.
3. It’s a brush-off: they want you off the phone and don’t plan to read your email even though they’ve asked for it.

Ivana tries to figure out the reason behind this cold call objection so she can respond appropriately, for example:

“Yes, of course I can send you an email! What in particular would you like me to include in the email? Is there any specific information you’d be interested to know?”

“Yes, of course - I appreciate you must be very busy. Is there a better time when I could call you back?”

Ivana adds:

“In this one, you’re directly ignoring their request for the email - but it’s because I feel as though they’re not going to open whatever email I send them. I want to get them back on the phone.”

Plus, in this instance, having a scheduled time to speak is beneficial. Why? Because you’re more likely to get your prospects’ complete focus, especially if it’s simply a timing issue in the way.

“In my experience, when I call back and say ‘you asked me to call you back’, they’re more open to talk to me.”

The last one is a little more controversial and won’t work for every prospect, but Ivana finds that with specific prospects, when the conversation is more lighthearted and jovial, you can say something along the lines of:

“Let’s be honest, you’re a very busy person and your mailbox is probably full, you’re never going to open my email. Do you have a minute for me to explain why I called just now?”

Ivana tends to judge which of these three objection handling responses feels right to use in the moment, based on the information she can gather.

2. “Our process is working well, we don’t want to change anything.”

You may feel as though this objection is a closed door. They’re happy with the way they’re doing things at the moment and don’t wish to change 🤷‍♀️

Many objections to cold calling start off this way, but if you continue to ask questions and dig for more information, you might uncover certain pain points to work with.

Ivana starts this expedition by saying:

“Oh that’s fantastic, so what is it that’s working so well?”

She tends to find that this gets people talking as they like to share what’s working well for them. It’s a chance to share their successes. 

3. “We already use (enter x competitor here).”

Again, this feels like a solid ‘not interested’ cold call objection response, but it is one of Ivana’s favourites. 

“This is a great opportunity to start a conversation. You get a chance to compare your solution to their current setup.”

Ivana has a trick up her sleeve to get her prospects talking about the solution they have in place. 

“I ask them to rate their experience with the competitor out of 10.”

“Rarely do you have people answer saying 10, which then means you open the floor to ask:

“What’s missing? What would make it a 10? What features do they not offer that would help increase that score?”

There you have it - the pain!

Uncovering pain points is an excellent tactic for overcoming objections in cold calling. Once you know what they are, you can share how your product or service can solve those pains. 

4. “How much does it cost/what’s the price?”

While asking about pricing isn’t an objection on the surface, some prospects don’t like to proceed without knowing what the cost is going to be. 

Depending on the industry or the product or service being sold, SDRs may not know the prices in the first place. Plus, prices may change based on the number of people in the company, the features chosen, or various other factors. 

In this instance, Ivana responds by saying something like this:

“We offer bespoke services, it depends on what you need from our features. My product specialist can tell you more about the price in the next call.”

Ivana explains why this cold call objection rebuttal works:

“Generally, that intrigues people enough to attend the next meeting.”

5. “I don’t have time - I’m busy.”

The trick when answering this one is figuring out if they’re genuinely super-pushed for time or if they’re simply brushing you off because they’d rather not spend their time talking to you. 

You have to remember that most people have a hard time trusting salespeople, so they will try to keep you at arm’s length—setting the expectation right from the beginning that if they sniff BS, they’ll drop off the call. 

Ivana tends to follow this format to overcome this particular cold call rejection:

“No worries, I will be really quick - I promise!”

“Then I go into my pitch - often, they speak to me for 10 minutes.”

“If they tell me again that they’re busy, I’ll usually push a second time, saying I won’t take up much more of their time.” 

“But if they’re persistent about dropping off the call, I’ll try to find another time to talk. I’d ask them:”

“Is there a convenient time when I can give you a ring back?”

“So they say in 30 mins, tomorrow or Friday next week or something - and I can call them back then.”

Another tip Ivana has in this scenario is to shoot them a 5-minute calendar invite—if the call isn’t on the same day. This way, the prospect remembers to expect your call.

If you don’t get a chance to ask for another time to speak during your short conversation, try following up shortly after the call. 

Ivana suggests sending over a LinkedIn request, including the following message:

“Sorry I didn’t catch you at a convenient time today, I was hoping to speak to you about xyz. Is there another time that might work better for you in the coming week?”

What’s important to remember here is that when someone is busy, they haven’t rejected you. They haven’t heard your pitch - so don’t rule them out yet!

6. “We don’t need it/we only do inbound.”

The next cold call objection and response are industry-specific for SaaS sales, but the underlying objection, ‘We don’t need it,’ can be applied across the board. 

Ivana tells us that she sometimes hears, ‘We only do inbound lead generation, so a tool like this wouldn’t work for us. We don’t need it. We don’t do outbound.’

“I still won’t end the conversation saying ‘oh no worries, goodbye’.

“Instead, I ask them more questions. Such as:”

"Where do you get these inbound leads?"

"Where do you get your data from?" 

"How do you keep your data fresh?"

“I’m likely to learn something by asking these questions. That allows me to show them how our tool would work for them.”

“I won’t end a call after a prospect objects to me the first time - unless they ask me to remove them from my prospecting list. I always try to get into a conversation and learn more in case a fit isn’t initially obvious.”

Even if this cold calling example doesn’t perfectly fit your industry, you can apply this same logic. If a prospect raises this objection when cold calling, ask them more questions about their current set. You’ll soon discover if there are features to your product or service that do fit their requirements.

7. “The timing isn’t right.”

Maybe your prospect has already allocated their budget for the quarter.

Maybe they’re bound by a contract for a few months. 

Maybe the circumstances mean the stars don’t align for you to make a deal at this moment in time. 

So, this prospect is a no-go for the time being.

But they could be a future opportunity. 

Ivana suggests trying to find out more about their organisation. Things like:

• What do they do?
• What systems do they have in place?
• How might their environment change in the coming months?

This way, she gauges how long to leave it before trying to contact them again in the near future. When she does, she has new information to guide her should there be any further objections that need answers in the next conversation. 

For example:

“Hey, I spoke to you in June and this was your situation - this is what we spoke about. What’s going on for you now?”

This cold call objection is simply kicking the can a little further down the track so you can pick it up later.

8. “I’m the wrong person to speak to - this isn’t in my remit.”

Oops, so maybe your list was a little off. Or your research came up with the wrong decision-maker within an organisation. 

But don’t worry; this is your opportunity to get a referral to reach the right person. 

And the best thing about this?

When you call the right person, you already have an in. 

You can say:

“I gave (name) a ring earlier today and they said you’d be the best person to speak to about this.”

A prospect is far more likely to be open to talking if you name-drop someone else in their business.

So what do you say when you reach the wrong person? Ivana suggests:

“Oh sorry to bother you, do you happen to have the phone number for the best person placed to speak to me about this? Who in your organisation manages (x)?”

Then off you go! Get back on the phone and call the right contact 🙌

9. The prospect is grumpy, moody or emotional

This isn’t precisely a verbal objection, but if you’ve spent any time in outbound sales, you’ve probably had someone who’s obviously having a bad day on the other end of the line. 

This might mean they’re not in the right headspace to talk to you or willing to make any decisions quite yet. They may even hang up the phone.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t feel differently at a later date, especially if you research the best time to call them.

Ivana says:

“In cases like this, I’d always call back in 2 or 3 days. You’d be surprised at how different their mood can be.”

You can always acknowledge the previous attempt to call, too, saying something along the lines of:

“Seems like the last time I called, I caught you at the worst moment - is now a better time to talk?”

Top Tips to Handle Rebuttals

1. Reframe how you view cold call rejection

A sales rejection isn’t really rejection - it’s information.

You shouldn’t take no for an answer. Sales development reps must recognise when they’re wasting their time with someone who isn’t interested and won’t ever be.

Ryan said:

“Part of the role of an SDR is to go out on a fact-finding mission, learn about the prospect’s pain points and see if they might have a solution to help.”

In other words, an SDR is a scout venturing ahead of the group to look for routes worth taking.

Ryan continues:

“So cold call rejection, in reality, is data to inform you on their situation and circumstances at that moment.”

“It isn’t permanent. Things change. You can follow up another day. Sometimes, it’s just an issue of timing.”

For example, let’s say you call your prospect on a busy Monday afternoon.

They don’t know who you are, and you’ve interrupted them in a flow - they’re busy preparing for a big meeting. 

They might tell you they’re not interested in speaking to you or are too busy to talk.

But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want to hear what you say under less pressure.

Your window to ask questions is short. Ryan advises gathering as much information as possible about why they might reject you.

“Try to understand it. If they tell you ‘it’s just not for us’, then ask questions like:

• Is it just not for you right now?
• Do you have an alternative solution?
• Is this something that isn’t on your radar?”

“And from this, you can understand how to process the sales rejection and what is holding them back. Maybe you can send them some follow-up information. Some might engage. They visit the website, now [they’ve accepted cookies], they get ads so that they might come back someday.”

Knowledge is power, after all. The more you can understand where your prospects’ heads are at, the easier it is to follow up with them later, hopefully when it’s more convenient to talk.

💡You might also be interested in our article on the best time to cold call to reduce sales rejections.

2. Consider the buyer’s pyramid

Another helpful way to reframe how to process rejection as a cold caller is to put your calls in the context of Chet Holmes’ Buyer’s Pyramid.

Ryan explained the framework more thoroughly. It shows what percentage of your audience will likely buy at any given moment.

• Only 3% of the people on your call list are buying now.
• About 7% are open to buying.
• Roughly 30% are not thinking about it.
• The other 30% don’t think they’re interested.
• And the final 30% know they’re not interested.

“So by that logic, 6/10 of your cold calls will almost definitely end in rejection - just by simple statistics.”

“Only 1 in 10 are in that ‘buying now’ or ‘open to it’ category. And some of them may have already been researching a competitor.”

“Your winning zone is the 30% that aren’t thinking about it yet. These are the prospects you are most likely to influence.” 

“Most people starting cold calling will fall into the 3-10% conversion rate range.”

You can see how understanding the math lets you visualise what’s realistic regarding success. 

Ryan said:

“Most SDRs aren’t getting as many rejections as they should be. They don’t make enough dials and give up after one or two cold call rejections because it feels tough.”

“But if you want to be a successful SDR, you have to be willing to make the nine calls where you get rejected to get the tenth call where you book the meeting.”

3. Prepare, prepare, prepare

We asked Ryan if you could do any sales call prep work before the call to reduce your chances of cold call rejection.

He told us:

“Of course, skill matters to an extent. Having an effective cold calling framework behind you and the ability to manage a conversation confidently can help.”

“But even if you are as prepared as you can be. You’ve practised, know your script inside and out, and prepared sales rejection responses for as much as you can think of…”

“You will still get rejections.”

“Because it isn’t about you. If your prospect isn’t ready to talk yet, there isn’t much you can do at that time.”

“So accept it, move on to your next call, and see how you can follow up with this prospect in future.”

To a certain extent, cold calling is a numbers game. Understand the math and try not to take the rejections personally.

Handling cold call rejection is a challenge. Here are a few resources to help you prepare your responses: 

• Cold calling scripts
• Cold calling opening lines
• Cold calling examples
• Cold email templates
• Voicemail scripts

4. Put the prospect first

Think about what happens when you enter a physical store. The shop assistant comes over to ask if you need help finding anything. 

You reply, ‘No thanks, I’m just browsing.’

But then the shop assistant tries to change your mind:

‘Are you sure? Let me tell you more about how great these products are. Why would you come into the store if you weren’t going to buy something?’

Turning on your heels and leaving the shop wouldn’t take long!

Reacting this way on the phone is likely to have a similar effect. Your prospect switches off, their guard comes up, and you’re quickly brushed off.

Ryan explains:

“Many SDRs are told to operate this way, book meetings at any cost, and try to change your prospects’ minds.”

“But generally, people don’t respond well to being told what to do or feeling forced into making a decision.”

“Try to have empathy; I’m a human being, and you’re a human being. We don’t know each other, and I may have interrupted you in the middle of something. Try to put yourself in their shoes.”

You’re more likely to make a good impression on your prospects if you’re honest.

Maybe you realise your solution won’t solve the problem they’re facing. But you do know another SDR who works with an alternative that might.

Offering that information will likely do much more for your reputation than forcing your pitch down their throat.

5. Don’t take offence

If Alexander Hamilton hadn’t taken so much offence from Aaron Burr’s insults, he might not have died in a duel.

Of course, taking offence after a cold call rejection won’t lead to such violent ends, but it will make you stew in resentment, thus halting your forward progress.

Don’t obsess over thoughts like this: 

“But he needs our product so badly! How can he not see it!” 

Understand:

“Most prospects are already wary of salespeople calling and have been conditioned to avoid them.”

Noah Kagan, author of Million Dollar Weekend, offers a silly yet effective exercise to handle sales rejection: The Coffee Challenge. 

Here’s how to do it. 

Go to a cafe and ask the barista for a discount on whatever you ordered. And do it with sincerity. No laughing! 

You’ll feel incredibly uncomfortable while asking, but when they inevitably say no, you’ll walk away unscathed, having built up your capacity for the discomfort of rejection.

And if that soft rejection doesn’t help you can check out our article on how to get over the fear of cold calling. 

6. Track and review sales calls

Reviewing unsuccessful cold call recordings turns those rejections into learning experiences, like a footballer re-watching their last match.

You can identify where the call went wrong, allowing you to improve next time. This makes cold call rejections feel like they have a purpose; they’re rungs on the ladder towards mastery. 

Tracking your cold calls and data points, such as the number of rejections, booked meetings, and conversion rate, will also help you feel better about rejections, especially if you’re having a bad day. 

Ryan recommends checking past cold calling stats as a quick way to pick yourself up after a bad start to the cold call block:

“Some days, you’ll have more sales rejections than others, but have a look at your stats across the month. They generally normalise over time.”

“If you have a hard day but only had six conversations, maybe those were the 6/10 that were never going to be interested.”

“Make some more calls; the next few might be better! You have to hang on for the layup. If you let the first ten get to you, you might give up, but stick to the process. The numbers usually work out.”

Starting a cold call block with 20 rejections can make the task feel hopeless. We respond emotionally first before logically examining the situation.

However, a quick scan of your cold call report might awaken the rational part of your brain with the historical fact that, on average, your cold call success rate is one for every 21 cold calls you make.

7. Follow up on conversations

After a cold call rejection, the game isn’t over. The lead can still become a customer down the line. 

Especially if the rejection was any of these: 

• I’m too busy.
• We don’t have the budget. 
• We already have a solution for this. 

In those cases, keep nurturing the lead with valuable content and follow up with another call in 2-3 months. 

By then, the lead’s workload, budget, and satisfaction with their current provider might have all changed. 

Even if everything has remained the same on their end, they might be more open to a conversation with you for any of these reasons:

• They like the content you’ve been sending them.
• You are no longer a stranger.
• They’re just in a chatty mood. 

When you treat cold call rejection as the first step in a relationship-building process, it’ll be easier to swallow.

8. Leverage soft rejections 

Soft rejections open the door for future outreach; sometimes, they almost even feel like they’re inviting it. 

It’s when a lead said something like the following:

"Hmmm, interesting, ya know what, now’s not a good time, but it sounds like a useful tool.” 

In this example, the lead has complimented the product. 

They’ve used the word “now,” implying that they might be interested at a better time. They don’t say to call back in a month, but they certainly mean it. 

Dig into these rejections.

A rebuttal example here is to say you understand, then ask for permission to ask a few more questions—as Ryan said, to get information to help you with your next outreach. 

• “Just out of curiosity, what did you like about the tool?” 
• “Is there a specific time when you review new tools?”

Gather the intel, then make an automated reminder in your CRM to reach back out in a month, maybe even less if the rejection was warm butter soft. 

In the meantime, keep building the relationship and showing your value as a problem solver and industry expert: 

“If you can offer your prospect value, they’ll see you care about helping them. They’re far more likely to remember you and want to work with you in future if their circumstances change.”

Too many salespeople give up after soft rejections. Don’t be one of them. These can often end up being easy sales later on.

9. Accept the rejection

Want to stay in the good graces of your lead while protecting yourself from gut-wrenching self-pity? 

Accept the rejection, much like the Buddhist monk accepts a toothache. 

Not to get too spiritual on you here… but once accepted, the experience loses its power to cause you distress. 

“Happiness can exist only in acceptance.” - George Orwell.

Additionally, playing it cool signals to the lead that you respect their time and are high-value, with plenty of other leads to choose from. 

This perceived value increases the likelihood that they’re open to speaking with you later on.  

So, keep Ryan’s words in mind when you feel like pouting or pushing: 

“Your prospect hasn’t requested this phone call, and you’re calling them unannounced. So respect their decision to not speak to you if it’s not a good time.”

And that’s how to process sales rejection.

10. Look to your mentor

Humans learn primarily through imitation. 

When someone sees someone do something they admire, they unconsciously copy it. 

This is one of the reasons why it’s so valuable to have a good sales manager. Their character, tactics, and approaches to difficult sales situations inevitably rub off on you. 

Of course, the amount of their brilliance you absorb depends on how much time you spend with them, so strive to do the following activities as much as possible: 

• Mock cold call sessions. 
• Sales call shadowing. 
• One-on-one conversation. 

Concerning cold call rejection, ask them how they handle slumps and the doldrums of constant rejection. 

They may have unique tactics and rebuttal examples you could try out. 

And more than that, they’ll likely provide you with the support and encouragement you need to push through your paralysis, hopefully in the form of stories about their own experiences with rejection and objection handling. 

Sometimes, just hearing that someone we look up to has gone through the same thing is enough to relieve the discomfort.

11. Take a step back

Let’s say you made 200 calls, 100 people answered, and they all flat-out rejected you. 

It might be time to review your list of leads and your approach to cold calling. Something is off. 

Ryan echoes the sentiment: 

“Review the suitability of your prospects for your product or service and adjust your message where necessary.”

After ensuring your list contains high-quality leads who fit your ideal customer profile, review the part of your cold call script where calls usually go awry. 

That might be the opening, the value proposition, or the close. 

Figure out one to two ways to tweak the script, preferably with the sharp eye of a peer or manager. 

Then, if you feel you need it, take a real step back. 

Take a day off from cold calling.  

Tomorrow, you can try out your new approach. Today, catch up on social selling, do some email outreach, or just go and do something fun to recharge. Tomorrow is another day. The cold leads aren’t going anywhere. 

Conclusion: reframing cold call objections

Cold calling objections aren’t roadblocks; they’re openings.

Each pushback gives you valuable information about your prospect’s priorities, timing, or pain points.

The best SDRs don’t rush to overcome objections; they listen, empathise, and guide prospects towards clarity.

With practice, preparation, and the right mindset, objections become less about rejection and more about connection.

And when every call is an opportunity to learn, refine, and re-engage, cold calling starts to work.