The big five objections

Objections are the job, not the obstacle

A cold call with no objection is a wrong number. The big five — "not interested," "send me some info," "we already have someone," "too busy," and "how much?" — will make up the majority of every shift for the rest of your setting career. Amateurs hear them as rejection. Professionals hear them as the predictable next line in a script they've already rehearsed. One frame governs everything below: agree first, never argue. The prospect expects pushback; agreement breaks the pattern and keeps them talking.

"Not interested"

The mechanics: validate, then one specific curiosity hook, then a single easy question. If they answer the question, the call is alive again. If they say "not interested" a second time with weight — thank them and dial the next number. The rule of two: handle an objection twice maximum, then exit gracefully. Arguing past two burns the list and your energy.

"Just send me some info"

Hear this for what it usually is: a polite no. Sending a PDF to a cold prospect converts at approximately zero. Your move is to qualify the request:

If they give you a real question, you have real interest — pivot to the appointment. If they can't name one, they were brushing you off, and you've saved yourself a wasted send and a wasted follow-up.

"We already have someone"

Never attack the incumbent — it forces the prospect to defend their past decision, and you lose. The satisfaction-scale question does the work: almost nobody says ten, and the gap between their number and ten is your appointment. "Worth a 15-minute second opinion? If your current setup wins the comparison, you've confirmed a good decision for free."

"I'm too busy" and "How much?"

Too busy — agree and use it: "Totally get it — that's actually the reason for the call. Owners doing invoices on Sunday night are exactly who Jennifer helps. I'm not asking for time this week: is Thursday next week calmer, morning or afternoon?" Naming a distant, specific slot converts "busy now" into "booked later" instead of "gone forever."

How much — never quote price; you don't own pricing, and any number you say becomes the objection on the next call: "Honest answer: it depends on your setup, and I'd be guessing — that's exactly what the 15-minute call figures out. Worst case, you walk away knowing the market rate for your situation. Tuesday or Thursday?" Deflect with honesty, anchor the value of the call itself, close again.

The exit that protects the list

When the second rebuttal doesn't land, exit like a professional: "Fair enough, Mike — I appreciate you hearing me out. I'll leave you alone. If hail hits again this spring, we're the ones your neighbors on Cedar Bend used. Have a good day." No sulking, no hang-up click mid-sentence. Prospects get re-dialed in 90 days by you or a teammate, and the ones you left smiling answer again. The ones you argued with are burned forever — and dispositioned lists are company assets you're paid to protect.

Do this now

Build your objection cheat sheet: one page, five objections, and for each — your rebuttal in your own words (not copied from above), the tonality note in three words ("warm, slow, curious"), and the follow-up question that reopens the conversation. Then record yourself handling all five back-to-back on your phone, having a friend or family member throw them at you in random order. Save the recording next to your Lesson 2 script take. This sheet lives next to your keyboard for your entire first year — every working setter has one. 25 minutes.