# Objections & Responses — Agilie ## Overview This skill covers the most common objections Agilie faces during the sales process and the exact language to use in response. Read `sales/base.md` first — ICP psychology (loss aversion, bullshit filter) determines HOW to handle objections, not just WHAT to say. **Core principle:** Never argue. Never defend. Redirect with a question or a story. Most objections are not objections — they are requests for more information or trust. --- ## The objection handling framework For every objection, use this three-step pattern: 1. **Acknowledge** — show you heard it, don't fight it 2. **Reframe** — shift the frame without dismissing their concern 3. **Redirect** — ask a question or tell a story that moves the conversation forward --- ## Price objections ### "You're too expensive" **What they mean:** Either they genuinely can't afford it, or they're comparing to cheaper vendors without understanding the difference. Find out which. **Response:** ``` "I hear that. Can I ask — expensive compared to what? An in-house hire, another agency, or the cost of not solving this problem? Because those are three very different conversations." ``` **If they compare to cheaper offshore vendors:** ``` "We're not the cheapest option — and I won't pretend otherwise. The question is whether the difference in outcome justifies the difference in price. [Case study reference]: A [client type] came to us after spending $80k with a cheaper agency and getting unusable code. The rewrite cost them more than working with us from the start would have. What's your threshold for the cost of a failed project?" ``` **If budget is genuinely limited:** ``` "Understood. Let me ask — what's the budget you're working with? Because there are different ways to structure this: we could do a Discovery Phase first ($15–25k) to validate the approach before committing to full development. That reduces the risk significantly and gives you something concrete to show stakeholders." ``` --- ### "We need to think about it" **What they mean:** Something is unclear, or they're not convinced enough to move forward. "Let's think about it" almost never means "we'll actually think about it." **Response:** ``` "Of course. Can I ask — what specifically would you want to think through? Is it the investment, the approach, or whether this is the right priority right now? I ask because I'd rather address a real concern now than have you sit with an unanswered question for two weeks." ``` **If they're vague:** ``` "What would need to be true about this conversation for it to have been worth your time?" ``` This forces them to surface the real objection. --- ### "Your proposal came in higher than expected" **Response:** ``` "I appreciate you telling me directly. Help me understand — was it the total number, or the breakdown that felt off? Because we can look at this a few ways: we can reduce scope and adjust the investment accordingly, or we can phase the delivery so the initial commitment is smaller. What matters most is that the approach actually solves [their problem] — not that we hit a number." ``` **Never just discount.** Discounting without reducing scope signals that the original price was inflated. It destroys trust. --- ## Trust & risk objections ### "We've had bad experiences with outsourcing agencies before" **What they mean:** Vendor trauma — missed deadlines, scope creep, poor quality, disappearing after handoff. This is the ICP's #1 fear. Address it head-on. **Response:** ``` "That's honestly the most common thing we hear — and it's fair. Can you tell me what specifically went wrong? I want to understand whether what we do differently would have changed the outcome." ``` **After they explain:** ``` "That maps to [specific thing: communication breakdown / unclear ownership / no discovery phase / junior team presented as senior]. Here's how we're structured differently: [specific answer to their specific pain]. The best way to verify this isn't for me to tell you — it's to talk to one of our current clients. I can arrange that if it would help." ``` --- ### "How do we know you'll still be around in 2 years?" **Response:** ``` "Fair question. We've been running since 2008 — 16 years — and we have clients we've worked with continuously for over a decade. The Smart Home client we started in 2013 is still active today. Longevity in this industry comes down to not overpromising and actually delivering. Our Clutch reviews and the length of our client relationships speak to that better than I can." ``` --- ### "We need to see references / case studies first" **This is not an objection — this is a buying signal. Move fast.** **Response:** ``` "Absolutely. Which is most relevant to your situation — [option A from case study map] or [option B]? I can send the full case study in the next hour, and if you want to speak directly with someone from that project, I can usually arrange that within a week." ``` --- ### "We're worried about communication / timezone issues" **Response:** ``` "That's a real concern and I won't brush it off. Here's how we've solved it: Our teams operate with overlapping hours with US and EU clients — typically 9am–2pm in your timezone covered directly, async for the rest. Every project has a Team Lead who is the single point of contact and owns communication — you're never managing 5 different people. The Norwegian smart home client we've worked with since 2013 — entirely remote, no issues. The process is built for this." ``` --- ## Competitor & alternatives objections ### "We're also talking to [other vendor]" **Never speak negatively about competitors.** **Response:** ``` "Good — you should be comparing options. Can I ask what criteria you're evaluating on? That helps me make sure we're showing you what's actually relevant rather than a generic pitch." ``` **After they list criteria:** Position Agilie on the 1–2 criteria where the answer is strongest. If they mention price as a key criterion, address the value question directly. If they mention domain expertise, pull the most relevant case study immediately. --- ### "We're considering building in-house" **Response:** ``` "That makes sense if you're planning to build a long-term engineering capability. Can I ask — is the goal to own the team permanently, or to ship the product and then decide? The reason I ask: most of our clients who started with 'we'll build in-house' found that senior hiring in [their market] took 4–6 months and cost more than partnering with us while they hired. We've actually helped a few clients build their internal team while delivering the product in parallel." ``` --- ### "We're going to use a freelancer / cheaper option" **Response:** ``` "That can absolutely work for certain scopes. What's the project you're trying to deliver? The reason I ask: freelancers work well for defined, isolated tasks. Where they struggle is accountability, continuity, and anything that requires a team to coordinate. What does your project look like?" ``` If the scope clearly needs a team: ``` "For what you're describing, the coordination overhead of managing freelancers typically eats the cost savings. We've rebuilt several products that started that way — happy to share specifics." ``` --- ## Timing objections ### "Not the right time / we'll revisit in Q3" **Response:** ``` "Completely understand. Can I ask — is Q3 a hard deadline because of budget cycles, or because something else needs to happen first? I ask because if there's a dependency we could help resolve earlier, it's worth knowing. And if it genuinely is Q3, I'd rather schedule a 15-minute check-in for late Q2 than cold-call you then." ``` Set a specific follow-up date before ending the conversation. --- ### "We don't have budget right now" **Response:** ``` "When does that change — next quarter, next fiscal year? And is it a budget freeze or more that this hasn't been prioritised yet?" ``` If it's prioritisation: ``` "What would need to happen for this to become a priority? Sometimes working through that question together surfaces something actionable." ``` --- ## Process & fit objections ### "We need a fixed price before we can proceed" **Response:** ``` "I understand — predictability matters, especially for board approvals or fixed budgets. Let me explain why we don't give fixed prices before a Discovery Phase, and why it actually protects you: Fixed prices before scope is defined mean one of two things: either the vendor padded heavily to cover risk, or they'll change the price mid-project when reality doesn't match the estimate. What we offer instead: a fixed-price Discovery Phase ($15–25k, 2–4 weeks) that produces a scope document detailed enough to give you a reliable investment range — usually within 10–15% accuracy. That's the honest way to get to a number you can actually trust." ``` --- ### "We want to start with a small test project" **This is a reasonable request — treat it as a buying signal.** **Response:** ``` "Absolutely — that's how most of our best relationships started. What would a meaningful test look like for you? We'd suggest a Discovery Phase as the test: it's a defined scope, a clear deliverable, and it gives you a real picture of how we work — our process, communication, and quality — before committing to full development." ``` --- ### "We need someone local / onsite" **Response:** ``` "Can I ask what's driving that — is it communication preference, compliance, or something else? We have EU legal entities (Slovakia, Ukraine) which satisfies most GDPR and compliance requirements for European clients. For communication, our Team Lead structure means you have one senior point of contact who manages everything — which most clients find more effective than on-site developers who are hard to replace if they leave." ``` --- ## Post-proposal ghosting ### They received the proposal and stopped responding Wait 3 business days, then: **Follow-up #1 (Day 3):** ``` [First name], Just checking in on the proposal I sent [day]. Happy to walk through it together if that would be useful — sometimes it's easier to address questions live than over email. Does [specific time slot] work for 20 minutes? ``` **Follow-up #2 (Day 7, different angle):** ``` [First name], One thing I didn't mention in the proposal: [new relevant detail — a case study result, a compliance point, a team structure detail that maps to their specific concern]. Still happy to discuss if you have questions. ``` **Follow-up #3 (Day 12, breakup):** ``` [First name], I'll stop following up after this. If the timing changed or it went in a different direction, no problem at all. If [their core problem] resurfaces, we're easy to find. [Your name] ``` --- ## Objection severity guide | Objection | Severity | What it usually means | |---|---|---| | "Too expensive" | Medium | Needs more value justification OR scope reduction | | "Need to think about it" | Medium-High | Unspoken concern — surface it | | "Bad experience before" | High | Needs specific process proof + reference offer | | "Not the right time" | Low-Medium | Often real — set a specific follow-up date | | "Talking to others" | Low | Normal — find out their criteria and position on strengths | | "Need fixed price" | Medium | Explain Discovery Phase value | | "Building in-house" | Medium | Clarify timeline and goals — often compatible | | Post-proposal ghosting | High | Send 3 follow-ups, then close the file | --- ## What never to say - "Our prices are very competitive" — vague and often untrue - "We're actually cheaper than you think" — don't lead with price - "Trust me, we're different" — show, don't tell - "All agencies say that, but we really..." — don't reference competitors - "I understand your concern, but..." — the "but" cancels the acknowledgment - Anything that sounds defensive — it confirms their doubt