Sales 201: Objections vs Conditions

Posted on LinkedIn 8/11/25

Your Beast Bit (Sales Edition):

In sales, know the difference between an objection and a condition.

I just spoke with a painter client upset about losing a bid for a custom builder who told him, “my brother-in-law is also a painter. If I hire you, my wife will divorce me.” He asked how to handle it. My answer: nothing you can do.

An objection is a concern you can address...

Examples:
“Your lead time is too long.”
“I only use casement windows at all egress locations.”

A condition is a situation you can’t fix.

Examples:
“I’m retiring and closing the doors next month.”
“We are being acquired by a larger builder and we are unable to make any vendor changes at this time”

Objections can be overcome.
Conditions can’t.