Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Sign-up Now

I just need to talk it over with my spouse

This is one of those objections that may or may not be the final one. Back in the old-school days you might have heard a slick salesperson respond: "well who wears the pants in your house?!"  Yea, if that sounds icky to you then good - it should.

So how should we respond to this objection.  The first thing you want to do when you get any objection is to respond positively. The bottom line is that if a client wants to go home and talk to their spouse before making a decision you will let them. Right? No one is going to force them to stay. People who object might be worried that you will try to keep them there and force them to buy. They may have their guard up slightly which is why we need to be positive in our initial response to the objection. So, what do you say? How about:

“Absolutely, by all means, talk it over with your spouse.”

The next thing to do is to make sure that they are comfortable with everything you have shared. Confirm that the product is right for them. You need to understand whether this is the real objection or not. People in shopping situations use the non-present spouse for one of three reasons:
1. They have a concern with the product or pricing and use the "spousal approval" as a plausible reason to let you down easy and leave without the discomfort of telling you that they do not intend to buy. They think it's easier to say no to you later when you phone them.
2. Everything is good. They don't have any concerns with the product or pricing but they use the "spousal approval" as a way to procrastinate or delay their decision. It's a lot of money so people naturally get a little nervous when it comes time to say yes.
3. They really do need to talk to their spouse. 

You really do need to know if the objection is just "code" for something else. The worst thing is putting a follow up plan in place because you think they want to talk to their spouse and meanwhile the real objection might be they don't think the product or pricing is right. So, as always, your first job when you hear any objection is to make sure you understand it. It might sound something like this:

“Absolutely, by all means, talk it over with your spouse. Listen - just before you go I want to make sure you are comfortable with everything we have discussed here today; you are happy with the vehicle you drove? The equipment, ride and handling met your expectations? So we have selected the right vehicle? If that is a yes then continue with: and the investment fits your budget right?"

Some may cringe at bringing up pricing issues so directly. They think that it might be introducing an objection. Well we disagree. If they are leaving then wouldn't you want to know that it is really about price or trade value? In our experience it most often is! Bottom line: you can’t deal with an objection if you don't know what it is. Finding out after they leave or buy somewhere else is too late.

Here is a suggestion on how to continue with understanding the objection:
Ask them: “I know you are going to speak with your spouse about this but, based on what we have discussed; what do you think they will say?”
If the answer is positive you have just effectively eliminated most of the potential objections. In the product clarification you made sure it wasn’t the product they were worried about. You made sure investment wasn’t a concern. They have told you that they feel good about moving ahead and that their spouse will likely think the same thing.

This approach will either flush out the real objection so you and your manager can resolve it or you will feel confident they are going to buy and really do need to just speak with their spouse. Either way, your odds of getting the sale are substantially higher than if you just let them walk. So will you try this approach or do you need to talk it over with your spouse?