Overcoming Objections When Selling Online Courses and Coaching Programs

When entering the online course business it is important to learn how to deal with objections that your potential customers might have and gracefully steer them towards the sale.

Proper marketing for your online course can help to address potential objections and barriers before they come up. This way you can remove doubt from prospective customers who might have had these objections, but haven’t voiced or communicated them to you directly.

In this post we’ll cover common objections when selling your online course, and how you can respond to them. Before we go deeper, we want to preface this with a reminder that being successful at selling will be depend on being able to read and understand your prospects’ needs and concerns. Your responses to any potential objections, (and whether those objections will come up in the first place) will depend on your prospects’ individual situation and understanding. Role-playing the sale doesn’t work. Treat these answers to objections as examples rather than strict prescriptions.

Also keep in mind that no matter what, you need to qualify your potential customers in some way. If you end up on the phone with someone who is obviously never going to buy anything from you, then your mistake wasn’t in your ability to handle their objections, but in the fact that you are spending time on the phone with them in the first place without qualifying them first.

With that said, let’s dive in!

Types of Common Objections that Online Course Sellers Face:

Price too high:

“The price is too high”

Ask if it is a question of price or value.

If this course really provides the result you are looking for, does the price really matter? If the price was double wouldn’t it still be worth it if it provided the result you are looking for? (Note this is usually an argument you can make more easily if you online course is in a topic where the result provided can have a impact on someone’s life or finances. Courses built around hobby topics tend to have lower price ceilings.)

“I can get it cheaper from someone else”

Then why are we having this conversation?

Why do you think so many others are going through our program?

The alternative isn’t really cheaper if it doesn’t provide the same result.

Compared to who/what? Find out what they are thinking and sell the difference between your features and benefits vs what they just described. Then sell the value of the features your program has that satisfies their specific needs.

Fear of change:

“Timing isn’t right for me”

The timing usually is just fine if your prospect wants your product bad enough. An objection like this could be a sign that you haven’t built up enough desire in your sales process, or you might have failed at explaining something.

Demonstrate that they may miss out. Emphasize how your online course or program will save them the most time and the most money. Fear of loss is stronger than the fear of change! Get them to feel that they should take advantage of this opportunity.

Quality/Value:

"I need X and you don’t have X”

You have to ask your prospective student, “how does X help you? What problem does it solve?” Keep in mind that your online course may solve X for them from two different angles. So your program may accommodate their situation in a better way than they thought of! Ensure that they see that.

Many times when value is not seen in your program it is because of a misunderstanding. Find out what that is and in your explanation personalize the features of your program that addresses their needs and it will raise your program's value in their mind.

Trust/Relationship:

“I haven’t heard of you before, there are so many alternatives that seem more established.”

Tell them that is exactly why you exist now, because you saw how all the legacy alternatives aren’t innovating like you are. They are complacent and you weren’t satisfied with it when you knew you could provide better for your customers.

Stalling:

Make sure you ask them directly to invest in your program. Don't be afraid that they will say no. If they do, find out why, satisfy their objection, circle for a landing and again, ask them to buy.

“I have to ask my (partner, wife, etc)”

If you know they have the power to make the decision, they may be saying this to you because they have other doubts either in their mind or in the way you presented your product. Ask them if they have any concerns and encourage them to move forward now.

If you believe they really need to run it by someone else, tell them you’d love to be a part of that discussion to address any questions and concerns if they are comfortable with it.

“Email me more, I’ll get back to you”

If they are truly busy when you engaged with them, tell them sure, but ask them to let you know what information would be valuable to them so that you can understand their challenges and be able to provide the best solution in your email response.

Competition:

“I’m using your competitor”

If they came to you, then ask them what they are unsatisfied with from your competitor and what made them interested in your online course or program?

If you reached out to them, tell them it is great that they are already using a competitor because you believe you can help provide even more value in (insert specific area), than your competitor. Find what they like and don’t like and demonstrate how you are even better.

“I’m okay with what I have”

If you could improve one thing about your current solution, what would it be? Many of our customers didn’t realize the advantages we could give them were even possible before they spoke with us.

Closing Prospects After Objections Have Been Answered

It is becoming very popular for many online coaches and course creators to close prospects over the phone after the prospect watches a webinar.

When closing a prospective customer, it is important that you don’t talk too much. Doing so is almost like telling your potential customer a reason to not buy from you! Let them decide. If he or she needs to think to themselves for a bit that is okay. Silence is a good thing.

Once you’ve said what you had to say, it is fine to stay silent while waiting for a response. Silence means your customer is likely the process of choosing to move forward. Rushing into feeling you need to talk first when your prospect is thinking can cost you the sale!

When prospects come up with objections, they are going through the decision process in their mind and they want you to confirm with them that they are making the right choice.

After they confirm, if there is still hesitation in their voice, you can provide reassurance and complete the sale by asking: “Do you have any concerns, would there be any reason that you would change your mind?”

Want to learn more about the marketing side of the online course business? Our post on how to price your online course or coaching program is a great place to start.

Do you have a story of how you successfully closed a prospect on your online course or coaching program that you are proud of? Share it with us!