Objection Handling and Closing

Common Objections and How to Handle Them

"Your price is too high."

• Ask: "Compared to what?" Get specifics.
• Reframe value: total cost of ownership — quality, lead time, scrap, support.
• Trade: longer lead time, larger volume, prepayment for a better price.
• If you truly can't compete, ask if it's worth being the backup supplier.

"We already have a supplier."

• "Most of my best customers had a supplier before me. What would it take to be your second source?"
• Ask about pain points with the current supplier.
• Stay in touch — suppliers fail eventually. Be there when they do.

"We've never heard of your company."

• Send case studies, references, capability deck.
• Offer a tour or video tour of your facility.
• Start with a small prototype order to prove yourself.

"We need to make our boards offshore for cost."

• Acknowledge the cost reality.
• Position yourself for prototypes, NPI, urgent jobs, or critical programs that can't risk offshore lead times.
• Offer to be a backup or quick-turn partner.

"Send me a quote and I'll review."

• Don't just send. Get specifics first: who else is bidding, decision timeline, what they're optimizing for.
• "Happy to send a quote. So I can put together the right one — are you optimizing for cost, lead time, or capability?"

"We need to see your certifications first."

• Send them immediately. Have a one-page sheet ready: ISO 9001, IPC, ITAR, AS9100, ISO 13485, etc.

"Your lead time is too long."

• Investigate: what's their actual need-by date?
• Offer expedite (for a fee).
• Suggest staging the order: small lot now, bulk later.

"The economy is bad / we're on freeze / we're consolidating suppliers."

• Don't push. Stay in the relationship.
• Send useful content quarterly.
• Be top-of-mind when the freeze lifts.

The Mindset

Objections aren't rejection — they're information. Every "no" tells you what's actually blocking the deal. The salespeople who win in PCBs are the ones who hear an objection, ask one more question, and turn it into a path forward.