Treat an authority objection as a routing problem first. The person may be telling you who can approve the purchase or protecting control of the process while testing whether you have earned a wider conversation. It can mean you need to identify the right decision maker or that the lead does not trust you yet.1 Separate those possibilities before asking for an introduction.
First, hear the objection
Hear the full response and judge the call's temperature. The same words can signal different levels of openness. Tone gives you information about interest, so listen to how the person answers before you build a response.2 When the answer comes with upbeat energy, match that energy and intonation in your reply.3 Keep a short list of common objections and responses in front of you so you can stay level-headed and continue the conversation.4
Give the person room to explain what the authority statement means. Listen for a firm boundary, a lack of relevance, a concern about the offer, or a route to someone else.
Find the issue behind the authority objection
With room to continue, find out whether the person is pointing you toward someone else or protecting their own process. A direct question can surface that without forcing a referral.
Ask, "Well, out of curiosity, who in your business would be interested in something?"5
If they name another person, ask what that person is likely to challenge: "What do you anticipate him or her having an issue with?"6
The answer tells you where the next conversation could stall. It may give you a concern to address, a person to involve, or a reason to keep building trust with the current contact. Ask what the contact would need in order to feel comfortable moving the conversation forward.
Map who must agree
Use the objection to map the decision: who needs to agree, what each person will examine, and how the current contact wants to participate.
Other stakeholders may need to agree before the initiative can move forward.7 A contact may also be exploring the idea alone before introducing it to the people who could join a future decision.8 Ask questions such as:
- Who else will need to be comfortable with this?
- What will each person want to understand?
- What part of the conversation would you like to lead?
- When should we bring the other person in?
If the contact insists on making the decision alone, that can indicate they want or need control of the process.9 Ask what they need to own, approve, or protect before you suggest a wider call.
Resolve the concern by understanding what the contact needs to move forward.10 That answer gives you a better next step than a generic request to speak with someone senior.
Secure a route forward
With the issue clear, ask for a concrete route. It can be an introduction, a return call, or information about the person and process you need to reach.
Ask, "Who would be the right person to include, and how would you prefer to bring them in?" Then pause. If the contact cannot make an introduction, ask when to call back and what context to mention.
The sale generally will not happen on the first call, and even reaching the decision maker on the first attempt can require calls scheduled for a future date.11 When the process goes badly, reaching the person in charge can require 5-10 calls.12 Build follow-up into the plan because incremental progress and substantial follow-up are required.13
Record the information you gained, the concern the other person may raise, and the next route you agreed, because a useful call can produce a path forward before it produces a meeting.
Work with the person controlling access
Some calls reach the person who controls access to the person you want to reach. Treat that conversation as part of the route, because the information you get there can shape the next attempt.
Gatekeepers commonly include executive assistants, receptionists, and office managers who stand between salespeople and decision-makers.14 If the person is not in a rush, ask about their day and get to know them. These people can influence what the decision-maker's day looks like.15
A respectful conversation can make them more willing to share when to call back or the best way to reach the decision-maker.16 If you have a genuine connection to someone they are likely to know, use that connection when asking to be put through.17 Without that connection, refer to the person's recent work or relevant industry publications when requesting a conversation.18 Researching the person makes it easier to connect personally and show that you have a reason for calling.19
What not to do
Avoid these mistakes:
- Do not accept either a yes or a no from someone who lacks the authority to make the decision.20
- Do not answer negative energy with equal negativity, because that approach is unlikely to make progress.21
- Use the gatekeeper conversation to win trust, and do not treat the gatekeeper as a roadblock.22
- Treat a request to be removed from the calling list differently from a statement that the prospect is busy and cannot talk at that moment.23