Objection Response Builder

At a glance

What's really going on

The gap is real: $48,160 - $43,000 = $5,160 a year, or $430 a month. But Lena didn't say the price is wrong. She said she can't justify it to the CFO. That points to a missing story, not a missing discount. The cost of Coastal Pack's late deliveries landed on the plant floor (Tom Reyes), not on Lena's budget, so the $9,000 Q3 stoppage may not be in the CFO's picture at all.

Ask this first

"When you take this to your CFO, is it only the line price they look at, or does what happened on Line 2 in Q3 count too?"

Backup if she dodges: "What would the CFO need to see to say yes at $48,160?"

Why this question: it tells you whether the $9,000 stoppage helps her case or doesn't count, before you spend your best argument.

Three ways to answer

Soft: "That's fair. It is more than you pay now, and you're the one who has to defend it. Let me make that easier. What would help most when you take this to the CFO?" Use when: she sounds stuck in the middle and needs help, not a debate.

Direct: "We are $5,160 a year more than Coastal Pack. What you get for that is 48-hour delivery from our regional warehouse, so a late truck doesn't stop Line 2. If that isn't worth $430 a month to Harbor, we're not the right fit." Use when: she's decisive and wants the trade-off laid out plainly.

Reframe: "One late delivery in Q3 cost you about $9,000. Our price gap for the whole year is $5,160. So the real question for your CFO isn't whether we're 12% higher. It's whether Harbor can afford another stoppage like that one." Use when: she confirms the stoppage counts in the CFO's view.

Live-call talk track

For Tuesday, November 3 at 10:00.

1. Acknowledge: "Lena, I've been thinking about what you said Friday. You're right, we're 12% higher, and you're the one who has to defend that." "Right. And the CFO is going to see that number first."
2. Ask: "When you take this to your CFO, is it only the line price, or does what happened on Line 2 in Q3 count too?" "He knows about it. Tom made sure everyone heard about that day."
3. Answer (Reframe): "Then here's the way I'd put it. That one stoppage cost about $9,000. Our gap for the whole year is $5,160. With 48-hour delivery from our regional warehouse, a late truck doesn't stop the line." "That's a better way to say it. He'll still ask if we can sharpen the number."
4. Confirm: "Would it help if I wrote that up as one page for him, with the Q3 numbers? I can have it to you by Thursday, and we can talk Monday the 9th before you meet with him."

Follow-up email

Subject: making the case to your CFO

Lena,

Thanks for being straight with me Friday. You're right that we're higher: $48,160 a year against the $43,000 you pay Coastal Pack, a $5,160 gap.

The other number is the one you shared: Line 2's stoppage in Q3 cost about $9,000. Our 48-hour delivery from the regional warehouse is built to stop that from happening again.

Before Tuesday at 10:00, one question: does the Q3 stoppage factor into how your CFO looks at this, or is it price only?

Dana Okafor · Northside Supply Co.

If you have room to move

Ask your manager before Tuesday, so you're not deciding on the call:

• Could we lock this price for two years, so the CFO sees a fixed cost against Coastal Pack's [renewal increases, if any]?
• Could we start with Line 2 only, at a smaller annual amount, as a trial?

Don't lead with either. Use one only if price is still the blocker after the reframe.

Don't say

• "We're worth it." It asks her to take your word for it. The $9,000 is her number; use that instead.
• "Coastal Pack is unreliable." She chose them. Talk about the Q3 stoppage, not their company.
• "What if I knock off 5%?" You don't know price is the real issue yet, and it teaches her that pushing works.

CRM note

Objection (Oct 30): price 12% over Coastal Pack; Lena can't justify it to CFO. Real concern: needs a CFO-ready case. Q3 Line 2 stoppage cost ~$9,000 vs. $5,160/yr gap. Next step: Tue Nov 3, 10:00 call. Ask if stoppage counts for CFO; offer one-page CFO summary with the Q3 stoppage numbers. Decision by Fri Nov 20.