From ‘I’ll Think About It’ to ‘When Can You Start?’
From ‘I’ll Think About It’ to ‘When Can You Start?’: Mastering Objection Handling to Close More Canadian Trade Jobs
You’ve done the hard work. You drove across town, diagnosed the problem, and put together a fair, detailed quote. But instead of an enthusiastic “Let’s do it,” you get the four words that sink more trade businesses than any other: “I’ll think about it.”
For Canadian plumbers, electricians, contractors, and landscapers, that hesitation is more than just frustrating—it’s costing you an average of $18,000 in lost revenue every year.
Mastering trade business objection handling isn’t just a “nice-to-have” sales skill; it’s a critical lever for growth. But even the best scripts are useless if you don’t answer the phone in the first place.
This guide provides the ultimate one-two punch for trade business growth. First, we’ll give you five proven, battle-tested scripts to handle the most common homeowner objections. Second, we’ll show you how to ensure you never miss the opportunity to use them.
Understanding Common Homeowner Objections
An objection is not a “no.” It’s a request for more information. When a homeowner hesitates, they are signalling an underlying fear or uncertainty. Your job is to uncover it and resolve it.
Most objections fall into a few key categories:
Price: “That’s more expensive than I expected.”
Timing: “I need to think about it,” or “Can you start sooner?”
Competition: “I have another quote that’s cheaper.”
Authority: “I need to check with my spouse.”
Trust: “How do I know the job will be done right?”
The psychology behind these stalls is simple: homeowners are afraid of making the wrong decision. By learning to address these fears directly, you transform from a salesperson into a trusted advisor. This is the first step in learning how to close more trade sales.
The 5 Objection-Busting Scripts That Work
Here are five powerful techniques for handling homeowner objections. Don’t just memorize them—understand the principle behind each one.
1. The Price Anchor: Frame Cost as an Investment
When a homeowner says your price is too high, they’re really asking, “Is it worth it?” Never apologize for your price. Instead, re-frame it as an investment in safety, quality, and peace of mind.
Objection: “Wow, that’s a lot more than I was hoping to spend.”
Response: “I understand. It’s a significant investment, and it’s smart to be careful with your budget. The reason our price is here is because we use CSA-approved parts and include a 5-year workmanship warranty. A cheaper fix might save you $300 today, but it could cost you thousands in water damage or electrical repairs down the line. We’re focused on doing this right, once.”
This script shifts the conversation from cost to value and risk, which are much stronger motivators.
2. The Competitor Contrast: Highlight Your Superiority
If a prospect mentions a cheaper quote, don't immediately offer a discount. Use it as an opportunity to highlight what makes your service superior. This is a key part of effective trade lead conversion strategies.
Objection: “I have another quote from [Competitor] for $500 less.”
Response: “Thanks for letting me know. To make sure we’re comparing apples to apples, does their quote also include [Your Unique Feature #1, e.g., a post-job cleanup guarantee] and [Your Unique Feature #2, e.g., a 10-year parts and labour warranty]? We stand behind our work completely, and that comprehensive coverage is included in our price.”
This forces the client to look beyond the bottom-line number and evaluate the actual value being delivered.
3. The Spouse Sync: Get Everyone on the Same Page
The "I need to talk to my spouse" objection is often a polite way to delay a decision. Instead of passively waiting, facilitate the conversation.
Objection: “This all sounds good, but I need to run it by my partner first.”
Response: “That’s a great idea—it’s important you’re both comfortable. To make it easier, what if we schedule a quick 10-minute call with you both tomorrow at 6 PM? I can walk through the plan and answer any questions they might have directly. That way, you don’t have to play messenger.”
This proactive approach keeps the momentum going and positions you as a helpful partner.
4. The Time Scarcity: Create Honest Urgency
You’re busy for a reason: you do good work. Use your real schedule to create a gentle, honest sense of urgency.
Objection: “Okay, let me think about it and I’ll get back to you next week.”
Response: “Of course, take the time you need. I just want to be transparent about our schedule—we’re currently booking jobs for the first week of October. That spot is likely to be filled in the next day or two. If you’d like to secure it, I’d just need a confirmation by tomorrow morning.”
This isn’t a pressure tactic; it’s a professional courtesy that respects both their time and yours.
5. The Safety & Warranty Reassurance: Build Unshakeable Trust
If a client is still hesitant, they are looking for reassurance. This is your moment to double down on your commitment to quality and safety.
Objection: “I’m still not sure...”
Response: “I hear you. Making a big decision about your home is stressful. Let me reassure you of one thing: your family’s safety and your peace of mind are our top priorities. All our work is fully insured, WSIB compliant, and backed by our iron-clad guarantee. We’re not happy until you are 100% satisfied. What’s the biggest single concern holding you back right now?”
This response builds trust and directly asks for the final barrier, allowing you to resolve it on the spot.
The Unbeatable Advantage: Why Scripts Are Useless If You Miss the Call
You can have the best objection handling scripts for trades, but they mean nothing if your calls go to voicemail.
Here’s the hard truth: 72% of calls made to trade businesses go unanswered. And with 80% of callers refusing to leave a voicemail, that’s a massive amount of lost opportunity. Every missed call is a potential high-value job handed directly to your competition.
This is where technology becomes your unfair advantage.
An AI call answering service in Canada like Voice Trade ensures you capture every single lead, 24/7/365. While you’re on a roof, under a sink, or meeting with a client, our AI receptionist for contractors is:
Answering Every Call Instantly: No more busy signals or voicemails.
Qualifying Leads: Asking the right questions to separate tire-kickers from serious buyers.
Booking Appointments: Integrating directly with your calendar to schedule profitable jobs in real-time.
Providing Bilingual Support: Seamlessly serving both English and French-speaking customers across Canada.
Ensuring PIPEDA Compliance: Keeping all your customer data secure and hosted in Canada.
By implementing an AI receptionist, you solve the first and most critical part of the sales process: showing up. This simple change can help you recover that lost $18,000 in annual revenue and add an average of $4,200 in new monthly revenue.
Putting It All Together: Your New Sales Workflow
Ready to increase your trade business revenue? Here’s how to implement this two-pronged strategy:
Train Your Team: Don’t keep these scripts to yourself. Role-play them with your team until the responses feel natural and confident.
Use Your Data: With Voice Trade, every call is transcribed and analyzed. Review these transcripts to see which objections come up most often and refine your scripts based on real-world conversations.
Combine Skill and Technology: Let your AI receptionist handle the initial capture and qualification. This frees you up to apply your new objection-handling skills to warm, pre-qualified leads who are ready to talk business.
Stop Losing Jobs. Start Growing Revenue.
Turning “I’ll think about it” into “When can you start?” isn’t magic. It’s a system.
It’s the combination of having the right words to say (trade business sales techniques) and guaranteeing you always have the opportunity to say them (reduced missed calls). By mastering these two areas, you stop leaving money on the table and start building the profitable, resilient trade business you deserve.
Ready to capture every lead and close more jobs?
Start your no-obligation, 14-day free trial of Voice Trade today. See for yourself how our Canadian-built AI receptionist can transform your business.
What's the #1 objection you hear from homeowners? Share it in the comments below!
