How do I find out the real objection behind what a client says?

Test the objection with a suppose-question before you solve anything: "Suppose I solved X, would you then do Y?" A yes means you have the real objection. A no or a new objection means something else lies beneath it, and you keep asking. This step is called Isolate, the hinge of the WRIOC method.

The method

A yes on the suppose-question means the objection is isolated. The other person is effectively saying: if this point goes away, I agree. Now a targeted solution counts.

A no means the stated objection is not the deciding factor. You go back to open questions and dig further. That feels like a step back, but it is a win. You just avoided solving a problem that does not matter.

• Frame the suppose-question as a hypothesis, not a commitment. "Suppose" is a test, not a promise.
• Link the hypothesis to the objection you actually heard. "Suppose the fee were not an issue, would you then fill this role with me?"
• Ask one suppose-question at a time. Two at once makes the answer unreliable.
• Listen to the first word of the answer. A "yes, but" is a no.

Worked example

An engineering firm in Zwolle pushes back on your 28% fee for a scarce lead mechanical engineer. You ask: "Suppose we found a fee structure that works for you, would you then start with me this week?" The manager hesitates: "Well, we got burned before, the last hire left after four months." The fee was never the real objection. The risk was. You go back, ask about that experience, and later solve the real point with a replacement guarantee. The fee stays 28%.

What not to do

• Skipping Isolate. Without a yes on the suppose-question every solution is a guess.
• Treating the suppose-question as a commitment. The other person is testing the objection, not their willingness to sign.
• Pushing a solution after a no. Go back and find the real objection first.