Objection handling

Handling the "We Already Looked Into This" Objection

They did their homework once — but research has a shelf life. What they concluded may be outdated, incomplete, or based on options that have since changed. Find out what they decided and why.

"We already looked into this"
Why prospects say it

This signals prior evaluation that reached some conclusion — 'too expensive,' 'not ready,' 'no clear winner.' It's used to shut down a repeat pitch. But markets, prices, and their own situation move; a decision made 18 months ago on old information isn't binding today. The opening is to learn what they concluded and gently test whether the premises still hold.

How to handle it

  • Acknowledge the effort — respect that they've already invested time here.
  • Find out what they concluded and, crucially, when they looked.
  • Surface what's changed since: your offering, the market, or their situation.
  • Distinguish your approach from whatever they evaluated before.
  • Offer a low-effort refresh rather than asking them to redo full research.

What you can actually say

Good — so you know the space. What did you conclude, and roughly when did you look? A lot can shift in a year.
Fair enough. Most people who looked into this a while back based it on options that have changed since. What put you off at the time?
That saves us both time. Whatever you evaluated, here's what's likely different now: [specific]. Worth a quick re-look?
Understood. Rather than redo all that research, can I just update you on the two things that have changed since you last checked?

What to avoid

Don't imply their earlier research was wrong or lazy — you insult their diligence and reinforce the closed door.

How Tepio helps with this one

Tepio's brief flags what's recently changed for this company or its market, so you can reopen a closed evaluation with a genuine 'here's what's new.'

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