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Script text
— OBJECTION: "I need to think about it" —
I completely respect that. Before you go, can I ask — when you say you need to think about it, is it more that you're unclear on the fit, or is there something specific giving you pause?
[Listen. Don't jump in.]
[If unclear on fit:]
What would make it feel like a clear yes for you?
[If something specific:]
Tell me more about that. [Dig into the real concern.]
Here's what I'll offer: most people who say they need to think about it already know their answer — they're just looking for permission. What does your gut say right now, in this moment?
[Pause. Let them speak.]
— OBJECTION: "I can't afford it" —
Thank you for being honest with me. Can I explore that a little?
When you say you can't afford it — is it that the money genuinely isn't available, or is it that you're not sure the investment is worth it for you right now?
[Listen carefully — these need different responses.]
[If genuinely not available:]
I hear you. I don't want you to go into financial stress — that's not the foundation for good coaching work. Let me ask: is there a version of this that would be financially accessible? [Discuss payment options or lower-tier offer if available.]
[If not sure it's worth it:]
That's really honest, and I appreciate it. Let me ask you this: if [The specific outcome they said they wanted] happened in the next [Timeframe], what would that be worth to you? Financially, and personally?
[Pause. Let them calculate.]
The question isn't whether [Price] is a lot of money. The question is whether [Transformation] is worth [Price] to you right now.
What's true for you?
What you'll need to fill in
This script has 4 details to fill in before you read it. Have these to hand — the customizer above updates the script as you type:
- The specific outcome they said they wanted
- Timeframe
- Price
- Transformation
It also contains 10 stage directions in grey. Those are instructions to you, not lines to say out loud — they mark where to pause, listen, or wait for a response.
That timing assumes about 130 words a minute, which is a normal conversational pace. If you are presenting to a room you will likely go slower; if you are nervous you will go faster. Read it aloud once and time yourself before it matters.
When to use this script
Use this to prepare for the conversations you keep handling inconsistently. Discovery calls, first sessions, difficult feedback, and clients who want to quit all recur across a coaching practice, and improvising each one afresh produces wildly variable results. A script is a rehearsal of the structure, not a text to read to a client.
The value is mostly in preparation. Working through the wording in advance means you have already decided how to phrase the hard question, which frees you to actually listen when the session happens.
Making it sound like you
- Turn statements into questions wherever you can. Coaching works through the client's own realisations.
- Prepare the hard question exactly. Under the pressure of a real session, that is the one that gets softened into uselessness.
- Leave deliberate silence in the structure. The pause after a difficult question is doing the work.
- Adjust the language to your modality and your client. Borrowed frameworks sound borrowed.
Reading it out loud
Never read this to a client — use it to prepare, then keep at most a few prompts visible during the session. If the call is on video, keep any notes near the webcam so glancing at them does not read as disengagement, which in a coaching context is more damaging than in most.
More on the setup side: Teleprompter for Webcam, Teleprompter for Laptop, Moving Text for Scripts.
Questions about this script
How long does this coaching objection handling script (money & think about it) script take to read?
The script runs to about 274 words, which is roughly 2 min at a normal speaking pace of around 130 words a minute. Your own pace will vary, so time one read-through before you rely on the number.
What do I need to prepare before using this script?
There are 4 details to fill in: The specific outcome they said they wanted, Timeframe, Price, Transformation. Enter them in the customizer and the script updates as you type, then opens straight in the teleprompter.
Should I read a coaching script to a client?
No. Use it to prepare and to settle the wording of the difficult questions in advance, then keep only a few prompts in view. A coaching session that sounds delivered rather than heard undermines the relationship.
How do I use notes without seeming distracted?
Keep them minimal and positioned near your camera if the session is remote. A few key prompts you glance at are invisible; a full script you track down the page is not.
