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0.37%
Percent of Sales Calls Where Agents Overcame the “My Project Is On Hold” Objection
27.62%
Percent of Sales Calls Where “Budget” Was Brought Up By Prospects
0.28
Avg. Times Per Service Call That Agents Built Rapport
Home Improvement
“Budget” was among the most common objections in home improvement in this edition of the Real-Time Index, and both “My Project Is On Hold” and “I Will DIY” made their way to the list of the hardest objections to overcome.
Considering the state of the economy as well as interest rate and supply chain issues, it is not surprising that consumers are looking to save money on home improvement projects by doing them themselves or pausing them altogether.
Use these objections as an opportunity to create urgency through questions like:
- “How long would it take you to do something like that yourself?”
- “Is it important to you to have that done by a certain date or for an upcoming event?”
- “What happens if you don’t get it done by that date or time?”
Reference our Glossary of Terms to define the Objections and Soft Skills below.
Figure 1: Hardest Objections to Overcome in Home Improvement
| Objection | % of Successful Calls After Objection (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| My Project Is On Hold | 0.36% | NEW |
| Do It Myself | 0.55% | -95.7% |
| Do Not Call | 0.72% | -88.8% |
| Not Interested | 2.56% | -50.6% |
| Need Decision Makers | 3.76% | -24.8% |
A smaller percentage indicates an agent was less likely to overcome the objection
Figure 2: Top Objections in Home Improvement
| Objection | % of Calls Where Objection Occurred (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Not Interested | 10.02% | -28.0% |
| Budget | 6.69% | -15.8% |
| Busy | 4.84% | -30.7% |
| Do Not Call | 4.23% | -29.0% |
A higher percentage indicates an objection was more likely to occur during a call
Figure 3: Top Soft Skills in Home Improvement
| Soft Skill | Average Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Question-Asking | 1.90 | NEW |
| Justification | 0.99 | -35.7% |
| Respect | 0.62 | -72.3% |
| Proactivity | 0.29 | -67.0% |
| Empathy | 0.20 | -61.5% |
A higher number indicates a soft skill was used more often during a call
Figure 4: Most Underutilized Soft Skills in Home Improvement
| Soft Skill | Average Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Recap | 0.005 | NEW |
| Rapport | 0.03 | -50.0% |
| Interest | 0.05 | +0.0% |
| Laughter | 0.06 | NEW |
| Active Listening | 0.06 | -60.0% |
A lower number indicates a soft skill was used less often during a call
1.71%
Percent of Sales Calls Where Agents Overcame the “Cancellation Request” Objection
0.47
Avg. Times Per Call That Sales Agents Built Rapport
6.03
Avg. Times Per Call That Service Agents Used Question-Asking
Healthcare Insurance
Even the most successful business will come across cancellation requests from its customers, it’s inevitable. In this edition of the Real-Time Index, we found that cancellation requests were both some of the most common objections and the hardest to overcome. A cancellation request is often your last opportunity to interact with a customer, and your agents should know how to best take advantage of it to bring the most value to your organization — even if that customer does still end up leaving.
Your agents can try the following questions to better leverage cancellation requests to get feedback that can in turn improve your products and services:
- “Why did you decide to request a cancellation today?”
- “How could our company have served you better in the past?”
- “If you’re willing to share, which health insurance provider will you be using going forward?”
Reference our Glossary of Terms to define the Objections and Soft Skills below.
Figure 1: Hardest Objections to Overcome in Health Insurance
| Objection | % of Successful Calls After Objection (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation Request | 1.54% | -94.7% |
| I Want to Reschedule | 2.97% | NEW |
| Budget | 6.56% | +51.7% |
| Going with the Competition | 6.94% | NEW |
| Call Me Back | 7.00% | NEW |
| Think About It | 8.23% | -76.0% |
| Need Decision Makers | 8.50% | -73.5% |
A smaller percentage indicates an agent was less likely to overcome the objection
Figure 2: Top Objections in Health Insurance
| Objection | % of Calls Where Objection Occurred (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| I Want a Quote | 6.92% | NEW |
| Send Me an Email | 2.55% | NEW |
| Shopping Around | 2.23% | NEW |
| Going with the Competition | 2.23% | -0.2% |
| Not Interested | 1.73% | -70.2% |
A higher percentage indicates an objection was more likely to occur during a call
Figure 3: Top Soft Skills in Health Insurance
| Soft Skill | Average Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Respect | 6.99 | +69.7% |
| Question-Asking | 5.62 | NEW |
| Proactivity | 3.84 | -71.9% |
| Justification | 1.89 | -20.3% |
| Empathy | 0.59 | -0.04% |
A higher number indicates a soft skill was more likely to be used during a call
Figure 4: Most Underutilized Soft Skills in Health Insurance
| Soft Skill | Average Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Rapport | 0.06 | NEW |
| Active Listening | 0.14 | -33.3% |
| Agreeability | 0.29 | -19.4% |
| Credibility | 0.42 | NEW |
| Urgency | 0.48 | +75.0% |
A lower number indicates a soft skill was used less often during a call
4.34%
Percent of Sales Calls Where Agents Overcame the “Busy” Objection
0.15
Avg. Times Per Service Call That Agents Displayed Agreeability
0.34
Avg. Times Per Sales Call That Agents Built Rapport
B2B Technology
“Busy” was both the most common objection in B2B technology sales — and the hardest objection to overcome. Like the “Call Me Back” and “Email Me” objections, “Busy” is a way for prospects to get off the phone as soon as possible. But these objections aren’t a death sentence. Faced with a “Busy” objection, your agents can try to:
- Go deeper: “To make sure I include the most important information in my email to you, can I clarify…”
- Find a better time: “I bet you are busy, I hear that response a lot from people in your industry! Let’s reschedule this call for tomorrow at 3 PM. Would that work for you?”
- Determine interest: “I can absolutely send you more information if it’s not a good time. Before I do that, let’s take a couple minutes now to make sure that __ is up your alley in the first place.”
Reference our Glossary of Terms to define the Objections and Soft Skills below.
Figure 1: Hardest Objections to Overcome in B2B Technology
| Objection | % of Successful Calls After Objection (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Busy | 4.39% | NEW |
| Not Interested | 4.48% | -86.1% |
| Call Me Back | 6.29% | NEW |
| Send Me an Email | 7.25% | NEW |
| Shopping Around | 7.25% | -13.7% |
A smaller percentage indicates an agent was less likely to overcome the objection
Figure 2: Most Common Objections in B2B Technology
| Objection | % of Calls Where Objection Occurred (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 5.42% | -77.0% |
| Do Not Call | 4.53% | +23.6% |
| Not Interested | 4.08% | -21.8% |
| Need Decision Makers | 3.66% | -10.9% |
| Call Me Back | 2.98% | NEW |
| Busy | 2.91% | -0.03% |
| Shopping Around | 2.82% | -73.2% |
A higher percentage indicates an objection was more likely to occur during a call
Figure 3: Top Soft Skills in B2B Technology
| Soft Skill | Average Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Respect | 2.64 | -52.9% |
| Question-Asking | 2.42 | NEW |
| Proactivity | 1.36 | -67.2% |
| Justification | 0.82 | -68.1% |
| Urgency | 0.34 | -57.5% |
A higher number indicates a soft skill was used more often during a call
Figure 4: Most Underutilized Soft Skills in B2B Technology
| Soft Skill | Average Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | 0.001 | +0.0% |
| Recap | 0.01 | +69.0% |
| Rapport | 0.03 | -62.5% |
| Active Listening | 0.05 | -77.3% |
| Agreeability | 0.10 | NEW |
A lower number indicates a soft skill was used less often during a call
1.09%
Percent of Service Calls Where Agents Overcame the “Shopping Around” Objection
32.03%
Percent of Service Calls Where “Budget” Came Up
0.01
Avg. Times Per Sales Call That Agents Built Credibility
Property & Casualty Insurance
Even when the economy is booming, “Budget” objections won’t be overcome altogether. Customers today are cost-conscious (32.03% of calls) — they’re shopping around for the best prices (12.13% of calls), looking for quotes over the phone (37.24% of calls), and switching to the competition when they can get a better deal (12.13% of calls).
If you’re not the cheapest offering on the market, you have to make sure to create value in other ways. This can be through:
- Stellar customer service
- Better, more robust product offerings
- Positive reputation and online reviews
- Seamless user experience
Reference our Glossary of Terms to define the Objections and Soft Skills below.
Figure 1: Hardest Objections to Overcome in Property & Casualty Insurance
| Objection | % of Successful Calls After Objection (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 1.08% | -76.4% |
| Shopping Around | 1.21% | -50.3% |
| Send Me an Email | 5.56% | NEW |
| Busy | 9.46% | +93.3% |
| Need Decision Makers | 9.59% | +31.9% |
| Call Me Back | 9.64% | +42.0% |
| Going with the Competition | 10.0% | NEW |
A smaller percentage indicates an agent was less likely to overcome the objection
Figure 2: Most Common Objections in Property & Casualty Insurance
| Objection | % of Calls Where Objection Occurred (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| I Want a Quote | 24.03% | NEW |
| Send Me an Email | 17.14% | NEW |
| Budget | 15.28% | NEW |
| Shopping Around | 8.05% | NEW |
| Going with the Competition | 5.92% | NEW |
A higher percentage indicates an objection was more likely to occur during a call
Figure 3: Top Soft Skills in Property & Casualty Insurance
| Soft Skill | Avg. Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Question-Asking | 6.00 | NEW |
| Respect | 5.53 | -54.8% |
| Proactivity | 2.78 | -70.1% |
| Justification | 1.91 | -84.9% |
| Agreeability | 0.50 | NEW |
A higher number indicates a soft skill was used more often during a call
Figure 4: Most Underutilized Soft Skills in Property & Casualty Insurance
| Soft Skill | Avg. Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Compliment | 0.002 | NEW |
| Recap | 0.005 | +22.2% |
| Authority | 0.005 | +28.0% |
| Rapport | 0.04 | -81.8% |
| Interest | 0.11 | +72.7% |
A lower number indicates a soft skill was used less often during a call
32.06%
Percent of Service Calls Where a “Cancellation Request” Occurred
10.38
Avg. Times Per Service Call That Agents Showed Respect
0.04
Avg. Times Per Sales Call That Agents Used Active Listening
Retail
Active listening was one of the most underutilized — and therefore most coachable — soft skills in retail in this edition of the Real-Time Index. Without active listening, agents can’t properly recap a problem to a consumer (used 0.05x per call on average), and recapping goes a long way: it ensures you’re not only solving the problem at hand but building or rebuilding trust with the consumer by letting them know that you were listening to them and you are there to help. Read more about active listening and try incorporating these phrases into your next call:
- “It sounds like you’re saying that…”
- “To confirm, your main concern is…”
- “It seems like ___ would solve your problem. Is that right?”
Reference our Glossary of Terms to define the Objections and Soft Skills below.
Figure 1: Hardest Objections to Overcome in Retail
| Objection | % of Successful Calls After Objection (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Bad Reviews | 14.29% | NEW |
| Request to Speak with Supervisor | 15.09% | NEW |
| Budget | 35.31% | +90.7% |
| General Complaint | 35.55% | NEW |
Figure 2: Top Objections in Retail
| Objection | % of Calls Where Objection Occurred (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation Request | 30.86% | +96.4% |
| COVID-19 | 21.26% | NEW |
| Budget | 9.78% | +77.2% |
| Send Me an Email | 9.47% | +75.7% |
A higher percentage indicates an objection was more likely to occur during a call
Figure 3: Top Soft Skills in Retail
| Soft Skill | Avg. Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Respect | 10.09 | +92.4% |
| Question-Asking | 9.54 | NEW |
| Proactivity | 5.69 | +91.6% |
| Justification | 2.80 | +77.9% |
| Empathy | 2.43 | NEW |
A higher number indicates a soft skill was used more often during a call
Figure 4: Most Underutilized Soft Skills in Retail
| Soft Skill | Avg. Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | 0.0001 | -90.0% |
| Rapport | 0.04 | +92.5% |
| Recap | 0.04 | +95.0% |
A lower number indicates a soft skill was used less often during a call
2.56%
Percent of Sales Calls Where Agents Overcame the “Budget” Objection
28.89%
Percent of Service Calls Where the “Send Me an Email” Objection Occurred
0.04
Avg. Times Per Sales Call That Interest Was Shown By An Agent
Financial Services
When prospects said they were “Not Interested” during a sales call, agents were only able to overcome that budget on 10.93% of calls. Almost 90% of the time, this resulted in an unsuccessful call. But there are strategies that your agents can use to handle “Not Interested” objections like pros. The key to overcoming this objection is not to overcome it per se, but to acknowledge it and ask further questions using the AIOA model:
- Agree: “I didn’t expect you to be interested, you don’t know enough about what we do yet”
- Isolate: “I called because it seems like ___ may be a priority for your business. Is that the case?”
- Overcome: “Our product has seen a lot of success with companies like yours because we…”
- Ask: “Do you want set up time to learn more?”
Reference our Glossary of Terms to define the Objections and Soft Skills below.
Figure 1: Hardest Objections to Overcome in Financial Services
| Objection | % of Successful Calls After Objection (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 2.65% | -57.6% |
| Not Interested | 10.55% | +89.3% |
| Bad Reviews | 11.96% | NEW |
| Busy | 17.86% | +57.7% |
A higher percentage indicates an objection was more likely to occur during a call
Figure 2: Top Objections in Financial Services
| Objection | % of Calls Where Objection Occurred (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 3.25% | -31.4% |
| Not Interested | 2.59% | -68.5% |
| Going with the Competition | 1.64% | NEW |
| Send Me an Email | 1.60% | -79.7% |
| Busy | 1.49% | -79.4% |
A higher percentage indicates an objection was more likely to occur during a call
Figure 3: Top Soft Skills in Financial Services
| Soft Skill | Avg. Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Question-Asking | 6.88 | NEW |
| Justification | 1.94 | -27.9% |
| Respect | 1.40 | -72.9% |
| Empathy | 0.80 | +42.5% |
| Proactivity | 0.61 | -65.7% |
A higher number indicates a soft skill was used more often during a call
Figure 4: Most Underutilized Soft Skills in Financial Services
| Soft Skill | Avg. Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | 0.002 | NEW |
| Recap | 0.002 | -96.7% |
| Laughter | 0.008 | NEW |
| Interest | 0.02 | NEW |
A lower number indicates a soft skill was used less often during a call
6.09%
Percent of Calls Where Agents Overcame the “COVID-19” Stall
2.07
Avg. Times Per Call That Agents Used Question-Asking
0.01
Avg. Times Per Call That Agents Showed Authority
Collections
Mentions of “COVID-19” were some of the hardest stalls to overcome in this edition of the Real-Time Index. When debtors used “COVID-19” as an excuse to not pay their debts, collectors were only able to overcome that objection 6.09% of the time. This might sound low, but it’s nearly 3x the win rate from the last edition of the Real-Time Index, where the “COVID-19” objection was only overcome 2.39% of the time.
Even in 2023, COVID-19 is still coming up from many who may have lingering health issues, family members to take care of, or be under financial duress due to the associated economic climate. Train your agents on the following soft skills make debtors feel heard and understood so they are more likely to settle on a plan that works best for both of you:
- Empathy (used 0.23x times per call on average)
- Respect (used 0.15x times per call on average)
- Rapport (used 0.13x times per call on average)
Reference our Glossary of Terms to define the Stalls and Soft Skills below.
Figure 1: Hardest Stalls to Overcome in Collections
| Objection | % of Successful Calls After Objection | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong Number | 3.61% | NEW |
| I Need to Call My Lawyer | 3.87% | +12.1% |
| I Already Paid | 5.17% | NEW |
| Refusal to Verify Identity | 6.08% | +29.6% |
| COVID-19 | 6.09% | +60.8% |
| Dispute Charge | 7.70% | NEW |
| Bankruptcy | 10.31% | +94.6% |
A smaller percentage indicates an agent was less likely to overcome the objection
Figure 2: Top Stalls in Collections
| Objection | % of Calls Where Objection Occurred | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Already Paid | 3.61% | -29.1% |
| Can’t Pay | 2.89% | -46.1% |
| Dispute Charge | 2.72% | +18.7% |
| Won’t Pay | 2.38% | -46.9% |
| Call Me Back | 1.23% | NEW |
| Wrong Number | 1.21% | NEW |
| Need Decision Makers | 1.18% | NEW |
A higher percentage indicates an objection was more likely to occur during a call
Figure 3: Top Soft Skills in Collections
| Soft Skill | Avg. Occurrences Per Call | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Question-Asking | 2.07 | NEW |
| Justification | 0.57 | -44.1% |
| Credibility | 0.31 | -47.5% |
| Empathy | 0.23 | -51.1% |
| Urgency | 0.17 | -45.2% |
| Respect | 0.16 | NEW |
A higher number indicates a soft skill was used more often during a call
Figure 4: Most Underutilized Soft Skills in Collections
| Soft Skill | Avg. Occurrences Per Call | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 0.05 | -50.0% |
| Proactivity | 0.05 | +20.0% |
| Laughter | 0.03 | NEW |
| Interest | 0.03 | +0.0% |
| Recap | 0.01 | NEW |
A lower number indicates a soft skill was used less often during a call
49.39%
Percent of Service Calls Where a “Cancellation Request” Occurred
0.06
Avg. Times Per Service Call That Active Listening Was Used
1.12
Avg. Times Per Sales Call That Credibility Was Built
Utilities
“Credibility” is defined by our AI Library item as times when an agent assures a consumer that the agent’s organization is credible or legitimate. This includes statements like “We’ve won an award for the best customer service” or “We have been in this industry for 15 years.”
Utilities providers aren’t always beloved, but there are ways to build credibility and garner customer favor. You can:
- Build up your online review program
- Include testimonials on your website
- Convey your company values and commitments to your customers
- Share your corporate social responsibility efforts with your customers
- Provide A+ customer service!
Reference our Glossary of Terms to define the Stalls and Soft Skills below.
Figure 1: Hardest Objections to Overcome in Utilities
| Objection | % of Successful Calls After Objection | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| General Complaint | 30.54% | NEW |
| Can I Speak With a Supervisor? | 30.56% | NEW |
| Budget | 33.09% | NEW |
| Cancellation Request | 40.74% | NEW |
| Need Decision Makers | 41.17% | NEW |
A smaller percentage indicates an agent was less likely to overcome the objection
Figure 2: Top Objections in Utilities
| Objection | % of Calls Where Objection Occurred | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation Request | 35.78% | NEW |
| Budget | 15.31% | NEW |
| Shopping Around | 10.70% | NEW |
| Going with the Competition | 5.51% | NEW |
| Not Interested | 3.99% | NEW |
A higher percentage indicates an objection was more likely to occur during a call
Figure 3: Top Soft Skills in Utilities
| Soft Skill | Avg. Occurrences Per Call | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Question-Asking | 8.25 | NEW |
| Justification | 3.26 | NEW |
| Empathy | 0.97 | NEW |
| Credibility | 0.83 | NEW |
| Respect | 0.52 | NEW |
A higher number indicates a soft skill was used more often during a call
Figure 4: Most Underutilized Soft Skills in Utilities
| Soft Skill | Avg. Occurrences Per Call | % Change from Q2 ’22 |
|---|---|---|
| Urgency | 0.04 | NEW |
| Active Listening | 0.13 | NEW |
| Laughter | 0.15 | NEW |
| Agreeability | 0.29 | NEW |
A lower number indicates a soft skill was used less often during a call
Overview
This edition of The Balto Real-Time Index focuses on four main areas:
- The most common consumer objections
- The most difficult objections to overcome
- The soft skills that agents use the most
- The soft skills that agents use the least
We’ve built on our previous data by providing additional granularity by use case as well as through change over time.
New Industry
We’ve added the “Utilities” industry onto our roster of industries, as well as a glossary of terms linked at the top of each industry so you can find quick definitions of our language models and better interpret the data in front of you.
Future Updates
In our next release, look forward to more in-depth change over time trends as well as real-time graphs that update automatically as Balto continues to guide more and more calls. In future editions of the Index, we also plan to display sentiment data, additional use cases, objections by call stage, and more.
Bookmark this page for future updates. If you have any questions about our insights or would like to cite The Balto Real-Time Index, please reach out to our research team at cel@baltosoftware.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Methodology
The Balto Real-Time Index is updated once per quarter by Balto’s research and data analysis department, the Conversation Excellence Lab. The raw data for the index is derived from the over 200m+ calls conducted using Balto’s software. The data is processed through machine learning and natural language processing models trained to identify call events, like soft skills and objections. We then aggregate the data into industry-specific categories to deliver trends and insights via the Index. The data subset for this edition of The Balto Real-Time Index is representative of trends between April – June 2023.
Limitations
Balto’s Real-Time Index is based on language models with a 83% recall and 82% precision. Our team is continuously improving these models so that we can provide the most accurate data possible. We are also focused on expanding our data sets so we can provide more complete data and fill in missing graphs where they occur.
While this edition of the Index provides data aggregated by use case (i.e. sales, customer service, collections) in addition to industry, we hope to use later editions to incorporate whether a call is inbound or outbound, as well as hyper-specific use cases within industries, such as outbound lead generation within sales.
Please note that the values presented in the Balto Real-Time Index are averages and represent a subset of our data. If you’d like to hear more about our methodology or limitations, reach out to us at cel@baltosoftware.com.
