The Balto Real-Time Index


The Balto Real-Time Index provides an industry-level view of call trends and in-depth analysis from Balto’s in-house research team, the Conversation Excellence Lab. The Balto Real-Time Index is based on data from Balto’s 200m+ calls.


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Overview & Methodology
B2B Technology
Collections
Financial Services
Health Insurance
Home Improvement
Property & Casualty Ins
Retail
Utilities

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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases)
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
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

View Table (All Use Cases) View Sales Graph View Customer Service Graph
Soft Skill Avg. Occurrences Per Call (All Use Cases) % C