Podcast Summary: Private Practice Startup Podcast

Episode 120: How to Successfully Handle Objections in Private Practice
Hosts: Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Guest: Jeb Blunt (Author, Sales Gravy)
Date: January 26, 2019

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into how mental health professionals can successfully handle objections in private practice—whether during initial client calls, discussing fees, or managing common forms of resistance. Sales and emotional intelligence expert Jeb Blunt joins Kate and Katie to demystify the psychology of objections. He offers practical frameworks, neuroscience insights, and actionable scripts so therapists can feel more confident and effective in both client interactions and business development.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Psychology of Objections

Timestamps: 03:37–06:53

• Jeb Blunt shares that the inspiration for his book Objections grew from frequently being asked, "What do I do when people tell me no?" in all sales and service settings.
• The act of asking for something, especially in service professions with high empathy, triggers deep vulnerability and a fear of rejection.

"As soon as you ask for what you want—especially confidently—there’s this deep vulnerability that you feel... And in that moment...we typically step all over the person or worse, we anticipate they’re going to say no, so we never ask in the first place."
—Jeb Blunt [05:23]

Empathy, Vulnerability, & the Clinician’s Mindset

Timestamps: 06:53–12:50

• Therapists are often high on the empathy scale, making them more sensitive to potential rejection and thus more likely to anticipate objections or avoid “the ask.”
• There are three ways people experience rejection:
  1. Actual rejection (true negative response)
  2. Anticipated rejection (expecting a no)
  3. Perceived rejection (interpreting a neutral or ambiguous response as a no)
• Overcoming the fear of rejection isn’t about simply rationalizing it away, but about reframing and practicing confident, assertive, assumptive asks.

"When you try not to be pushy, you get rejected more. And when you’re confident, you get rejected less... When you ask with confidence, your win rate is in the 70 percentile; when you ask weakly or passively, it’s about 30%."
—Jeb Blunt [10:50]

The Power of Emotional Contagion & Assertive Asking

Timestamps: 11:36–12:50

• Kate shares how her confidence grew—and conversion rates improved—when she assumed that prospective clients wanted to work with her and clearly stated her rates and process.
• Most therapists are not taught how to navigate the “selling” side of private practice and therefore face steep learning curves.

"Clinicians go to school to become great clinicians. They don’t have any of this [sales & objection] information."
—Kate Campbell [12:19]

Neuroscience of Rejection & The “Magic Quarter Second”

Timestamps: 12:50–18:52

• Jeb explains that when therapists state their fee, it feels personal and vulnerable: being told “no” is often interpreted as a personal rejection.
• Fight-or-flight takes over, reducing cognitive capacity (“...the cognitive capacity of a drunk primate”).
• The solution: Use a “ledge”—a memorized, neutral statement to buffer and buy time, helping to regain composure and executive control.
• Example ledges:
  • “That’s a great question.”
  • “I’m glad you asked.”
  • “That’s important to know.”

"The ledge is the greatest… It’s so simple, but it works every single time."
—Jeb Blunt [16:29]

• After stating your price or answer, be silent—don’t justify, apologize, or discount. Wait for the client’s response.

Managing Objections Beyond Price

Timestamps: 20:01–26:55

• Not every prospective client is the right fit. Be willing to let go if someone can’t commit or doesn’t value your time.
• Teaching staff (like assistants) these principles can increase client conversion rates.

"If you say my fee is this, and the person goes, ‘Wow, that's too expensive,’ you have to ask: Is that the client I want anyway?”
—Jeb Blunt [20:01]

• Jeb introduces a four-step framework for handling objections (relate, clarify, isolate, minimize):
  1. Relate: Validate concerns (“That makes a lot of sense.”)
  2. Clarify: Ask what the objection means (“Help me understand what you mean by that.”)
  3. Isolate: Confirm if it’s the only objection
  4. Minimize: Bring the focus back to the client’s initial pain point and hopes for change

"90% of the time when you're dealing with an objection...it's fear: Fear that I’ll make the wrong decision, fear of being vulnerable, fear of meeting someone new."
—Jeb Blunt [24:06]

Overlap Between Therapy and Sales Skills

Timestamps: 26:55–28:22

• Skills therapists use in the therapy room (joining, validation, summarizing goals) are directly applicable to business conversations and managing objections.
• Sales, marketing, therapy, and even hostage negotiation all rely on similar frameworks of empathy, curiosity, and guiding others through objections and toward goals.

Handling Common Objections (e.g., “Let me talk to my spouse”)

Timestamps: 28:23–32:09

• For situations where a decision-maker isn’t present, Jeb suggests:
  • Proactively offering a joint call (“Let’s schedule a call with you and your spouse to see if it’s the right fit.”)
  • Using assumption-based, open-ended questions to elicit fuller responses and insight into the decision process.

"I would ask, instead of ‘Have you already talked about this?’—‘Tell me about the conversation you had.’ I'm going to ask an assumptive question...I'm also testing for a micro-commitment."
—Jeb Blunt [30:37]

• Spend your limited time engaging those who are genuinely invested.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Set your price and shut up."
  —Jeb Blunt [35:18]
• “Just practice that right now. If you practice it, you'll get better and better at it.”
  —Jeb Blunt [35:20]
• “The disruptive emotions—fear, insecurity, eagerness—are getting in the way of what you want.”
  —Jeb Blunt [32:21]
• “The one thing that made my business grow...was learning how, when people ask me how much I cost, to give them a number and shut up.”
  —Jeb Blunt [34:33]

Actionable Takeaways

• Practice “the ledge”: Memorize a neutral statement (“That’s a great question.”) to use before stating your fee/confidence.
• State your price, then be silent: Avoid filling awkward pauses with discounts or justifications.
• Reframe objections as opportunities: They’re usually rooted in fear; validate, clarify, and guide clients back to their goals.
• Apply therapy skills to business development: Empathy and emotional management are equally valuable on client calls.
• Practice, practice, practice: The discomfort never fully goes away, but skill and confidence grow with repetition.

Key Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | |-------------------------------------------|------------------| | The Psychology Behind Objections | 03:37–06:53 | | Empathy, Vulnerability, and Clinicians | 06:53–12:50 | | Neuroscience & “The Ledge” Technique | 12:50–18:52 | | Handling Price and Other Objections | 20:01–26:55 | | Sales, Therapy, and Overlapping Skills | 26:55–28:22 | | Real-life Objection Examples & Scripts | 28:23–32:09 | | Closing Principles & Take-home Messages | 32:21–35:20 |

Final Message

Jeb emphasizes that overcoming the fear of “no” is more about biology than psychology, and the only way to become “rejection-proof” is through repeated practice. Therapists already have many of the core skills—they just need to adapt them to their business development and client communication.

“Nobody prepared you for this...but the only way you can help people is to learn how to sell yourself—and that’s the hardest sell you’ll ever make.”
—Jeb Blunt [34:25]

Recommended Next Steps:

• Grab Jeb Blunt’s book “Objections”
• Download the Private Practice Startup’s client call script
• Practice stating your fee confidently—then, stay silent and wait!