They say: “Our parent company decides that.”
Nice rep. Compare yours with the answer below.
Say your answer out loud, like they’re on the line.
You said
What it usually means
A real constraint, or a convenient way to end the call.
What to say
Understood. Who there should I be speaking to? And would it help if I sent you a two-line summary you can forward?
Replace anything in brackets with your own words before you say it.
Field-tested: this response comes from real calls and coaching, not from a study. How we grade evidence.
Why it works
Accepting it keeps them on your side. Asking who decides, and offering two lines to forward, makes helping you the easiest thing they can do.
Other ways prospects say it
- “Corporate handles that.”
- “That's decided at headquarters.”
- “We have to go through the head office.”
Same reflex, same response. Type any version into the Objection Lookup to check.
If they push back again
If they can't say who decides, ask what the process looks like and where it usually starts. Offer a two-line summary they can forward so the first step costs them nothing.
The pattern behind every objection
Acknowledge it with something short and human, ask one question about what sits behind it, then propose a small next step with two options, or exit cleanly. Handle each objection once, never argue it, and log every one so you can see where your message or your list is weak.