Reacting defensively to a customer's initial challenge signals a lack of confidence and invites further scrutiny. This emotional response can escalate a simple question into a series of aggressive objections from the entire buying committee, derailing the call.
Prospects use "red herring" objections as a reflexive defense mechanism built from past negative experiences with salespeople. They are not always logical challenges but rather emotional tests to gauge your trustworthiness and character.
After successfully navigating an early "red herring" objection, you must resist the impulse to bring it up again later. Reintroducing these forgotten issues, especially during closing, can recreate doubt and kill the deal.