Written by: Vickie Sullivan | April 10, 2018
What It Really Means When a Buyer Says, ‘Not Right Now’
I was talking to a sales team the other day about objections they will hear during sales conversations. The biggest aha: You will hear far more “not right now” responses than you will hear “no.”
These responses are two different things. The latter means, “We’ve made a decision, and we’re going in a different direction/hired someone else, etc.” But the former—not right now—is far more insidious. It implies that the door is open, which compels us to keep in touch until someone dies. And that might not be the right strategy.
Let’s drill down for a second. Here are the two most common stories behind the “not right now” response:
• Priority: Something happened that pushed this issue down the list. Or there are too many balls in the air to make a decision. There is no amount of “keeping in touch” that will change this. Make your case for urgency, and put them on your content marketing list. If something changes, they will be back.
• Fear: Something happened during the conversation that scared the prospect. It could be the investment level or lack of confidence to implement. But there’s a hidden obstacle that shut down the opportunity. This we can work with.
Listen: 2 options for dealing with buyers’ fear
Your next best step: Drill down on the “not right now” response. Find out what the objection really is. Because until you deal with the reality behind that response, all your “keep in touch” tactics are a waste of time.
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