How To Respond To I'm Not Looking For Anything Serious

You've been speaking with a prospect for a while and you have a sense of their goals and challenges — information technology seems like your offering is a great fit for their business.

You're set to ready a date for a product walkthrough and/or talk price — merely then, your prospect says something that stops you in your tracks.

"Tin can we talk about this side by side quarter? It's simply not a adept time for usa to buy right now."

Shoot. Non but is this a deal you had in your pipeline, only yous've besides spent a significant amount of time working with the prospect. Prospects ofttimes use this type of timing objection to stall or push button you away.

Now, sometimes there are valid and true obstacles such as resources and budget that are stopping a prospect from buying — this is why it's important to maintain a level of empathy in all communication with prospects, no matter what their reasoning is for backing out of a bargain.

But how tin you gainsay this issue? By using timing objection responses, yous can to the heart of a prospect's reluctance.

As a epitomize, here are some common objections you may have experienced in the past or hear from your prospects today.

Common Sales Objections Related to Timing

Sales objections related to timing can be hard to overcome. How many of these objections have you seen or heard earlier?

• It's not a good time.
• Call me dorsum adjacent quarter.
• I'll get back to you with at a better time.
• We'll think about it.
• I'll have to talk to leadership.

So how do you actually reply to these objections in an effective manner that resonates with prospects?

How to Respond to a Sales Rejection

As mentioned earlier, while considering whatsoever objection responses, go on the importance of empathy in mind — no affair what your prospect says to y'all, you don't really know for sure what they are personally going through or what the company they piece of work for is going through.

Inject empathy and a thoughtful tone into all communication with prospects no affair their objection or final decision. This volition make your responses more effective amidst prospects and keep you all on good terms, no affair the outcome.

Let'south dive into your sales objection response options.

ane. "If coin and resource were no object, would you exist willing to start with our product today?"

If your prospect says "no thank you" to your offering, they may not be convinced that your product is of value to them. If that'south the case, try discover out why — pivot down the root of the issue. One way to get there is by taking price out of the equation and exposing whatever fundamental issues they have with your offering.

If your prospect says "yes" to this question, dig deeper to detect what logistical hurdles are standing in their way to determine whether or not you can accommodate.

2. "What'due south belongings y'all back?"

By getting your prospect to talk through their reasoning for their delay or decision to back out entirely, you'll put yourself in a better position to accost their hesitation and work to find some middle ground that suits both your business also equally the prospect.

iii. "When would exist a good time to buy?"

Maybe, your prospect really does want and intends to buy, merely simply can't swing it due to factors like upkeep, current needs, or timing. Depending on their response to this follow-up question, you might exist able to adjust your offering to suit their needs now, or you can follow upwardly in a way like to what you lot'll read beneath, in number ix.

4. "What are your visitor's other priorities right now?"

It's possible that your prospect has several other pressing projects that need to exist completed. If you lot have the whole picture, y'all'll be able to tell how much of an impact your offering tin can really make right now, or even better — how your product can help achieve the other goals.

If it turns out your prospect'due south goals are being pushed aside by management, follow upwardly with the adjacent question.

5. "How tin can I help y'all get the resources y'all need to sell this to the concluding decision-maker?"

Determine where your prospect's having difficulty gaining traction with their leader and/or squad, then assist get internal buy-in.

6. "Is X goal no longer or less of a priority for yous?"

Tie your production to a tangible goal y'all and your prospect accept discussed. This question moves the give-and-take away from the actual purchase procedure and dorsum to the story of how your offering can improve your prospect's business. You can also follow upwards to this with the adjacent question.

7. "What happens to your goals if you lot don't human activity now?"

What's your prospect's Program B? Maybe they take a good one, and in that example your offer may non exist a good fit. But making your prospect realize this is the best-fit solution for solving their bug will go you back in the game.

eight. "When are you hoping to achieve X goals by?"

If your prospect tin't ascertain this, you're either talking to them in the education stage or their issues aren't severe enough to warrant solving right at present. But if they need to hit a goal in the adjacent three months, there's a clear pain bespeak you can address.

9. "If I call you dorsum next quarter, what circumstances will accept changed?"

Maybe your prospect is in the centre of a massive internal initiative and doesn't have bandwidth to talk to you right now due to reasons beyond their command. Perhaps there's an economic recession happening, or your prospect could be waiting on a circular of funding to come in.

Get your prospect to evaluate whether annihilation — their budget, their priorities, their goals — volition really be different when you speak in the future to determine whether post-obit upward will be productive, whether you tin adjust their needs now by altering the bargain, or if y'all just call up they're stalling to dorsum out of the deal entirely.

x. "What's going to be different next quarter?"

A broader, rhetorical spin on the to a higher place response. Empathetically question your prospect's motivations for brushing yous off without coming right out and proverb it to improve understand their point of view.

11. "How are yous performing against your end-of-year goals [every bit they relate to your product]?"

This is a good mode to remind a prospect of why they were talking to you in the first place and why they need your production or service. A prospect who saw admittedly no issue with their electric current business wouldn't take taken your call in the first place — so remind them that delaying a deal could make those problems worse.

12. "Here's the timeline for ROI if we start in X months. Does that piece of work for you?"

Here's that sense of urgency again. Remind your prospect that implementing a new product doesn't produce overnight results. The question here is implicit — can they really afford to wait to buy, or can they concord to come to a heart-basis regarding the deal?

13. [Silence.]

"I striking the mute button and wait to come across how my prospect continues," says Dan Tyre, HubSpot Sales Manager.

A prospect with a real objection volition ask, "Are you in that location?" or expect for you to follow upwards, says Tyre. Merely, if your prospect starts to waiver more or talk in a stream-of-consciousness, it'due south a likely sign they're trying to brush you lot off.

14. "Do you understand [production'due south] value?"

"In all my years of selling, nobody'due south always said no," says Tyre.

Follow up with the next response to actually drive this point home.

15. "Which part of [product] practise you think would help your company the most?"

This question gets your prospect to reiterate their goals and forces them to tell you lot why your product is a skilful fit for them, instead of making them listen to you talk about it.

Information technology can also trigger important red flags — for case, if you've been focusing on one area of your product but they bring up an entirely different expanse, it's a sign you need to restart the conversation on different terms to reengage them.

16. "Is it the timing, or is something else concerning you?"

A timing objection may be a smokescreen. To notice out what's actually property your prospect dorsum, inquire this question.

The prospect will either say something forth the lines of, "Well, I'm worried almost [different issue] … " or, "Information technology's not a adept fourth dimension to buy because [valid reason] ... "

In both cases, you'll uncover the true issue, which you can focus on working to resolve.

17. "Why?"

Elementary responses are sometimes the most effective responses. The prospect is probably expecting you to endeavour and convince them information technology is a good time to purchase, so this response will catch them off-guard (in a adept manner).

Once they've given you context, you can determine whether they're in a position to move forward or not.

18. "I understand, every bit a customer of mine was in a similar situation. They ultimately decided to purchase [product] because of [trigger event, challenge, opportunity] and [production'due south ROI]. In the past [Ten amount of time], they've seen [Y results]."

Your prospect has shared why they want to wait (see the previous question) — but you recollect it's in their best interest to act sooner.

Use a relevant case study to make your prospect think twice about holding off on the deal. After you lot've shown them evidence your solution works, they'll be eager to reap its benefits for themselves.

19. "Thanks for your honesty — I don't want to waste matter your time or mine until y'all're ready to make a decision. In the meantime, can I send yous any valuable content I find on [prospect's manufacture, market, challenge, role]?"

According to HubSpot'south Dan Tyre, this response works well with prospects who can't buy soon, no matter what you lot say. (They've already wearied their budget for the year, the company'due south strategy is in flux, new legislation will go into result before long and they need to guess the implications, and then on.)

Pressuring them to buy will simply brand them screen your calls and emails. Instead, enquire to periodically send them helpful, educational content to back up them. Yous'll stay superlative-of-mind while adding value and building up your status every bit a trusted advisor.

When they are set up to buy, you'll exist the first salesperson they contact.

20. "Sometimes when people say X, it really ways Y. Is it safe for me to assume that'southward the case here?"

Sales pro Mike Rogewitz saves this question for those objections he only tin can't overcome. It'due south Sandler's Negative Contrary Selling methodology, and it goes something like this:

Prospect Sam: "I'm headed into a coming together; can you give me a call side by side calendar week?"

Salesperson: "Sam, I've tried to connect a few times now. Typically, when this happens, it means this is a low priority for yous at the moment. Is information technology off-white for me to assume that's the case?"

Prospect Sam: "Well if you don't want to talk to me, then I'd rather not do business concern with you."

Salesperson: "Hey Sam, my apologies. I do desire to talk, but I feel like I'm annoying you here with all these voicemails and missed calls. I'd hate to go along bothering you lot if it's non necessary. It might exist all-time if you accomplish out when it'southward a better time."

Rogewitz warns, "It should never feel like you're taking revenge on an uninterested prospect by saying, 'You always say you'll phone call me dorsum, Sam,' which turns the chat into an allegation and, sometimes, an argument." He continues, "By keeping things effective, you've put the negativity on yourself instead of on the prospect."

21. "Are there whatever large company events or initiatives coming upwardly that would make this a priority?"

If a prospect is unable to commit to your timeline, it might be because their upkeep is uncertain, a large company announcement is on the horizon, or an important industry event is looming that would make your timeline difficult to implement.

Inquire questions like, "The timeline seems to be a stumbling cake for us. Is there a company/industry event coming upwardly that might be causing yous hesitation to pursue an aggressive timeline?"

If the answer is, "Yes, I'one thousand actually worried my budget might exist cut next week," you know what the objection is and how to proceed. If the answer is, "No, our company has a lot of cherry tape, and I'm worried this timeline doesn't reverberate that,"you've still gotten to the bottom of the existent issue and can move forward.

22. "Is there anything I tin can requite y'all to make a stronger example to [decision-maker]?"

Sometimes, your prospect might be hesitant to move forrard but because they've received pushback from their manager or the ultimate decision-maker.

Enquire if at that place'due south anything you can do to support your prospect and help them make a stronger case to their dominate. This might look like a one-sheet of talking points, a instance study, or an informative blog post. A simple, "How can I help," can be the departure betwixt bargain that's closed and lost versus won.

How to Respond to a Sales Rejection Email

ane. Be respectful.

Rejection is a fact of life, but information technology can still be difficult not to have it personally. If yous don't receive the response yous're looking for via electronic mail, don't bite back, be snide, or human action unprofessionally when y'all respond.

Call up, just considering they're not on board now doesn't hateful they tin can't exist further downwards the line. Yous desire to keep the possibility of a future relationship open up — that starts with remaining respectful in your follow-up.

2. Don't act like you weren't merely rejected.

As an extension of the point above, you can't but disregard your prospect's determination. They said "no" for a reason, and you have to show you understand where they're coming from. And then when you reply to a rejection e-mail, acknowledge their stance — and let them know you respect it.

If your prospect emails you saying your production or service doesn't fit your upkeep, you tin can't immediately lead with something like:

"Nosotros offer custom pricing upon asking. Tin I schedule a 15-infinitesimal meeting to talk over that further?"

You take to cushion that response a bit. Endeavor something similar:

"I empathise where you're coming from. Obviously, you lot tin can't purchase a product that doesn't fit your upkeep, but I notwithstanding think our solution suits your needs better than anyone else's can. We actually offer custom pricing, revolving around the features your business needs virtually. Practise you have a spare 15 minutes to discuss one of those plans?"

3. Offer more context.

Sometimes, a prospect sends a rejection electronic mail because they're not considering the big picture show or have a limited understanding of your offering. If that's the case, it can help to provide additional context or introduce a new slice of relevant information that might brand them reconsider.

For instance, let's say you're selling a project management solution for small businesses, and your prospect doesn't think information technology fits their company's tech stack. You might say something like:

"I see where y'all're coming from — plainly, you want solutions that can fold into your current tech stack. That said, I know you lot leverage the Microsoft Office Suite and Slack. Our product actually integrates with all of those applications, among others you either already use. Can I volume fifteen minutes to talk about how our solution can fit your operations and streamline your project management?"

4. Keep it curtailed.

Responding to a sales rejection email is an uphill boxing. Your prospect is disengaged, right off the bat. They're non interested enough to go on the conversation as y'all've left it. If they were, they wouldn't have rejected your offer.

And then, naturally, they're probably not inclined to pour through an essay on how incredible the solution they but passed on is. If your response is too long, imposing, or over the top, your prospect isn't going to take the time to read it — and that overzealousness might take away from your ability to sell to them in the time to come.

Respond to Your Prospects Effectively and Empathetically

These days, there are an assortment of reasons why a prospect may endeavour or determine to back out of a deal. Try experimenting with some of the responses higher up to support these prospects in a way that shows them you're flexible, understanding, and empathetic — with this winning combination, your prospects volition have an increasingly difficult time walking away from the value you provide.

Looking for more? Check out these tips to magically go prospects interested in you next.

Editor's notation: This post was originally published inOctober, 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/timing-objection-responses

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