Far too many sales representatives and sales managers don’t see it that way. There’s a major problem with their misperception: it’s at the origin of unnecessary follow-ups with dead opportunities.

Below is a list of answers to ban when your prospects tell you they need to think about it as well as a list of great sentences to use instead to deal with the objection.

9 things to NEVER answer when you get the objection “I need to about it” objection

1. I understand, take your time.
2. Sounds good. How much time do you need?
3. When are you going to get back to me?
4. What do you want to think about?
5. Are there any questions I haven’t answered?
6. What’s making you hesitate?
7. What more can I do?
8. How can we close this today?
9. Is there anything I can do to help you decide today?

Why should you never handle that sales objection with one of those answers

There are four reasons salespeople should never respond to prospects who want to take some time to think with the above sentences:

1. Reps lose control of their sale

Many of these answers are the result of a sales DNA that doesn’t fully support buying habits. Indeed, representatives who respond to this objection with one the above sentences have empathy for potential customers who want to take a moment to reflect. They have empathy, because they, in turn, tend to want to think things through when they’re making major purchasing decisions.

2. The answers increase prospects’ resistance

Try reading sentences 3 to 9 aloud, and you’ll see that they are abrasive and, in fact, raise a prospect’s level of resistance.

3. The answers give potential customers the impression that they are being closed

By using these awkward sentences, representatives stop being conversational. Instead, they reveal that they want to close immediately when the client isn’t ready.

4. The answers are too cerebral

When a prospect says he or she wants to think about it, they’re engaged in an intellectual process — the questions listed above are also rational, yet we know that decisions are, above all, emotional.

How to respond to “I need to think about it”

1. How does it usually work when you have to make a decision of this magnitude?
2. What do you hope to clarify?
3. Do you always take time to think about a decision like this?
4. What decisions do you expect to have made by the next time we talk again?
5. Can I share my experience with you? (then share a story that illustrates how reflection time won’t help make a decision)
6. What’s going on in your head right now?
7. Can you tell me more? (The best questions are often the shortest!)

The above answers are effective for the following reasons:

• They help reps stay in control of the sales conversation
• They help reduce lead resistance
• They help reps stay conversational
• They help bring prospects back to the emotional side of the decision

Conclusion

The difference between the two setsof answers shows the difference between the right and wrong way to ask questions when it comes to handling objections in sales. In addition to the actual questions, the tone is also essential. Reps should always be empathetic and reassuring.

The art of selling is closing opportunities without increasing resistance. Before reaching elite sales levels, representatives and sales managers must work on their sales DNA.