“Now just isn’t the right time…” 

Even if you haven’t been in sales long, you’ve likely heard these sales objection responses from a prospect. Despite knowing the prospect’s needs, goals, challenges, and preferences, when it’s ask time, they say it’s just not the right time to buy. “Prospects commonly use the sales timing objection to stall or force you to walk away," writes HubSpot contributor Leslie Ye. "Although sometimes there are true obstacles, a prospect who wants to buy but truly can't right now will proactively let you know their timeline and exactly what's blocking them.” Likely, Ye explains, the prospect says this because he or she isn’t feeling any urgency. Or, you just haven’t proven value. 

Overcoming time-​related objections can be tricky, but it's not impossible. What you respond with can have a major impact on whether or not the deal falls through. Ye shares a whopping 22 examples of different things reps can say when they are faced with an objection like this. Read on for just a sampling of her suggestions:

“If money and resources were no object, would you be willing to start with our product today?"

This response will give you insight into what the prospect thinks is missing from your offer. In their own words, he or she has the opportunity to lay bare any hurdles they feel they’re facing. 

“What are your company's other priorities right now?"

Sometimes, the prospect and their company just have too many things on their plate right now. “If you have the whole picture, you'll be able to tell how much of an impact your offering can really make right now, or even better — how your product can help achieve the other goals,” Ye explains. 

“If I call you back next month/​quarter/​year, what circumstances will have changed?"

This response is great for uncovering whether or not the prospect is just stalling. Maybe there’s something going on that is truly preventing them from buying right now, such as internal initiatives or current lack of funding. Or, they’re stalling. Uncover what’s really going on by asking this. 

Again, these are only a few responses from Ye’s impressive list. Likely, you’ll find more than one response that best fits your situation with any prospect. Don’t let timing be the reason you accept sales objection responses; most often, a perfect question from you can hinder any hesitation.