How to Avoid Limbo In Sales

In new business development, the aim is to advance to the next stage in the prospect’s purchasing cycle. However, most sales consultations end in limbo. The prospect says something vague that keeps the provider in a holding pattern because the response isn’t a “no” or a “yes.” A common example of business development limbo is the statement, “We need some time to think it over.” 

Prospects Can Be Vague

The way to tackle this form of limbo is to clarify what the prospect needs to think over, exactly. Is it the budget? Is it the proposed scope of the engagement? Is there someone else involved in the decision making process who needs to be brought up to speed? Is it personnel who will carry out the project (on your side, or internally, on the prospect’s end)? Is it whether the project is a go or “no-go” at all? Does the prospect intend to interview more providers before deciding whom to hire to undertake the project? 

Asking these questions should accomplish four things:

1. It should let you know where you stand as the proposed provider, 
2. It should give you an opportunity to address any objections that you haven’t cleared up during the consultation,
3. It may help the prospect understand what is causing them to hesitate, and
4. It should clarify what happens next.

What Went Wrong?

Don’t be upset with the prospect for attempting to leave you in limbo. If you’ve arrived at the end of a consultation and you don’t know what happens next, it’s your fault. You’ve done something wrong along the way. You failed to set an agenda in the beginning. You didn’t learn what the decision making process normally looks like for the prospect. You didn’t listen well or ask the right questions during the consultation. But just because you made some mistakes early on doesn’t mean you should compound the problem with more mistakes.

How to Course Correct

Thus, when the prospect says: “We need some time to think it over,” don’t accept that vagueness. You’re likely being used as a pawn. The prospect may have brought you in to make their incumbent nervous enough to lower their price. If you don’t want to be treated like a pawn, don’t act like one. Act like a queen—or at least one of those knight-horsey pieces that jumps around wreaking havoc all over the chess board. You do this by asking the questions listed above. The prospect is likely to give you a straight answer now, even if that means admitting that their incumbent provider has the inside track and the decision is really about price. 

If it is about price, then talk about money. But don’t bid against yourself. Tell them that you need to know what they are currently paying and what the other package includes so you can compare apples to apples. Now you’ll have a chance to get the information that you need to make a competing bid, and they should give you a date certain when a decision will be made.

What is most important is that you will have avoided limbo. You didn’t wait by the phone. You didn’t jump through hoops. You’re nobody’s pawn.