The Best Way to Handle the “I want to think about it” Objection

“I frequently get to the close only to hear the prospect say “I want to think about it” – I’ve tried numerous rebuttals, but nothing seems to really work. Any suggestions?”

The best way to handle the “I want to think about it” objection is to make sure you follow a sales process that eliminates any possible reason a prospect would say that.

When a prospect says, “I want to think about it,” they either aren’t sold on needing a solution, or they aren’t sold on YOUR solution.

Those are the only two possible reasons why you would hear the “I want to think about it” blow-off.

Salespeople who hear this objection are often using what I call a “boiler room” sales process. They are “pushing rather than attracting.”

What I mean by that is this:

They get the prospect on the phone;
Ask if “they are the person who makes the decisions on XYZ.”
Fire off a few self-serving probing questions (to see if they are a match)
Followed by a data dump presentation and a close.

To which they often hear, “I want to think about it.”

The solution isn’t “handle the objection.” It’s fixing what’s causing the objection in the first place.

Two key areas (not the only areas, but two key areas) causing this objection are:

The Best Way to Handle the “I want to think about it” Objection

Misused Probing Questions

Replace asking self-serving probing questions with what I call “engagement questions”.

Probing questions tell you, the salesperson, if this prospect has a problem you can help solve.

Engagement questions allow you AND the prospect to recognize and see that a problem exists.

That’s a HUGE difference. And here’s the payoff – It’s human nature to want a solution once we recognize a problem. So if you establish what I call “Problem Recognition” up front, that alone will eliminate a majority of prospects from saying, “I want to think about it.” In fact, it will turn “I want to think about it” into “I want to know more!”

Solution Confirmation

Now there are several other key steps in the sales process that you must cover once you’ve gotten “problem recognition,” but once you do finally get to and execute the presentation phase, it would be wise to confirm that your prospect likes your solution BEFORE asking for the order.

When you are speaking with the right person, who recognizes a problem, wants a solution, and likes your solution, the old “I want to think about it” stall will become a distant memory.

– Michael Pedone

Michael Pedone is the CEO & Creator of SalesBuzz.com’s How to Sell with Confidence Online Sales Training Course