“I need time to think” is a centuries old excuse people use, when they cannot decide. Have you come across a prospect who tells you “I need time to think”? Do you think the prospect actually thinks?

Now answer this one honestly. How many times have you used this? Do you really think when you say you will think? I can bet that most of you will be using it exactly the way prospects use it with you. It is time to decode this and most importantly overcome this.

Let us say you tell someone this line. Do you actually set aside time the next day to think about this? Do you say “I need to make a decision on X so I am setting aside 1 hour to think about this tomorrow. If I have any questions, I will reach out to the person and ask questions. Post that, I will make a decision.” Like my previous bet above, I can bet again and say with confidence, 99.99% of people do not follow this. They use “Let me think” very loosely and never think about it.

So first if you really want to improve your own performance, start by implementing this in the way you make decisions. Saying No is better than keeping someone hanging. Once you believe in this, you can then start practicing with your prospects (when they use the line); you can say “Just out of curiosity, what is it that you need time to think about? Maybe I can help you with it”. You can then add “I have helped many people with a similar situation like you, so if there are some questions that need clarification, I can help address this. If you cannot think of any right now, please set aside 30 mins or an hour to think about this tomorrow and I can call back to check if you have any questions. Thank you so much”.

Try it out and Let me know how it went.

P.S. Believe in it and Be Confident (Do not hesitate). It works. You will get a decision almost always. A “No” is your Friend than having “Fake ones” in your pipeline.  No one will waste your time here on and your pipeline will only have real prospects.