How to Handle "Let Me Get Back to You": A direct answer to the most common sales stall

Hello and welcome. Today's episode is being recorded at home, so apologies if you hear any noise in the background. Now, what we're going to look at today is what to do when someone says, let me get back to you. Now, the reason why we're looking at that today is because obviously it's something that a lot of us face in business. You have a conversation with someone, it looks like you guys are vibing, it looks like you're flowing.

You're already calculating how much money is going to enter your bank account. And then the person says, let me get back to you. You've given somebody a proposal. You think everything is smooth. You call the person, say, oh boy, how far? And the person says, let me get back to you. So this is something that we hear a lot, whether you're a professional salesperson in Nigeria or whether you're a business owner in Nigeria.

In fact, it's a global something, right? We hear let me get back to you all the time. So just like the other podcast episode where we're talking about what to say when people say this sounds all good or looks all good and then next thing the deal doesn't seem to go anywhere. You know, it's just, it's just one of those things. So don't take it personal. Don't take it personal. Do not be angry. No, they'll provoke anyhow.

Don't want to start writing all kinds of things over on social media. In fact, that's the reason why we're looking at this one today. Let me get back to you because as another salesperson and some of you are wondering that is it only you that no salespeople in Nigeria? I don't know, maybe you know, but since I started this podcast, you know, lots of salespeople have been following me and I've been following lots of salespeople back.

So I get to see not just business owners, but also professional salespeople, you know, do their thing, you know, live. So there's one guy now a potential customer told him, let me get back to you, the guy, Vex. Then I begin the rant. Just writing anything on LinkedIn up and down and please let me say it one more time. For those of you who are professional salespeople reading this thing and you know, other salespeople, you know in Niger,

I beg let us be talking to ourselves. This thing is not very professional. If you're talking with somebody, the person says, let me get back to you. You're angry. You would have vent for social media. Just assume the person sees it, you know, next week or whatever. So things like you and immature or somebody say, oh, so because I told this small boy, let me think about this as a guy called the para, you know, you just look somehow.

So let's not be airing our dirty laundry in public a beg. So it's frustrating, but because somebody says this all good and then, you know, conversation didn't move or somebody said, let me get back to you and then I'll get it goes to you. It's not the end of the world. Don't be vexing. In fact, the emotion that you're carrying. I'm pouring on social media. Is that emotion and go outside running after other people are big.

Yeah. Let's conduct ourselves professionally. Let's not be so you know, it's petty, it's childish. And anyway, so let's just leave it like that. Now, let me get back to you. If you have heard that thing before, let's try to understand what it is that is going on. Like I said, first of all, that this thing is universal. It happens to everybody. So don't be annoyed. It happens to everybody, whether you're a novice, you're a jam bite, you're experienced, you're whatever.

It happens to every single person. So the problem is not that it happens to people, and his problem is not that it happens one or two times. The problem is just that you haven't given it much thought as to why this thing occurs and what you can do to respond when it happens or what you can do to prevent this thing from happening. So that is the right attitude to take. So just like in the other podcast episode, I spoke about how we need to take the initiative and we need to assume responsibility as business owners and as sales people to reduce the occurrence of these things happening.

It's it's the same thing here. So where are we? So let me get back to you now. When you're here, let me get back to you. This is what's going on in sales. We call this an objection. Now. An objection just means any reason, any concern, any question, any K leg, any comma that the person gives for not wanting to go ahead, for not wanting to sign, for not wanting to talk, for not wanting to go to the side visit, for not wanting to sign up for the demo,

for not replying your message, whatever it is. We just call all of those things objections. So you're talking to someone and she says, well, you know, they come on, go villa. I'll be back in two weeks. You know, that's an objection. Somebody says you're too expensive, That's an objection. Let me get back to you. That's an objection. Drop a proposal with my secretary. That's an objection. All of them. Shall we just classify all of them as objection?

However, whenever people say these things, let me get, let me get back to you. Send an e-mail to my secretary. I'm going to the village. I'm back after two weeks. Let me talk to my pastor, let me talk to my wife. My spirit is not in it. But you know, whatever it is that they say, we have to understand something. Now, sometimes when people say this and they're just trying to brush us off, they're trying to say get out of my sight.

But Nigerians are polite. So very few Nigerians will actually look at you and tell you get out of my sight. Most Nigerians will start saying all these kind of things, oh, this all sounds good, let me get back to you. Oh, sounds nice. I'm dropping my daughter in school when I get back from Lagos. But you know, all these kinds of things. Sometimes it's a brush off and sometimes people have legitimate concerns as in legitimately they have some reasons why they need fear or they have some concerns that they have not spoken about or they have some more questions that they just want to go and do some research on their own before they can now come back confidently and start talking to you.

So whenever somebody gives you an objection like let me get back to you, it could be a brush off or they might have legitimate concerns for why they are not signing this contract, why they are no longer talking to you, why they don't want to go for site visit, why they don't want to sign up for the demo, why they don't want to reply you look, whatever it is, they might have legitimate reasons. So the whole thrust of dealing with objections is not looking for the magic words to say that will bring this thing back on track, but rather rather what we're trying to do is we're trying to understand first what is going on.

If it's a brush off, then politely accept the brush off. If somebody's politely telling you get the hell out of my face, I'm one of those who believes that we should just get the hell out of their face and look for somebody else to talk to. So if it's a brush off, accept the brush off and just leave it. Our job is to sell. Our job is not to be a psychologist and wonder why people are hostile towards us. But then if they have legitimate concerns, good.

Then our job is to now ask questions so that we can uncover those legitimate concerns so that we can have frank conversations about it because that's the only way that we're going to stay in this conversation. If somebody says, let me get back to you because in the fear, unless you're on earth, the things that he's afraid of, how do you think you're going to stay in the conversation? If somebody says, let me get back to you because the guy gets on questions way while, you know, the guy wants to research one or two things before he comes back.

You know, once you figure out what's going on, you, you have no realistic hope for continuing this conversation. None. But then before we continue, I want to point out one thing. Because some people when they get objections, they get very, very angry. But I want you to consider one thing, Objections versus ghosting. Which one is better? Objections is when at least somebody is opening their mouth to give you a reason or to give you some kind of excuse.

Ghosts in Anchor, when people disappear, 100% they disappear. They know, they pick all. In fact, you suspect that they've blocked you. Which one is better, objections or ghosting? The reason why I'm saying is because we need to put these things in perspective. Business owners and professional salespeople put this thing in perspective. If somebody goes to you now I'm frustrated past now. If somebody's giving you objection, OK, no problem, no effects, calm down, let's figure out what's going on.

Then we'll now be able to know what is the next step forward. So objections actually are good because it gives you a reasonable shot. It means that you are still in the game. Ghosting is bad because you can't rescue the situation. How can I rescue the situation when somebody's not talking to me? You know, that's something that I tell my wife that when we quarreled where she squeezes her face as I look babe, like when in the vex, like calm down when you're annoyed.

It's like I can't even talk to you like no, what's the way forward? You know, So you're passing the ghost. That's that's the bad one. If somebody's giving you objection, OK, no problem. It's not a problem. Let's just try and figure out what it is that is going on. So don't be angry when people give you objections. Now, one thing we need to understand is let me get back to you. And other kinds of objections are symptomatic of something.

When we say symptomatic, what we just mean is there's a disease somewhere and we're seeing some signs. Now, all these signs that we see, like when somebody says you're too expensive, it is symptomatic of something. It shows that you have had a failure in the sales process. So when somebody says let me get back to you, it's a sign or something. It's a sign that the person has unrealistic price expectations. Maybe the person hasn't done any research.

You're the first vendor that the person is talking to. If somebody says, let me get back to you, it could be symptomatic that whenever you're in conversations with potential customers or clients, you don't have the money conversation quickly and early or often enough so that at least people have expectations about where you stand. Like Lecon, who we're going to end up doing business with soon if everything pulls through.

It's part of the conversation that we had. You know, the guy said, bro, I hope you're not too expensive. I laugh and I say, too expensive. How? I mean, I'm too sheep. And then I called the price and they say that one is too much. I said no, that's not like that. That the last person I spoke to when I called it, the person was confused that the person say are you charging in dollar Abe or charging in naira? And then when he found out that I was charging in naira, not in dollars, the guy lost respect for me.

And then we laughed and blah blah blah. See, all of that seems like small talk, but we are having the money conversation early in the beginning so that later on by the time we spent 2-3 days talking back and forth, Lecom can come back to me and tell me you're too expensive. We had the conversation early. So when you are facing objections, please realize it is a symptom that there's a failure in your sales process somewhere.

Something has happened before before or something has not happened before before that is leading to all these objections. So otherwise, let me get back to you. This all sounds good. Then you don't hear from them again, you're too expensive, What else? You know, even a whole thing of, oh, I'm coming, I'm going to the village now, I'll be back in two weeks. Even that objection is symptomatic of something. It shows that there's been a failure on your sales process,

that you have not had conversations around timelines and urgency. That's the reason why you're surprised by this kind of move that somebody would say I'm coming, I'm going to the villa, I'll be back in two weeks. You've not had conversations around urgency around timelines, around when do you want to begin around how so would you like to start seeing results? You know, simple things like that, that will just give you a simple timeline.

Because if you had all these conversations around timelines and you know that honestly speaking, this person is not ready to move forward until 2028 and you know that this is the beginning of 2026. You will not be confused when somebody say at the com at the go villa, since you've had the conversation, you will know that OK, yeah, this guy is not ready to even start until like next year. So he's normal in the go villa.

In the go villa. It doesn't mean it's a bad sign. You've had the expected the the the conversations around timelines. And so you know that in the go villa because it's not a priority right now. The other things where the guy that the guy has to do straight up. So if you're getting objections, let's stick to the one for today. Let me get back to you is because there's a failure on your sales process. You've not had conversations with them enough to figure out what they want or they need or what they're interested in.

You haven't had conversations with them to figure out what they can afford or you have not had budget conversations. Because let's face it, somebody can say, let me get back to you because the person has seen the money at the proposal and the guy is thinking, hey, this money will kill me. But you know, he doesn't know how to come out and say, you know, that he doesn't have money or that she doesn't have money. So they'll just say, let me get back to you.

So you haven't had those conversations around budgets, around money, about financial expectations. You haven't had the conversations around urgency or timelines because somebody can be saying, let me get back to you. The reason why he's saying let me get back to you is because it's a problem. But no priority right now. So you're discussing with the person you know today in March of 2026 and the guy is interested and the guy has the money or she has the money.

But honestly speaking, you know, no be priority now. Like aren't that kind, you know, aren't that kind. December is when he's ready to move forward. So let me get back to you. Actually just means guy chill. I have your details. When I'm ready, we'll get to it. Or maybe if not had conversations around authority and decision makings, decision making. Sorry. Well, as they say in the construction industry, the decision making matrix, Abby or something like that.

Sometimes let me get back to you. Just means the guy needs to check with the board first. Like one of my former clients who is in the solar space and there was a company, he kept insisting everything was all good, everything was all good. I said, Are you sure? Are you sure? I said it's all good. So I called him later on and said, hey, how far lady said that? Let me get back to you. I say, yeah. So we came up with a plan to bring her back on course.

And, yeah, she started responding to his matches again. And it turns out that, you know, her own take was, you know, I'm not the owner of the school because we're selling solar to a school in Victoria Island in Lagos. And the lady loved the proposal, the principal. And then they gave the proposal to her and everything. But I said, let me get back to you from there. She enter, goes in, where would you bring it back online?

And she said, you know, that it's not my school, I'm just the principal. I have to talk to the board. You can see that sometimes it's that simple. Somebody saying, let me get back to you just means they want to talk to the board 1st. The decision is not in their hand. So they have to go and talk to the person who authorize, you know, payment authorizes, authorize that. So from all these things that I'm saying, now you can see that it can be a whole lot.

It can be a whole host. It can't be anything. When somebody says let me get back to you, it can't be anything. One thing I can tell you for sure is if you say, OK, no problem, when you're ready, I'll hear from you, aye, Anything can happen after that. Anything, anything. Another vendor can come in and steal your slot. Let's see what else they can, Jabba. And you won't even know what else they might lose your phone number.

That one has happened to me. It happened to me that day. I nearly cried because I thought me and the bride were making progress. I'll get back to you. That's how I waited. And that was the days when I didn't have social media. In fact, I still haven't learned my lesson because right now I cancelled all my social media. The only one I have now is LinkedIn. So I called the babe now just to say what's up. How fun. She was like, oh, Tava Shima that I was.

I was wondering. I was looking. Nobody had your number. No social media. No, this, you know and that they say, OK, so I'll find out. I will go ahead. She said, today is my wedding day. What day to cry as I lost money. So let me get back to you. You say, OK, sure, no problem. You don't say anything again. And then like back in those days, I didn't have ACRM, so nothing to track my phone calls, my appointments, you know,

things like that. So me just calling her back was, you know, just like, oh, I remember that's why I called her back. And then was her wedding day. And that's how I lost money. Stories that touch. OK. So I was like, let me get back to you. Can't be caused by anything. But like I said at the top of the episode, this is what we do. We need to find ways to ask questions to figure out what is going on. It's not we know what is going on that we can make a proposal or that we can revive Abby.

Revive the conversation. Yeah. It's only when we ask questions that we know how we can revive the question. Sorry. Revive the conversation. So first of all, whenever anybody gives you any kind of objection at all, let me get back to you. You're too expensive. Drop an e-mail with my secretary. Drop a proposal in the showroom floor, whatever it is they say, the first thing you do is you agree with them or you empathize.

Now the homework with agreeing and empathizing is to do 2 things. Number one, you let the person know that they are being perfectly reasonable and #2 you calm the the mood. You calm the mood down so that people will be frank to talk. Because when people say you're too expensive and then you launch into a whole whatever about how you are the best price in Abuja and you're the best price in a Korea and you're the only person that this, this,

this and you know, you have a master's degree and blah, blah, blah. So it is justified or your equipment is expensive. You know you're make you're making the mood high because somebody has said you're too expensive for different reasons. Maybe the person no get money. Maybe the person has unrealistic price expectations. Maybe the person has found something cheaper or something. These of you to calm the mood down and continue the conversation.

You're justifying, justifying, justifying, the more you justify. What do you think will happen? Who do you think likes being run over, whether in personal affairs or in business affairs? The guy doesn't want you to run him down the babe. In fact, let's say you're a guy talking to to a woman. You think the woman wants you to run her down. You think so the more you dig in, the more she go dig in. So what you do is you calm down,

calm things down. So you agree and you empathize. That's the reason why for those of you who listen to the episode where I spoke about you're too expensive, that's the reason why I recommend it to my client. He said he tried it and he worked as the one who was into audio production. He said he worked. Now, Madam, I understand perfectly well in this Chernobyl economy. I know as it be. And then remember, he said that the person was like, my dear,

you have no idea. We just finished paying school fees. We just do this. We just do that. Is he? The mood will calm down. Then the person is talking. You know, what's that word conversate? I mean, you're having a conversation. It is when the mood is calm, you are growing empathize that you can move to Step 2, which is you ask questions because you need to ask questions to figure out what is going on. So in this case, let me get back to you.

You agree, you empathize, you say, yeah, Madam. I understand though, boss. I understand big decisions like this with plenty, plenty money. I understand. You don't just decide anyhow. Anyhow, you pause a bit. You know that small, you know rapport, you know you small talk, talk, talk back and forth. Then from there you slip into questions. The questions will be able to allow you to figure out what is going on. From when you figure out what is going on, you may now be able to make a new proposal or you'll be able to secure an advancement.

OK then from there we move and try and close the deal. Sorry I know this part sounds academic or technical. What I'll explain. I have explained step one, which is agree or empathize. We're now at Step 2 questions from questions. We can put a new proposal on the table. That is where we try and deal with whatever concerns that they have or and then after that, we now try and secure an advancement and then close the deal.

Advancement just means where we both mutually agree that this is the next step. Because when people say let me get back to you, they either have legitimate concerns or they're trying to brush you off. Either way, it puts you in that situation where you don't know what the next step is. How should you follow up? You don't know if you're following up. Are you being on intrusive? You know, you don't know. Are you being a pest?

You don't know. So we need to get an advancement. We need both of us to agree that this is what the next step is going to be. So now questions. Remember I told you that it could be a failure on your sales process. Excuse me when somebody says let me get back to you. It could be that you haven't figured out what they want, what they need, or what they're interested in because somebody's saying, let me get back to you. It could be that, you know, this thing sounds nice, but honestly,

I'm not interested. Or it could be that they see a proposal and it's like, Chai, this money is high, let me go and do small research. You haven't spoken about budget. Or it could be a simple matter of urgency, lack of urgency. Rather, the proposal seems good, the money makes sense, everything is tight, but right now would rather pay school fees and maybe we'll deal with this other problem later on in the future or the final one like my client who the solar salesman who found out that the problem was the principal had to discuss with the board, because she's the principal, not be her own school.

She has to discuss with the board. It's the board that will say we're going ahead, we're not going ahead or the price is good or let us price or whatever. So now at the questioning stage, since some of you cannot figure out what kind of question to ask, let me introduce you to a technique. And I first heard about this one from from Grant from Grant Cardone. Of course, you know there are other people who use this. That's the funneling technique.

Now, the idea behind the funneling technique is this. You're having conversations with somebody, the person is saying something and it looks like the person is stalling. Now because you have some experience, you have an idea about why people stall in your own potential, in sorry, in your own particular industry, in your particular context. So this following technique is only something that can be used by experienced professionals.

Like you have the experience. So when some people say some things, you kind of know, you kind of know where they're where they're heading. So the funneling technique, just use that to get them to become and to say what's on their mind so that when they say what's on their mind and they identify the path that they're on, you don't know how to treat it. So funneling technique works like this. So remember, we're trying to bring the situation down, bring the situation and make everything pipe low.

So when somebody says let me get back to you, you agree, you apathize say Bros, I understand, you know, for costly items like this, Madam, I understand for these kinds of things, you know, you don't just decide anyhow anyhow told at all. In fact, for some people, I advise that you won't throw in one or two things just to even reduce the pressure. So Madam, I get it, you know, not be by force. I don't even like to force people to do business with me.

So Madam is OK, is OK, all guys OK, Yeah, take your time. Whatever it is you need to consider, you know, consider. And then what you now do is because you want to ask questions now, so you need to get permission to ask questions. So this is about where you, you, you say. OK, let me stick to how I told sorry about that. Yeah. Recovering from a sore throat. So that's clear my throat. So can't can't remember which client I advised.

But anyway, this is how I told the geisha. So you agree you empathize Madam, OK, it's OK, no problem. I don't it's not good to even make these kind of decisions in a hurry. No problem. And then say Madam me self the way that I do business, you know not be well forced. I don't like to pressurise people at all. But Madam you know, can I be frank with you on something? Of course the Madam or the guy will say sure, no problem.

You say, look, I understand that you're a very busy person, so I want to respect your time and I don't want us to engage in any game of endless follow up where, you know, I would pursue you anyhow. Anyhow, so it's OK if I just ask you some questions. Let me just know where we're standing so that out of respect for your time, I no go, I no go to pursue you anyhow. You know, we're adults here, you know, so I'm sorry, you know,

I'm professional salesperson. So, you know, whatever it is, you can save freely. You have my feelings. You can see that what we're trying to do here is we're trying to set the mood of what you're saying makes sense and respect your time. I don't want to play this game the other people play where I'll be calling you three times in a week and you're not answering. So let me just ask you one or two questions. Let's just know where we stand.

I'm a professional. If is no, you're no longer interested, it's OK. So you can say it now and I won't call you again. You'll find that lots of people are actually open to this scenario. However, there is one case for my clients that didn't backfire. But The funny thing is, he already had the basic feeling about the woman. So when they think backfired, the guy said his even good self is not going ahead the moment he took this approach.

That's OK, Madam. I understand. Yeah, you think about it. Is this this? No pressure, in fact where I run my business, you know Madam, you know not be by force, you don't have to force anybody. The woman blew up and say what do you mean? What do you mean? Are you not the business person in Nigeria? You are supposed to chase everybody that you can chase. Abby, I'm not worthy of your time and attention. The woman be in the rant and to rant and to rant and to rant and to rant.

I was actually finished. She said, look, you know what, just send the send proposal to this e-mail address. Just like I said when I'm ready I'll call you. Then she caught the call. So I was about to apologize to my clients to say, ah guys, sorry I didn't know that this thing will blow up like this. He said no that he is even happy after all he had been telling me since that user man, he's getting some someone kind of vibes.

So he's even happy that is like this, that he has even crafted the e-mail to tell her that, oh, Madam, we started off on the wrong note. You know, this thing is not going to pull through. You know, I wish you the best in your endeavors, but we're not going to be making a bid anymore. So that's how I send the e-mail. And then that was it. So yes, that's one situation where the thing backfired. So I'm not telling you this to say that it's a bad approach.

It actually is a very good approach. It'll work a lot of times. People are going to appreciate your maturity and your honesty, and we'll be OK with you asking one or two questions. But Please remember when we ask them one or two questions, the goal is not to trap them in another conversation for 30 minutes. We're really just trying to ask one or two questions to figure out what's going on. So that 2-3 minutes Max, we have ended this conversation and we let the person go on their way.

But I just told you guys this story about the woman, about her vaccine, and then cutting the call. First of all, just to set the right expectations that nothing works 100% all the time, right? Because I realize that I say things on the podcast and sometimes I give you the impression on that, oh, this thing is a magic phrase. If you say it like this, the thing will work. No, no, no, it's not like that. Not everything works 100% of the time.

Sometimes you try something, it doesn't work. You know, the context might be wrong, your delivery might be wrong, you know, whatever. But you keep trying things over and over. And then after a while, you all I put after a while, you get get better at preventing some things like me. Honestly, let me get back to you. I don't hear let me get back to you anymore. I don't because I'm curing the things in my sales process so that remember objections are symptomatic.

So I don't hear these things again. And then also that's too expensive. I don't hear it anymore. How will I put it? OK, not as if I don't hear it anymore, but it is one of the first things that we talk about so that if the if it is ending, the conversation will end today, not acting in three weeks, somebody will come and tell me you're too expensive, so excuse me. All right, so back to the funneling technique. Oh, I agree.

You need to think about this for these kinds of expensive things. You know, people don't just make decisions anyhow. In fact, Olga, the way I run my business is not by not by force, not by force. So I'm not going to pressurize you to buy anyway. But Sir, can I be honest on one or two things is OK? Yes, my son, go ahead, my son, go ahead. So Sir, honestly, I want to respect your time and I don't want to engage in this game of endless follow up as we do in Nigeria where you say let me get back to you and I'll be calling you 2 three times a week.

You know, if you handle this part well, Olga will just laugh or Madam will say, OK, I understand. It's OK, Madam. OK, please. No thanks. I just want to ask you one question just so I know where we where we stand. And by the way, Madam, honestly, if the answer is no, you're no longer interested, you can't say it so that I won't just be chasing you anyhow. OK, no problem my son, go ahead. You can speak now. This is where your experience comes in because you are a professional in the industry and you know some of the things that make people hang at certain stages in the conversation.

All those options that make people Hank, that is when you present it at this stage, you present it in three easy options. So for me, typically what I used to say was when people say, let me get back to you at this stage, usually it could be a sign that they are not interested or they don't think I can do this plan that we have promised. I can execute on this plan that we've promised. Or sometimes it is that they need to discuss with somebody else before we move forward.

So which is it? So you can see that's the following technique. I've calmed to move down. I've presented them with three options and I'm asking a simple question, which is it? Before we get to this stage, I've already told the person that I already told the person that it is OK to say no. I know they do again. And if that's the case, you know, Olga, Madam, I won't call you again. In fact, as we finish, I'll delete your number from the phone so that I won't accidentally dial you again.

And then you give them three options, let them pick 1. So in my own case, this is what I used to use. Now, depending on your own industry, your own context, the option A, option B, option C might be different. But for me, that it was it, that was it. When somebody says, let me get back to you, typically what is at the back of their mind is they're no longer interested and they just don't want to tell me or they don't have faith that I

can execute this plan that we've come up with or they have to discuss it with somebody else. Before that they can take the decision which is it? When they answer, you will now be able to come up with a new proposal and to seek the advance and advancement. If somebody says I'm not interested, you say, oh thank you very much Ma for your honesty. I'm not going to be calling you again. But before I leave, do you know anybody who might be interested in and then you try and get a referral.

If she give you fine, she don't give you no problem. So OK, no problem. I will take my leave. But before I go, can I drop a flyer? Can I drop here's my website link, here's my business card, here's my just drop something and then you leave. You've done the best you can do. If things change, they change. I should get in touch with you. If things never change, oh, well, it's one of those things. You don't win every single one.

He who fights. And what do you say again anyway, You leave the fight another day, basically. That's that's just what I'm saying. If the person says, well, actually I'm not confident about this part of the proposal, blah, blah, blah, I say, oh OK, really Sir or Madam? Exactly what was it that I said that you know, confused you or that is unclear or is on something, something, something and the person might talk some more.

You get a sense of where the problem is. But remember, we are not trying to pin them into a 30 minute conversation. Because if you try and pin them into a 30 minute conversation where you are trying to close the deal on them, I can assure you the next time in the future where you tell them Sir is OK, just talk freely. Talk honestly. The gun will fall for it again. So what you do is when he has pointed out what it is, remember, we promise them that we're on the way out.

It's OK. No problem, Sir. I've made a note of those concerns and I think we can address them. But I'd like to be mindful of your time. I'd like to be mindful of your time, Sir. So when would you like for us to talk again? How soon would you like us to talk again? Or would it be OK, Sir, if I call you back Wednesday next week so I can show you specifically how we're going to address this concern? That is what we mean by the advancement.

They have said what it is that they have said. Your new proposal is OK, Sir, I think I understand what your concerns are. So how about we reconvene so that I can show you how our product for stores this problem or how our guarantee or our warranty will prevent this or how this and this is how this is how these issues have come up with clients in the past and how we have addressed it. You know, so that's the new proposal.

Basically the new proposal basically is let's have a let's have a chat later on and let's see how we can do this. Then the advancement you're trying to secure is can I call you next week Wednesday or how soon would you like for us to talk? By the way, if you've been listening to the podcast for a while, you know that I'm not a fan of putting it in the other person's court because if you can say how soon would you like us to talk?

And the person says, call me in three months, that's serious problem. I don't want to hear things like that. Call me in three months. Anything can happen in three months. So typically I would be the one to propose something, but you know, take it, take it at this stage where you are, if you are afraid that you can't propose something and no problem, it's OK to say when would you like for us to talk again, that kind of thing.

And the person admits just like the Madam did for the salesperson who sells solar. Madam admitted I am the principal, it is not my own school, I have to talk to the board. And so that is why I had not been responding to your calls or your emails. In that case, you will now be asking questions around, you know the around the decision making structure so that you know how soon to follow up again or the next step is. So in his own case, when Madam said it's not my school, I have to talk to the board, the conversation wasn't a matter of oh, OK, that's true.

That actually makes a lot of sense. So does the board meet every two weeks or is that monthly? So the board meets, the board meets meets monthly. They say, oh, OK. So when, when is the next meeting? Well, actually, the next meeting is next month. Next month, yes. Now the board met yesterday. But there are so many things on the table, so we're not able to to hash it out, say oh, oh, OK. So the board meeting next board meeting is Friday.

So, so, so next month. Oh, yes, that's correct. OK, no problem. Ma March. I hope you don't mind. Sure, I can buzz you like a week in advance. Let me buzz you or text, you know, text you or something just to make sure that the our proposal, our tender is still on the agenda for the meeting. Well, yeah, sure, that's fine. Sure, sure. No problem. He can do that. OK, No problem, ma'am. No Allah. So I'll be in touch next month.

OK. When are we now? This is OK, the 2nd of March. So I'll be in touch next month around OK, No hold on. This is 2nd of March. In the example that I'm giving the meeting is going to be one week. So I'll be in touch my third week of third week of March around March, March 18th March, this just to make sure we're still proposal is still on the table. So that's OK, Ma. It's OK. No problem. OK. Thank you very much for your time.

I really appreciate your time. OK. It's OK, my son. Have a nice day. Chakam, you got to go. So that's it. You can see that now you have your advancement because the person has admitted that it is not in my power. It is in the power of the board. You ask a few questions, you figure out what the next advancement is, and then that's it. Now, when you start buzzing Madam in two weeks or three weeks, now you're not an irritant because Madam remembers people had that conversation.

By the way, whenever you have an interaction with somebody, at the end of it, you should send text messages that summarize just in case, you know, because it helps people to remember. And then it keeps a a written track of the conversation on your phone. So after this kind of conversation with Madam, immediately the conversation finishes, you send Madame a WhatsApp message. Thank you very much, Madame, for your time today.

I really appreciate your honesty. And yeah, it makes a lot of sense that you have to talk to the board, just like you said concerning our proposal. So, Ma, just as we agreed, I'm going to be in touch around the 18th of March, just to be sure that our tender is still on the table. Thank you very much again, Ma, for considering us. I really appreciate your support through all this. Enjoy the rest of your day, enjoy your work week.

Happy new month. Happy. OK, Happy new month because this is 2nd of March. Happy new month. And then leave it like that. Madam will see your text message group and then she'll read it. You see, so that on the 18th when you're calling her, this will register that oh, that guy in Abuja is true, is true, is true is true. So sorry that this has been a very, very long episode, but I wanted to handle this thing in a very, very holistic way because the mistake that some of you make is you're looking for influencers or gurus on social media who will give you magic recipe.

Now when somebody say, let me get back to you, you say this particular thing and then you bring it back on track. It is not like that. I want you guys to have a, a holistic idea about how this thing works and a very systemic, the right word. Everything is a system. Let me put it like that. And for the deal to close, every single part of the system has to be working well to close the deal. So I just wanted you guys to appreciate that.

So first of all, anytime somebody give you any kind of objection, just realize that it is symptomatic of some problems. There's a problem in your sales process. There's something that you did before and you didn't do well or something that you should have done before that you didn't do at all. So all those people. All of you, I'm letting you know right now, it's not that Nigerians don't like spending money, but you invest two months relationship building with somebody and then the person says you're too expensive, it was your fault, not the client's fault.

You're the one who wasted your time talking to somebody for two months and you didn't even bring up money expectations how it was your own fault, you caused it. You bring up the money expectation early so that the person who wants to fear and run away do say how much and then they'll run and you have gained 2 months of your life. Excuse me, The person who thinks is a reasonable something personal say, OK, that sounds about reasonable.

The person has kind of committed so that in the future when they say you're too expensive, I'll be able to say boss. Now in the beginning when you spoke, you said that so, so, so as a reasonable something, what's going on, we can have an honest conversation. So when you hear an objection, something has happened wrong before, we need to calm down. We need to reduce the pressure. We need to have a simple conversation to figure out what's going on in 2-3 minutes.

One or two questions. We know what the problem is. OK, no problem. We'll now try and refocus it. If we can put a new proposal on the table, put the new proposal on the table. If you can't, then you can put a new proposal on the table. You put the new proposal and then you try and close because there might be some situations where by the time you ask questions, you realize that people are worried about some. You say OK, is it like that I

didn't tell you before we have 12 months warranty now say and 12 months warranty say oh God, we have 12 months warranty now. Look at page 15 of the contract I sent you Now can you just check it? You can see it. That thing is thing is just there 12 month warranty in fact me. So I even give you personal guarantee. You want me to come to the office and sign personal guarantee for you, I'll come and sign it. So is that the only problem?

Yes, no problems. OK, so if it's like that, no problem. Now, let me come over to your office tomorrow. Let me come over to your office tomorrow. We don't sign the paperwork. You can make transfer straight and then we'll begin. Yeah. OK. So what do you think? So there's some situations where you discover what it is, put a new proposal on the table, and then try and close. For the situations where you can't do that, put a new proposal on the table and close.

You try and secure an advancement, Both of you mutually agree what the next step is and then hopefully it will reduce ghost in reduce. Oh, sorry, I missed your call. It will reduce. Let me get back to you. It will, you know, so that's how we deal with these sorts of things. Now, if you are having these sorts of problems in your business, people are giving you all manner of objection from let me get back to you to you're too expensive to you or whatever.

You don't know what to do? Then call me, send me a text message or a WhatsApp message on 08064662140. And yeah, let's see how we can get you sorted. So that's it. Thank you very much for your time and attention. I'll catch you all some other time.