The Problem

When a sales representative accepts any of the above or similar phrases from a client or prospect without getting some clarification, it puts them in a sort of sales limbo. This means they have to call back constantly to "touch base," leaving voice mails and sending emails that don't get returned. If they are lucky enough to catch their contact and have a conversation with them, they usually get put off again with another innocuous phrase or meaningless expression.

Why it Happens

A job in sales includes regular rejection. If a salesperson asks for clarification, they may learn that the prospect is not really interested at all. This removes the prospect from the pipeline or the sales forecast, which can be depressing. Being put off by a client or prospect is a little easier on the ego than a flat out rejection. The sales representative can always hold on to the hope that they can "call in 6 months" to discover that the prospect has magically made up their mind and is ready to revisit the purchase.

What to Do

Meet with your sales staff and together make a list of all the common phrases that they hear regularly. Explain why not asking for clarification makes everyone's job harder. Talk to them about how difficult it is for you to help them in any way or how bogged down they can become with a pipeline full of companies that may not be all that interested in the first place. Assure them that you would rather see a pipeline report or sales forecast with fewer "suspects" and more bona fide, qualified prospects.

Coach the Sales Representatives

When coaching sales representatives who struggle with this issue, I suggest the following: every time they hear an empty phrase like "It's on the back burner right now," try and imagine those words in quotes. Then repeat the phrase back to the prospect and ask for more information. It would look something like this:

"Ms. Jones, when you say, 'It's on the back burner right now,' what does that mean?" When she gives the sales representative a more substantive explanation, they should continue by saying something like, "How do you suggest we move forward from here?"

Pushback

Sales representatives will fight you on this. They will say that asking those kinds of questions is pushy or obnoxious. It is neither. One of their job responsibilities is to determine who is really serious about your company's product or service and pursue that opportunity to its completion. The only way I know to achieve that goal is to ask for and get accurate information from the client or prospect.

Don't let the sales representatives populate their CRM system with empty phrases. It will not help either one of you attain your sales quota. Insist that they get sufficient clarity from their prospects so they can continue to sell to them or move on to other prospects that might actually buy.