When They Say: Not Now
Accept the timing, ask when the need usually comes up, and agree a date to call back before then.
Practitioner advice; no studies.
Why it works
In seasonal businesses, not now is often true. Fixing a date tied to their cycle turns a brush-off into a scheduled conversation and puts you ahead of rivals who call too late.
How to do it
- Accept it without pushing.
- Ask when hiring or buying usually starts for them.
- Ask what would need to be true for it to become a priority.
- Agree a specific date to call, a few weeks before that.
- Put it in your CRM and send one useful note in between.
What to say
Understood. When does hiring usually start for the next season?
Can I call you on the first of February, before that starts?
What would need to change for this to become a priority?
Avoid
Saying: okay, I'll keep in touch. Without a date, you will either forget or call at the wrong time.
Example
A Bathinda cotton seed company said hiring would start after Diwali. Gurpreet asked to call on 1 November. On that day he was the first agency they had heard from, and he got two roles.
Practise it
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