Clarify before you answer
Ask what sits behind the objection, so you answer the real concern.
“Of course. What are you waiting to see? If it is something specific, I would like to know when it will be clear and how it would change your decision.”
How to respond to “Let’s wait and see”
Customers say “Let’s wait and see” for a reason. Here is what usually sits behind it, how to respond and what to avoid.
What is really behind it
A wish to postpone commitment until something becomes clearer. They may be waiting for a real event, such as a decision or a result, or they may just not want to decide. Find out what they are waiting for, and whether you can still be useful in the meantime.
Typical in: Software and SaaS, Insurance and finance, Real estate, Telecom and energy, Professional services, Retail and e-commerce, Manufacturing and logistics, Contact centre and customer service
How to respond
Pick the framework that fits the customer. The wording is an example direction, not a script: say it in your own words.
Compare like with like
Put the options side by side, including the cost of doing nothing.
“Waiting is a choice too, with its own cost. Do you know what it would cost you, in time or in money, to wait another quarter?” Let them estimate, do not supply a figure.
Propose a smaller step
Shrink the decision to something low-risk that moves things forward.
“Then let us agree a date to look again, and in the meantime I will send you only what is relevant when your picture is clearer.”
The follow-up question
After your response, ask:
What would you need to see to move from waiting to deciding?
What not to say
Avoid: Waiting only makes things worse.
A generalisation that dismisses their reasoning. The customer needs to be heard, not corrected.
Practise it out loud
Reading is not the same as saying it. Talk to an AI customer who raises this kind of objection and see in the report which sentence helped.
Practise this objectionQuestions about this objection
What does “Let’s wait and see” really mean?
A wish to postpone commitment until something becomes clearer. They may be waiting for a real event, such as a decision or a result, or they may just not want to decide. Find out what they are waiting for, and whether you can still be useful in the meantime.
How do you respond to “Let’s wait and see”?
Clarify before you answer: “Of course. What are you waiting to see? If it is something specific, I would like to know when it will be clear and how it would change your decision.” Compare like with like: “Waiting is a choice too, with its own cost. Do you know what it would cost you, in time or in money, to wait another quarter?” Let them estimate, do not supply a figure. Propose a smaller step: “Then let us agree a date to look again, and in the meantime I will send you only what is relevant when your picture is clearer.”
What should you ask after “Let’s wait and see”?
What would you need to see to move from waiting to deciding?
What should you not say when a customer says “Let’s wait and see”?
Avoid “Waiting only makes things worse.” A generalisation that dismisses their reasoning. The customer needs to be heard, not corrected.
Keep exploring
Educational conversation training. It is not legal or financial advice and it promises no results. Always follow your company’s rules, the terms of the product and a customer’s clear no.