The short answer
Don’t just write the date down. Ask what will be different next quarter. If there is a real reason, agree a specific time and what you will discuss. If nothing will change, gently ask what is really in the way.
The example exchanges on this page use a seller offering a monthly service to the owner of a small business. “Next quarter” stands in for any vague future: next month, after the summer, in the new year.
What they actually say
The words change; the objection doesn’t. All of these belong on this page:
- “Call me back next quarter.”
- “Try me in a few months.”
- “Maybe after the summer.”
- “Reach out in the new year.”
- “Now’s not the time. Later in the year.”
- “Circle back in Q3.”
What it usually means
A future date sounds like a plan. Whether it is one depends on what is attached to it.
A real timing reason
A contract ending, a budget cycle, a busy season, a hire. The timing is genuinely better later.
How to tell: They can name what changes and roughly when.
Not a priority
They do not dislike the idea; it simply ranks below other things.
How to tell: Vague answers about what changes, and “we’ll see”.
A different objection
Price, a partner or doubt, delayed rather than said.
How to tell: Hesitation when you ask what would be different.
A polite no
Pushing the no into the future is easier than saying it now.
How to tell: No questions, no curiosity, and a date far away.
Prevent it earlier in the call
The best answer to this objection is usually given before it is raised.
Ask about timing early
“Is this something you’d want to sort now, or later in the year?” asked before the detail tells you where you stand.
Get the cost of waiting said
If the buyer has said what the problem costs each month, “next quarter” has a price they already know.
Ask about their calendar
Busy seasons, contract renewals and budget dates are easy questions that prevent surprise delays.
The core move
Whatever style you sell in, the skeleton is the same.
Accept the date as possible
“That might well be the right time.” No argument yet.
Ask what changes by then
“What will be different next quarter?” The single most useful question for any stall.
If there is a reason, anchor it
Agree a specific date, what you will discuss and who needs to be there.
If there is no reason, name the cost of waiting
Only with their numbers: “You said it’s around two missed jobs a month. That’s six by then.”
Ask what is really in the way
“If the timing were right, is there anything else stopping you?”
Accept a genuine later
A real reason and a booked time is a good outcome.
How each style handles it
The selling styles in Coach agree on the skeleton and disagree on almost everything else: tone, pace, and how hard to push. Here is the same objection through four of them.
Direct Close
Direct Close treats a vague later as a loss. It asks what changes, and if nothing does, uses the cost of waiting in the buyer’s own figures and asks today.
Example
BuyerCall me back next quarter.
SellerHappy to. What will be different then?
BuyerNothing really, it’s just a busy time.
SellerBusy means more missed calls, doesn’t it? You said two jobs a month. That’s six by next quarter. Shall we get it running before then?
Why it works. It turns a date into a decision, using only facts the buyer supplied.
Where it breaks. If the reason is real, such as a contract that ends in March, respect it and book the time.
Question-Led Discovery
Question-Led Discovery uses the delay to find out what the buyer’s year looks like, and whether the problem gets better or worse by then.
Example
BuyerTry me after the summer.
SellerSure. What happens over the summer for you?
BuyerIt’s our busiest time. Phones never stop.
SellerSo the missed calls are worst in the summer. What happens to those customers?
Why it works. The buyer discovers, in their own words, that the delay costs them most at exactly the wrong time.
Where it breaks. If they do not want to talk about it, do not force the conversation.
High-Energy Close
High-Energy Close keeps the momentum. It asks a quick, warm question to separate a real reason from a stall, and gets a small commitment either way.
Example
BuyerMaybe in the new year.
SellerLove that you’re thinking about it. Is the new year about budget, or just a busy few months?
BuyerBudget. It resets in January.
SellerPerfect. Let’s put the second week of January in now, so you’re first in line. Tuesday or Wednesday?
Why it works. A real reason gets a real booking instead of an open promise.
Where it breaks. Energy must not become pressure. If they decline the booking, respect it.
Ethical / Consultative
Ethical / Consultative takes a genuine timing reason at face value and makes the future conversation useful.
Example
BuyerWe renew with our current supplier in March. Call me then.
SellerThat makes sense. What would you want to have compared by then?
BuyerCost, and whether I can keep my number.
SellerI’ll bring both. Shall we pencil in the first week of February, so you have time before March?
Why it works. The buyer gets a useful, specific next conversation, set before their decision date rather than after it.
Where it breaks. Check the reason is real. Accepting every “later” is how pipelines fill with dead deals.
Mistakes to avoid
Writing the date down and hanging up
A date with no reason, time or agenda almost never becomes a conversation.
Calling back with “just checking in”
When you call back, bring what you agreed to discuss.
Inventing urgency
A fake price rise or deadline is a lie, and it fails the call.
Arguing with a real reason
If the contract ends in March, pushing for today looks like you did not listen.
When to stop
If they have a real reason, book a specific time and end warmly. If they decline even that, accept it. If they ask you not to call, don’t.
Practise it with Selly
Reading about an objection and answering one out loud are different skills. Three short reps:
Rep 1: what changes?
Choose Direct Close. When the buyer delays, ask what will be different then, and respond to exactly what they say.
Rep 2: book it
Choose High-Energy Close. Turn a real reason into a specific date and time with an agenda.
Rep 3: respect it
Choose Ethical / Consultative. When the reason is real, agree what the next conversation will cover.
What Selly scores: Selly scores whether you found out what changes by the date the buyer gave, and whether the call ended with a specific next step or a clear decision. In Direct Close, an open-ended “call me later” scores close to zero on the close. An invented deadline fails the call outright.
Questions
Is “call me next quarter” always a brush-off?
No. Budget cycles, contracts and seasons are real. Ask what changes by then; a real reason has an answer.
What if they won’t give a specific time?
Suggest one yourself, with a reason. If they still decline, respect it.
Should I create urgency?
Only from their own situation, such as a cost they described. Never invent a deadline or price rise.
What should I say when I call back?
Refer to what they told you and bring what you agreed to discuss. “Just checking in” gives them nothing.