Call Me in January

So I saw this sales tip this morning, and it’s been kind of rattling around in my head.

The setup is, the prospect says, “Hey, can you call me after the holidays?”

And the advice is to say this… “What’s going to be different after the holidays?” And then you just go quiet. Let her sit in it. Let her explain why the problem matters.

And look, I get why that’s tempting. We’ve all had “call me in January” turn into… nothing. Right? January comes, and she’s gone.

Here’s what bugs me about it, though.

What that question is really doing is making her justify her answer. She said “after the holidays,” and now she has to defend it. And nobody likes defending themselves to a salesperson.

So she either caves, or she gets defensive.

And the tip also assumes she has a problem we can fix. Which, maybe she does! Or maybe December is just slammed. Maybe it’s a nice-to-have. Maybe she’s being polite, because saying no to someone feels rude.

We don’t know yet.

So what I’d do instead is start by seeing it from her side. Something like, “December’s a lot, huh? Year-end stuff, family, travel… one more decision is probably the last thing you need right now.”

Or, “Yeah, insurance isn’t exactly what anybody wants to be thinking about over the holidays.”

Or even just, “Sounds like you’ve got a full plate, and this can wait until things settle down.”

And then you stop. No pushing. No trap.

Because when people feel understood, they relax. And when they relax, they tell you what’s actually going on.

Sometimes it’s, “Yeah, honestly? It’s just not a priority.”

And sometimes it’s, “Well… my renewal is January first, so I really can’t wait too long.”

Either way, now you know where you stand. If it’s timing, great, book the call. If it’s not a priority, thank her, and let it go.

You can’t lose a policy that was never yours.

People don’t buy because they understand you. They buy because you understand them.