"We'll Think About It": What to Say So You Don't Lose the Job

Why "we'll think about it" is almost never the real answer

Some customers genuinely need time. But most of the time, "we'll think about it" is a polite way of putting off a question they haven't asked. Behind it, there's almost always one of these:

• They need to talk to someone. A spouse, a business partner, the parents paying for the wedding, a committee that signs off on the budget.
• They have a doubt they haven't voiced. The price, an option, a date, a detail that worries them.
• They're comparing. Another vendor is sending a proposal next week.
• They're waiting on something. Financing, a confirmed venue, a moving date, the bank.
• They're missing information to decide. They don't know what happens next, or what's really included.
• They've already decided no. And they'd rather not say it to your face.

So in five cases out of six, there's something you can do. The only moment you can find out which one it is: right now, before you leave or hang up.

What to say in the moment: a three-step script

1. Accept

Don't try to convince them, don't restart your pitch. The customer needs to feel you respect their need to take time.

"Of course, that makes sense. It's a real decision."

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2. Clarify

Ask what's left to decide. The trick: offer a few options, so they only have to pick one.

"So I can help you see it clearly, what's still open on your side: is it more the budget, a specific option, the timing, or do you need to talk it over with someone?"

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The answer tells you exactly what to do next. And often, the customer realizes for themselves what's holding them back.

3. Set a date

Never leave without a check-in point. Suggest a specific date, and let them adjust it.

"How about we touch base Thursday at the end of the day? I'll call you around 6pm, does that work?"

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A date isn't pressure. It turns "we'll see" into an appointment, and gives you a legitimate reason to call.

If the meeting is by phone or video, the script is the same. If the customer says "we'll think about it" by email, keep the three steps in writing: one line to accept, one question with a few options, one suggested date.

The three answers you'll hear most

The clarifying question usually brings out one of these three answers.

"I need to talk to [someone]." Offer to walk that person through the project too: a three-way call, a short video call, or a written recap they can simply forward. Decisions are rarely made well from a summary told from memory.

"It's the budget." Don't drop your price on the spot. Ask how big the gap is, then offer an adjusted version: fewer items, a simpler package, or doing it in two phases.

"We're waiting on other proposals." Fair enough. Offer to help them compare: "If it helps, I can send you a list of what to check in each proposal, so you're comparing the same thing." You become the one helping them decide, not the one waiting.

What to avoid

A few common reflexes do more harm than good:

• Fake urgency. "This price is only good today": if it isn't true, the customer can tell, and trust goes out the window.
• An instant discount. Cutting the price before you know what's blocking suggests the first price wasn't fair.
• "Call me whenever you're ready." The line that guarantees they won't. Nobody enjoys calling to say no, or even to say yes.
• Redoing the work for free, again and again. A third version of the plan, a fourth package, another mockup: without an agreed budget, every version adds work without bringing the decision any closer.

The recap to send the same day

That evening, or the next morning at the latest, send a short recap. It helps the customer think, it gives the person who wasn't there something to read, and it sets you apart from vendors who only send a price.

Subject: Your [project name] project: recap of our conversation

Hi [First name],

Thanks for your time today. Here's what I took away, to help you think it through.

Your project: [one or two sentences, in the customer's own words].

The options we discussed:

• [Option 1]: [what it includes, ballpark price]
• [Option 2]: [what it includes, ballpark price]

What's left to decide: [the point the customer raised, e.g. budget, date, someone else's opinion].

Next step: I'll call you [day] around [time], as agreed. In the meantime, feel free to forward this to [the person concerned] if that helps.

Have a good evening, [Signature]

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Keep it short. The goal isn't to explain everything again, but to make the decision easier.

While they think it over: stay present without pushing

Between the meeting and the agreed date, one touchpoint is enough, as long as it brings something: an answer to the open question, a photo of a similar project, a detail about timing.

Hi [First name], about your question on [topic], I checked: [short answer]. Talk on [day] as planned.

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On the agreed date, call when you said you would. If they don't pick up, leave a short voicemail and back it up with a text:

Hi [First name], I tried to reach you as planned about [project]. Where are you at in your thinking? If you're missing any information to decide, just let me know.

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And if they ask for another version? Say yes, but set the frame: "I'll put that version together. So the next one is the right one, shall we agree on the budget first?"

What "we'll think about it" looks like in your line of work

The words are the same everywhere, but they don't always hide the same thing. A few examples:

If your business isn't on the list, ask yourself the same question: when do you hear it most often, and what are your customers waiting for at that point?

When "we'll think about it" means no

Sometimes the answer is simply no, and the customer doesn't want to say it. Signs: they dodge the clarifying question, won't agree to a date, go silent after the recap.

In that case, don't pile on follow-ups. After two or three useful attempts, send a closing message that leaves the door open, and ask for the main reason. An explained no beats silence: it helps you with the next projects.