One of the most common phrases salespeople hear after a sales conversation is:
“This sounds good. We’ll get back in touch.”
It feels positive.
It feels like progress.
But experienced sales professionals know that this phrase can often be a warning sign.
The challenge isn’t the prospect saying it. The challenge is how we respond to it.
Too often, salespeople hear those words and immediately create a story in their mind:
“They’re interested.”
“They just need some time.”
“They’ll probably call next week.”
And then something happens.
A week passes.
Then two weeks.
Then the opportunity disappears.
This is what we call 'hope' in sales: believing something will happen without having real evidence that it will.
The problem is it creates false confidence and a pipeline that doesn't reflect reality.
Great salespeople operate differently.
They understand that their job isn’t to convince every prospect to move forward. Their job is to discover the truth.
Sometimes that truth is a yes.
Sometimes it’s a no.
Both are valuable.
When a prospect says, “We’ll get back to you,” a confident salesperson might respond:
“I appreciate that. One thing I’ve found is that when someone tells me they’ll get back in touch, sometimes I don’t hear back. Is this just a polite way of telling me this isn’t the right fit?”
This type of question isn’t aggressive. It’s honest.
It gives the prospect permission to be truthful and creates an opportunity for a real conversation.
The best salespeople aren’t afraid of hearing no.
Why?
Because a clear no is better than an uncertain maybe.
A no gives you direction.
A no gives you back your time.
A no allows you to focus your energy on opportunities that have real potential.
Sales success isn’t built on hoping every opportunity works out.
It’s built on having the courage to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and create clarity throughout the sales process.
So the next time you hear, “We’ll get back to you,” don’t automatically celebrate it as a win.
Pause.
Be curious.
Have the conversation.
Because the goal of every sales conversation isn’t to get a yes.
It’s to discover the truth.
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Dave Trapani at Sandler Princeton provides proven sales training and leadership development to help organizations build stronger teams, develop confident leaders, and drive revenue growth.
We work with sales professionals and managers in and around New Jersey to improve qualification, set clear expectations, and create more predictable results.
If you are looking to strengthen your sales and leadership teams, let’s start the conversation.
