BackMarch 2, 2026
When a Business Says Not Now
Objection-to-response. Nurture timeline. Re-engagement triggers.
not nownurturefollow-upobjection handlingThey Say / You Do
| They say | You do |
|---|---|
| "We're too busy right now" | Note in CRM. Follow up in 3 months. No pushback. |
| "We just spent on something else" | Ask when budget resets. Follow up then. |
| "Not interested" | Thank them. Remove from list. Don't re-email. |
| "Send info, we'll look" | Send one-pager. Follow up in 1 week. |
| "Call back in Q3" | Set reminder. No contact until then. |
Nurture Interval
+0 mo
They said not now
Log reason if given
+3 mo
First re-engagement
Brief check-in. New angle if possible.
+6 mo
Second touch
Only if 3mo was neutral (no hard no)
+12 mo
Final attempt
After this, move to dead
Re-Engagement Triggers
They got a new review
Congratulate. Soft pitch.
Season changed
Seasonal angle (e.g. tax season, holiday)
Their website changed
They're investing. Worth another try.
You have new case study
Social proof. Short email.
FAQ
How long should I wait before following up after 'not now'?
3 months is a reasonable default. Shorter if they gave a specific timeframe (e.g. 'call in Q2'). Longer if they seemed annoyed.
Should I keep emailing someone who said not interested?
No. 'Not interested' is a hard no. Remove from list. Re-engagement wastes your time and annoys them.
What if they said 'send info' and never replied?
One follow-up after 1 week. If no reply, one more at 2 weeks. Then treat as not now and try again in 3 months.