When Leads Kick the Can: How to Overcome Prospect Indecision

For many consulting firms, one of the most frustrating hurdles is a client who seems ready to move forward but then hesitates, delays, or sends your proposal into a black hole of stakeholders. You’ve had all the right meetings, delivered a tailored solution, and yet months go by without a final decision. Here’s how you can turn client hesitation into action.

1. Understand the Client’s Internal Decision-Making Process

One of the most common reasons for delays is that you’re talking to the wrong person or haven’t fully mapped out the client’s decision-making process.

• Have an upfront, open conversation about how decisions the decision will be made. Questions like, “Who else needs to approve this?” or “Are there other stakeholders involved?” can save you from surprises later on. Hold a decision-meeting and ensure everyone who needs to be there is there. This should play a part in understanding whether it’s worth you crafting a proposal at all.

2. Identify and Engage the Budget Holder Early

In many organisations, the person championing your project is not the one who controls the budget. This is especially true in larger firms where procurement departments, CFOs, or finance committees often have final say.

• Before investing too much time in a proposal, ask about the budget approval process: “Can we involve your finance team now to ensure the budget will be approved?”.
• Consider providing financial models or ROI calculators that speak directly to the concerns of finance teams.

3. Break Down Proposals Into Phases

A common objection from clients, especially when budgets are tight, is the size or cost of a proposed project. You might hear something like, “We’re not ready to commit to the full project just yet.”

• Instead of pushing for the entire scope upfront, offer to phase the project into smaller, digestible pieces. Once they see tangible results, they’ll be more likely to approve the next phase. This incremental approach reduces perceived risk and can accelerate decision-making.

4. Set Clear Decision Timelines

One of the most effective ways to avoid endless delays is to establish a firm decision-making timeline right from the start. This helps eliminate the ambiguous “We’ll get back to you” response that often leads to extended periods of uncertainty.

• Before you send your proposal, agree with your client on when they will make a decision. Use language like: “Let’s reconvene in two weeks to review and make a final decision, whether it’s a yes or a no.”. If they are unwilling to commit to a timeline, it’s a red flag that they may not be serious about moving forward.

5. Tailor Your Content for Different Stakeholders

In recent years, more decision-making power has shifted to CFOs, especially in large organisations. It’s no longer enough to have the support of operational or marketing teams; your proposal also needs to speak the language of finance. CFOs are focused on risk, cost control, and return on investment, so your proposal must reflect these priorities.

• Provide financial justifications, detailed cost-benefit analyses, and demonstrate how your solution either saves money or generates measurable value. If necessary, include a specific section in your proposal aimed directly at the CFO, showcasing the project’s financial impact.
• You might even offer to meet with the CFO directly to answer any questions about cost and return. Engaging finance early and often can prevent budget issues from derailing your deal at the last minute.

6. Keep Proactive Touchpoints

Once a proposal has been sent, it’s easy for clients to go quiet.

• Schedule regular check-ins that add value. For example, send over industry insights, case studies, or relevant research that could help your client make an informed decision.
• However, adjust time invested based on the likelihood (and potential spend). Don’t waste your time chasing dead leads. If the client isn’t ready to decide in the near future, agree on a more extended follow-up schedule.

7. Ask for Preferred Supplier Status

Becoming a preferred supplier means you’ve cleared the internal hurdles of procurement and are pre-approved for future projects, which can fast-track your deals.

• If you find yourself frequently working with the same client but struggling to close bigger deals, it might be time to ask: “What do we need to do to become a preferred supplier?”
• Many firms wait until procurement approaches them about preferred supplier status, but by asking early, you can accelerate the process and avoid lengthy approval cycles in the future.

8. Accept When a Client Isn’t Ready

It’s important to recognise when a client simply isn’t ready to buy.

• If you determine that they’re not ready, be gracious, set a follow-up for a later date, and move on.
• Be sure to include an assessment of ‘why?’ in your loss/win reviews.

9. Consider a Review of Your Services

If multiple decision-makers and can-kicking is becoming a common feature of your work, consider reviewing your service offerings:

• How might you adjust your services to ensure that the buying process is easier?
• Having a single role for decision-making makes selling so much easier.
• This might be considering your value proposition; project cost; or marketing material.

In summary, these tactics might help you. However, do bear in mind that in consulting, especially in today’s market, uncertainty and indecision is often simply part of the game. You can take a horse to water, but your best bet is to have a thirsty horse in the first place.