How to handle: "Can you follow up with me in 6 months?"
Explore why 6 months specifically, then discuss what might change by then so the conversation moves from "can you follow up with me" to the business outcome they actually care about.
What this objection really means
Either the pain isn't sharp enough yet, or you haven't tied the solution to a deadline that already exists in their world. For "can you follow up with me" specifically, the underlying job is to explore why 6 months specifically before you say anything else — that one move usually reveals whether this is a genuine blocker or a reflex response.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does "Can you follow up with me in 6 months?" really mean?
- Either the pain isn't sharp enough yet, or you haven't tied the solution to a deadline that already exists in their world. In this specific case, the signal you're looking for is whether you've done step one: explore why 6 months specifically. If that's missing, the objection will keep resurfacing.
- What's the best framework for handling this objection?
- Use the Timing & Urgency framework: Confirm interest → Quantify the cost of waiting → Anchor to an existing deadline → Lock a concrete next step. For "can you follow up with me" specifically, the move that matters most is to discuss what might change by then before you create urgency around current pain points.
- Should I respond immediately or ask a question first?
- Ask first. A useful opener here is: "When you say 'can you follow up with me', what's the specific thing driving that?" — it earns you the right to respond and prevents you from solving the wrong version of the objection.
- What's the single most common mistake reps make here?
- Accepting 'follow up in Q3' without a concrete trigger — Q3 will arrive with new excuses. Specifically on "can you follow up with me", reps tend to skip "explore why 6 months specifically" — which is the one move that turns the objection from a wall into a conversation.
- How should I follow up if the call ends with "can you follow up with me"?
- Send a short recap that mirrors their exact language, references one piece of proof (case study, benchmark, or customer quote), and proposes one specific, low-commitment next step with a date attached.
- Can I practice this objection with an AI buyer?
- Yes — LemCoach scenarios let you run a live roleplay where the AI prospect uses "Can you follow up with me in 6 months?" verbatim, then scores your response against the key points: Explore why 6 months specifically; Discuss what might change by then; Create urgency around current pain points.