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Dear Quota Team,

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I sell fleet management software to delivery companies. Recently, I've been hitting a wall with prospects citing "economic uncertainty" as the reason why they're not interested and are pushing conversations out later in the year. I've never ran into this problem before. My company has a great system that we sell that clearly shows ROI from cost savings, but even putting real numbers in front of them isn't moving the needle. I recently calculated that one prospect is losing $3,000 monthly through inefficiencies, but they still won't commit because it's "not the right time for new technology." How do I convince prospects to invest now even instead of waiting around?

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Waiting in New Mexico

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Dear Waiting,

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This is a cycle that affects all salespeople. Keep your head up and keep pushing through the moment. It will get better. For now, since your ROI messaging isn't working, shift from "investment" language to "defensive" positioning. When prospects are scared or uncertain, they respond better to avoiding pain than capturing gain. Instead of showing ROI projections, start conversations with "What's your plan if diesel costs spike another 30% next quarter?" Position your software as insurance against worsening conditions rather than an investment for better times. If you try this and you're still struggling a month from now, you may want to talk to your sales manager about how you can offer smaller pilot programs (with opt-outs) so prospects can see real savings without feeling like they're making a major commitment during uncertain times. Good luck!