We’ll Get Back to You” Usually Means This
“We’ll get back to you” is one of the most misleading phrases in sales.
It sounds open.
It sounds polite.
It sounds like progress.
But more often than not, it’s a soft pause — not a forward step.
Deals rarely move faster after this moment. They slow down, drift, or quietly disappear. Understanding why this happens is essential if you want to prevent stalls before they harden into silence.
Why sellers hear progress when buyers signal hesitation
Sellers often interpret “We’ll get back to you” as:
- Internal review
- Legitimate deliberation
- A step toward approval
Buyers often mean something else:
- “I’m not ready to decide”
- “I don’t know how to move this forward internally”
- “I see risk and want distance from the decision”
The phrase creates ambiguity, and ambiguity is fertile ground for stalls.
This is closely tied to the idea that deals don’t suddenly stall — they slow because momentum was never fully secured, a dynamic explained in
The Deal Didn’t Stall — You Let It
What the phrase actually does for the buyer
“We’ll get back to you” serves a purpose for the buyer.
It:
- Avoids confrontation
- Preserves optionality
- Buys time without commitment
- Reduces immediate pressure
Importantly, it shifts responsibility away from the moment. Once the call ends, the buyer is no longer required to act.
If no cost is attached to waiting, waiting feels safe.
The hidden problem: undefined progress
When “We’ll get back to you” is accepted without clarification, the deal loses structure.
There is usually no clarity on:
- Who is responsible for the next step
- What decision needs to happen
- When a response actually matters
- What happens if there is no response
Without these anchors, momentum dissolves naturally — without anyone explicitly choosing to stop.
This is why many deals slide from this phrase directly into silence, a pattern also explored in
What to Do When the Prospect Goes Silent After Pricing
A common real-world exchange
The conversation goes well.
Questions are answered.
Interest seems genuine.
The buyer closes with:
“This looks good. We’ll get back to you.”
The seller replies:
“Sounds good. I’ll follow up next week.”
At that moment, control shifts entirely to uncertainty.
No decision owner.
No criteria for moving forward.
No shared understanding of what “getting back” actually means.
The stall is already in motion.
Why follow-ups don’t fix this
After “We’ll get back to you,” sellers usually rely on follow-ups to restart momentum.
But follow-ups don’t create clarity. They only test patience.
Messages like:
- “Just checking in”
- “Any updates?”
- “Bumping this up”
Put pressure on the buyer without reducing risk. The result is often delayed replies or polite deflection — not progress.
The issue isn’t responsiveness.
It’s unresolved hesitation.
What “We’ll get back to you” is really pointing to
In most cases, this phrase signals one of three things:
1. Decision ownership is unclear
The person you’re speaking to may not be the one who can say yes.
2. Internal alignment hasn’t happened
The buyer doesn’t yet know how to justify the decision internally.
3. Outcome risk feels too high
They’re unsure what happens if this doesn’t work — and who owns that risk.
Until one of these is addressed, movement is unlikely.
This reinforces the broader principle discussed in
Why Deals Stall Even When Interest Is High
where delay is often safer than commitment when risk remains implicit.
How to respond before the phrase becomes a stall
The best time to address “We’ll get back to you” is before the call ends.
Instead of accepting it, clarify it.
For example:
- “What needs to happen internally before you can get back to me?”
- “Who else needs to weigh in on this decision?”
- “What would make it hard to move forward?”
These questions don’t apply pressure. They create definition.
Making the next step concrete
If “We’ll get back to you” appears, it should be followed by:
- A named owner
- A specific outcome
- A time-bound check-in
For example:
- “Let’s reconnect after you’ve discussed this with finance.”
- “If concerns come up, we’ll address them together.”
- “If I don’t hear back by X, I’ll assume priorities shifted.”
Clarity makes delay visible. Visibility changes behavior.
Why accepting ambiguity feels polite — and costs deals
Sellers often accept vague endings to be respectful.
But politeness without clarity transfers all risk to the seller.
Buyers don’t move faster because sellers are patient. They move when the path forward is clear and safe.
Accepting “We’ll get back to you” without definition is not neutral. It’s a decision to let the deal drift.
The core takeaway
“We’ll get back to you” is rarely a promise.
It’s a signal.
It signals hesitation, uncertainty, or missing alignment — not rejection, but not progress either.
Your job isn’t to chase responses.
It’s to replace ambiguity with clarity while you still have the buyer’s attention.
When that happens, deals either move forward — or end cleanly.
Both are better than waiting.
