--- title: 5 Reasons Your Prospect Doesn’t Buy (And What To Do About Them) | The Sales Blog description: Yesterday I had a Facebook chat exchange with my friend, Chris. We were chatting about why people who know they need to change don’t buy when what is being sold will help them. Here are five reasons your prospective clients don’t buy and some ideas about how you can better serve them. 1. They haven’t […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_133645907.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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We were chatting about why people who know they need to change don’t buy when what is being sold will help them. Here are five reasons your prospective clients don’t buy and some ideas about how you can better serve them. **1. They haven’t yet reached threshold**: Some of your dream clients haven’t yet reached [threshold](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/change-occurs-when-you-reach-threshold). They know that they have a problem, they know the status quo no longer serves them, but they haven’t yet reached the point where they believe that they have to do something. They don’t yet believe that the consequences of inaction are great enough. Talking about the implications of inaction makes most salespeople as uncomfortable as it does their prospective clients (and for the softest of salespeople, they can’t fathom the thought of bringing up the negative implications of failing to change). But discussing the dire consequences is exactly what helps your prospect reach threshold. Ask, “What happens if you don’t change,” or “What happens when you run out of time?” **2. Too little value**: Your prospective clients don’t buy when they don’t [perceive](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/price-is-an-expression-of-value) enough value in what you sell. They may very much believe they need to make a change, and they may have reached threshold without believing that what you sell is the answer. People buy when they believe the benefit they receive from what you sell outweighs the price they pay for it. It’s easy to believe your buyer doesn’t “get it.” But helping them “get it” is how you create value. To move a prospective client who doesn’t perceive enough value, you have to increase the perception of value. You have to help them see the value they are overlooking. Too many salespeople refuse to build up the value because they’ve been frightened out of pitching. Say, “Can I share with you all of the ways I believe this is going to make a difference for you?” **3. Too much risk**: What you sell may produce outstanding results. You might even have dozens of clients who are benefiting wildly from the outcomes you helped deliver. But unless and until your dream client believes they are going to experience the same benefits, the risk of not achieving those benefits will seem too great. Because you know how something works and how it will benefit your customers, it’s easy to believe that they should know what you know. You have to help your customer resolve their concerns about their ability to execute and their ability to achieve the results you promise. Ask, “I want to make sure I have given you everything you need to support this decision. What else would you need to see to move forward?” Assume there is something left [unresolved](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/13-ways-to-resolve-concerns-and-get-to-yes). **4. Not enough information**: When you hear the words “I need some time to review this,” you can be certain that your prospective client lacks information. In a business-to-consumer sale, this is a clear indication that they are seeking more information, information that you haven’t given them. In a complex, business-to-business deal, it likely means you don’t yet have consensus. To help your prospective buyer make a better decision, you have to help them with more information. You have to help by providing more information and more discussion. A lot of salespeople fear engaging the client here, worrying that they are overstepping their boundaries by not allowing their prospect time. They are shirking their responsibilities. You ask, “If you need more time, that’s usually an indication that we’ve haven’t covered something as well as we needed to. Can you share with me what your concerns are, and I’ll see if I can’t provide you the information you need?” **5. Too much fear**: All of the above are really derivatives of fear. Your prospective clients worry about spending money. They worry about their image, what others will think of them. They fear you won’t be there to help them. They fear failure. They fear negotiating a poor deal and that you are claiming too much value. The long and short of all of this is that you have to be prepared to help your clients deal with their fears in whatever form they manifest those fears. Much of the time, they [fear the wrong danger](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/fearing-the-wrong-dangers). Think about the last time you needed to buy something but hesitated. What did you fear? How could someone have helped you with that fear?   ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2014](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2014) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on June 29, 2014 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2023-02-08T12:04:15 PM", "datePublished" : "2014-06-29 22:00:04", "description" : "Yesterday I had a Facebook chat exchange with my friend, Chris. We were chatting about why people who know they need to change don’t buy when what is being sold will help them. 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