What to Say When You Don't Know the Answer on a Sales Call

Short answer: don't guess and don't apologise at length. Say you don't want to give them a wrong answer, ask a question that shows you understand why they're asking, commit to a specific time for the real answer, and then send it. Buyers trust "let me confirm that by 3pm" far more than a confident answer that turns out to be wrong.

Why guessing costs more than admitting it

A wrong answer about pricing, security or an integration doesn't just lose you that point. It makes the buyer doubt everything else you said. And it often comes back later, in procurement or after signing, when it's much more expensive to fix.

Phrases that work

When it's a detail you should know but can't recall:

"I want to give you the exact figure rather than a rough one. I'll confirm it in writing by the end of today."

When it's outside your area:

"That's a question for our engineering team, and I'd rather get you a precise answer than a vague one. Can I bring them to our next call?"

When you're not sure the product does it:

"I don't believe it does that today. Can you tell me more about how you'd use it? That'll help me check whether there's another way to get the same result."

When the question is really an objection:

"Good question. Before I answer, what's behind it? Is this something that's caused problems before?"

Turn the question into discovery

A hard question tells you what the buyer cares about. Before you promise to follow up, ask:

• "What's making that important for you?"
• "What would a good answer look like?"
• "Is this a must-have, or would it be nice to have?"

Now your follow-up answers the real question, not just the literal one.

Follow up properly

1. Give a specific time, not "soon". Then beat it.
2. Answer in writing, so they can forward it to whoever else is involved.
3. Answer the underlying concern, not just the question.
4. Add something useful: a doc, a customer example, or a short video.

How to stop it happening next time

• Keep a list of the questions that caught you out, and write the answer down once. After a month, you have your own FAQ.
• Put your key facts in one place: pricing, limits, integrations, security answers and two or three case studies.
• Prepare for the likely questions before each call. Ten minutes of prep beats an awkward pause. (A 15-minute sales call prep checklist.)

Have the answer in front of you instead

That list of key facts is also exactly what Sajest works from. You switch on the documents that matter before the call: your pricing sheet, product docs and security answers. When a hard question lands, press Enter and it gives you a short answer based on those documents and what the buyer just asked. You still check it before you say it, but you're checking a draft rather than searching your memory.

It runs on your Mac, no bot joins the meeting, and your first 60-minute session is free.

Try it on your next call · What to look for in a real-time call assistant