Why "Not Now" Is Better Than You Think

You finally get a business owner on the phone.

The conversation goes well. They're engaged. Asking questions. You can tell they're thinking about it.

Then it comes: "This is interesting, but the timing isn't right. Maybe in a year or so."

Most searchers hear this as a no. They thank the owner, hang up, and move on to the next target.

“Not now" is one of the most valuable responses you can get because it means the owner is considering transition. They're just not ready yet.

The question is whether you'll be the person they call when they are ready.

"Not Now" Isn't "Not Ever"

When an owner says "not now," here's what they're telling you: They've thought about selling. This isn't the first time the idea crossed their mind. They're past the denial stage.

They're open to the concept. If they weren't, they wouldn't have taken your call or met with you. They'd have shut it down immediately.

Something is holding them back. Maybe it's timing, fear, or they need to hit a specific milestone first. But there's a reason, and that reason might change.

This is different from "I'm never selling" or "I'm passing this to my kids." Those are closed doors. "Not now" is a door that's cracked open.

The problem is that most searchers don't know what to do with it. So they let the relationship go cold.

What Most Searchers Get Wrong

The typical response to "not now" looks like this: "Okay, well if anything changes, let me know. Here's my contact info."

Six months later, the owner decides to explore selling. They don't remember you, or if they do, they assume you've moved on. They call a broker or respond to someone else's outreach.

You had the relationship, and you did the hard work of getting them to think about transition. Someone else gets the deal.

The fix isn't complicated. You need a system for staying in touch without being annoying.

The Three-Touch Nurture System

Here's what works. 

Three touches over six months. Each one adds value, and none of them asks for anything.

Touch One: The 30-Day Follow-Up

Thirty days after they say "not now," send something useful. Not "just checking in," or  "wanted to follow up on our conversation." Both of those are about you, not them.

Send an article about their industry, or a trend you noticed. Something they'd find interesting even if they never sell to you.

The message is short: "Saw this article on [industry trend] and thought of our conversation. Thought you'd find it relevant given [specific thing about their business]. No response needed, just wanted to share."

No ask or meeting request. You're showing up as someone who's paying attention to their world, not just your deal pipeline.

Touch Two: The 90-Day Check-in

Ninety days later, reach out again. This one can be slightly more direct, but still low-pressure:

"We talked a few months ago about [Company]. You mentioned timing wasn't right, which makes sense. I wanted to check in and see if anything has changed on your end."

Then add something that shows you've been thinking about them specifically:

"I've been learning more about [their industry] and had a few thoughts on [specific challenge they mentioned]. Happy to share if you're interested.”

This does two things. It reminds them you're around, and it positions you as someone who's been doing the work to understand their business, not just waiting for them to be ready.

Touch Three: The Six-Month Real Conversation

Six months after your initial conversation, go deeper.

Reference something specific from your first conversation to demonstrate that you remember what they said and that you've been thinking about it.

"When we talked back in [month], you mentioned [specific concern]. I've been working with a few other business owners in [industry] and learned some things about that issue. Wanted to share what I've seen in case it's helpful."

Then offer something valuable, like a connection to someone who solved that problem, or a framework you came across. The key is that you're showing up as a resource, not a buyer waiting for them to change their mind.

End with an open invitation: "If your thinking has shifted at all, I'd love to catch up. If not,  that's fine too. Either way, happy to be a resource."

The Psychology Behind Why This Works

Owners who say "not now" are dealing with something real.

Maybe they need to hit a revenue milestone before they feel good about selling or waiting for a key employee to be ready to take over. Maybe they want to get through one more busy season.

These aren't objections you can overcome in the moment. They're real constraints.

But circumstances change and milestones get hit. The employee decides they don't want the business after all, or the busy season ends, and they're exhausted.

When that happens, who do they call? The person who's shown up consistently without being pushy. That's the relationship you're building with these three touches.

What to Track and How

You can't do this without a system. If you're talking to 50 owners over six months, you'll forget who to follow up with and when.

Keep a simple spreadsheet with five columns: Name, Company, Date of Last Contact, Next Follow-Up Date, Notes.

In the notes column, write down what they said about timing. "Wants to wait until Q4 revenue is clear" or "Thinking about it but needs to talk to spouse first." That note tells you what to reference in your follow-ups.

Every Monday, look at your spreadsheet. See who's due for a touch. Spend an hour sending those follow-ups. This takes discipline. It's easier to chase new leads than to nurture old ones, but the owners who said "not now" are warmer than cold prospects. They're worth the effort.

When Not Now Really Means No

Sometimes "not now" is a polite deflection. You'll know because they won't engage in the follow-ups. They'll ignore your emails or give one-word responses.

After three touches with no engagement, move them to a longer cycle. Check in once a year instead of every few months.

But don't delete them entirely. The person who was genuinely not interested six months ago might be very interested a year from now.

The Compounding Effect

Here's what happens when you run this system for six months.

Month one: You have five "not now" conversations. You start nurturing them.

Month two: You have eight more. Now you're nurturing 13 total.

Month three: Another seven. You're up to 20.

By month six, you're nurturing 40-50 relationships with owners who've already told you they're thinking about selling but need more time.

Compare that to most searchers who start from scratch every week because they didn't maintain the relationships from previous months. You're building a pipeline of warm leads while everyone else is doing cold outreach.

The Action Steps

If you have owners who've told you "not now" and you haven't followed up, here's what to do this week.

Make a list of every owner who said something like "not now" or "maybe later" or "not ready yet." Go back six months.

For each one, calculate how long it's been since you talked. If it's been 30 days, send touch one. If it's been 90 days, send touch two. If it's been six months, send touch three.

Set up your tracking spreadsheet. 

Schedule a recurring Monday task: "Check nurture list and send follow-ups." Block 30-60 minutes.

Going forward, every time an owner says "not now," add them to your tracking spreadsheet immediately. Set the next follow-up date for 30 days out.

The Real Reason This Matters

Search is a timing game.

You're trying to find owners at the exact moment they're ready to have serious conversations about selling, and that window is narrow.

But the period before that window opens is wide. Owners spend months or years thinking about it before they're ready to act. If you're only reaching out to owners who are ready right now, you're competing with everyone else who found them at the same moment.

If you're building relationships with owners who are thinking about it but not ready yet, you're positioning yourself to be the first call when they are ready. That's the difference between winning deals and watching other people win them.