Objection handling

Handling the "I Have a Meeting in 5 Minutes" Objection

This is often literally true and mildly encouraging — they told you their constraint instead of hanging up. You have two clean options: use the window well, or book the real conversation.

"I have a meeting in 5 minutes"
Why prospects say it

Unlike a vague brush-off, this gives you a concrete boundary, which usually means it's genuine. Trying to cram a full pitch into five nervous minutes makes you rush and them stop listening. The smart play is to either land one sharp, valuable point now, or trade the rushed window for a scheduled slot where you'll both actually focus.

How to handle it

  • Believe the constraint and respect it — don't try to steal the five minutes.
  • Offer the choice: one quick point now, or a proper time later.
  • If you go now, deliver a single sharp hook, not a compressed full pitch.
  • If you book later, lock a specific slot immediately while they're engaged.
  • Either way, close cleanly before their meeting, never running them late.

What you can actually say

Then I won't try to cram it in. Want the 30-second version now, or shall I grab a proper 10 minutes with you tomorrow?
Perfect, I'll be gone before your meeting. One line: [sharp hook]. Does that deserve a real conversation later this week?
No worries — go prep. When's genuinely good for 10 focused minutes? I'd rather have your attention than your last five seconds.
Got it. I'll use 20 seconds, not 5 minutes: [one point]. If it lands, I'll call you Thursday — fair?

What to avoid

Don't try to squeeze a full pitch into the five minutes — rushing makes you sound frantic and makes them tune out and run late.

How Tepio helps with this one

Tepio's brief lets you distill a single sharp hook in advance, so when you only have seconds you spend them on the one thing that earns a real slot.

Ready to call better?

Open your workspace and run your first Flash Call today. 14-day trial, no credit card.

Try free