“I need to talk to my husband”: what to say at the door
Most of the time they mean it. The answer is not to close one of them alone. It is to plan for both of them.
The situation
The homeowner is interested. They have looked at the numbers and asked good questions. Then they say they need to talk to their husband, wife or partner before deciding anything.
It comes up most with anything that has a monthly payment, a contract or a credit check, because in most homes those are decisions two people make.
I’d have to talk to my husband about it.
The buyer
My wife handles this stuff.
The buyer
What it can mean
- We make decisions like this together, and I would be in trouble if I signed alone.
- I like it, but I can’t explain it to them the way you did.
- I am not sold, and this is an easy way out.
What a good answer covers
Agree that it should be both of them
They are right, and saying so keeps them on your side.
Ask when the other person will be home
The next step is a time with both of them, not a callback.
Offer to walk them both through it
A decision explained secondhand at dinner usually turns into a no.
A strong answer
You should, it’s a decision for both of you. What time does he get home? I’ll come back and walk you both through it in fifteen minutes, so you’re not stuck explaining my numbers.
The rep
Why it works
- It agrees, so there is nothing to argue about.
- It asks for a time, which turns a maybe into an appointment.
- “So you’re not stuck explaining my numbers” gives them a reason to want you back that is about them.
What not to say
- Trying to close the person at the door alone. A decision made without the spouse gets undone that night.
- “What do you think he’ll say?” It asks them to argue your side to their own partner.
- Leaving a brochure and saying you’ll call. The brochure ends up in the recycling.
How to practice it
Five minutes, before the shift. Any manager can run it.
Say the line
The homeowner has been nodding along, then says “I’d have to talk to my husband about it.”
Answer with a time
Agree it is a decision for both of them, ask when the other person is home, and offer to come back.
Listen for the time
Did the rep agree first? Did they leave with a time both of them will be there?
Run it with both buyers
On the second run, play the spouse at the return visit: “What’s the catch?” The rep answers the spouse’s questions, not the first person’s.
Shadowpitch puts this drill in every rep’s pocket. A voiced buyer says the line, the rep answers out loud and keeps the take worth hearing, and a manager hears it before the rep says it at a real door.
Questions
Is “I need to talk to my husband” a brush-off?
Sometimes, but treat it as true. If it is real, you have an appointment with both decision makers. If it is a brush-off, they will decline the time, and you learned that without a fight.
Should a rep ask about the spouse earlier?
Yes. Asking early who else is part of decisions like this, before the numbers, means the return visit is planned rather than rescued.
What if the spouse is home but won’t come to the door?
Ask if there is a better time when both of them can sit down for fifteen minutes. Do not pitch through one of them to reach the other.