"Send me some information" is a request with no specification

When a buyer says it, they are not lying. They usually do want something. They just haven't decided what, and neither has your rep.

So the rep says "Absolutely, what's the best email?" and sends a 14-page PDF that covers financing, warranty, service areas, and the founder's story. The buyer opens it for nine seconds. Nobody has anything to talk about on the follow up call because nobody agreed on what the information was for.

The fix isn't a clever comeback. It's treating "send me information" like any other vague request: ask what would actually be useful, then agree on what happens after they read it.

Three different things hide behind the same sentence

Your reps need to be able to tell these apart, because the response is different for each.

1. The polite exit. They're done. Asking for information is the least awkward way to end the call. Signs: it comes early, it comes right after the price, and they answer your clarifying questions with "just whatever you've got."

2. The real research request. They're genuinely evaluating and they want something to look at, compare, or forward to a partner. Signs: they ask specific questions before or after — "does that include the permit?" — and they name a reason.

3. The stall for someone else. They can't decide alone. The information is ammunition for a conversation with a spouse, a partner, a boss, or a board. Signs: pronouns change. "I'll take a look" becomes "we'll take a look."

Same sentence. Three different next moves. A rep who fires off the same brochure to all three is guessing.

The clarifying question that does the work

One question sorts most of it:

"Happy to. So I send you something useful instead of everything — what part are you weighing?"

Or, if that feels stiff for your market:

"Sure. What would you want to see in it?"

Then shut up. This is where reps blow it — they ask the question and immediately fill the silence with "I can send pricing, the warranty info, some reviews…" and the buyer just picks one off the menu to be agreeable.

Listen for what comes back:

  • "Just pricing" → they're comparing bids. Ask who else they're getting numbers from and what those numbers include.
  • "Something I can show my husband" → the decision-maker isn't on the phone. Now you're solving a different problem.
  • "I don't know, whatever you normally send" → that's the polite exit. Handle it like an exit, not like a research request.

That last one deserves its own move.

When "whatever you've got" really means "no"

Don't argue with it. Name it gently and give them permission to say so:

"Totally fine either way — is this a 'not right now' or a 'not interested'? I'd rather know than keep bugging you."

Reps hate this because it sounds like they're talking themselves out of a sale. They're not. They're converting a maybe that costs six follow-up attempts into a clean answer. Half the time the buyer says "no, I'm interested, I've just got two other quotes coming this week" — and now you have a real timeline.

The other half you get a no. That no is worth money. It's an hour of your rep's week back and one less zombie in the pipeline.

Make the information small and specific

Whatever they name, send less than you want to.

Bad: the full capabilities deck, the master price sheet, three case studies, and a calendar link.

Good: one page or one short email that answers the exact thing they asked, with a number in it.

"Here's the two options we talked about with the install dates on each. The mid-tier one is the one I'd pick for a house your size — the top-tier only makes sense if you're running the pool heater off the same unit. — Marcus"

That takes a rep 90 seconds to write and it's readable on a phone in an elevator. A 14-page PDF is not readable anywhere.

One more thing: attach a question. Not a request for a meeting — a question they can answer in five words.

"One thing I couldn't figure out — is the panel in the garage or outside?"

Replies to questions are much easier to get than replies to "just checking in."

The part reps skip: agreeing on what happens next

This is where most sales objection handling falls apart. The rep clarifies beautifully, sends a great email, and then says "let me know what you think." Nothing happens.

Before the call ends, you need three things nailed down:

  1. What you're sending. Say it out loud so they can correct you.
  2. When they'll have looked at it. Their number, not yours.
  3. What happens after. A specific time on a specific day, put in both calendars.

It sounds like this:

Rep: "So I'll send you the two options with install dates, nothing else. When do you think you'll get a chance to look?" Buyer: "Probably this weekend." Rep: "Okay — Monday morning then. I've got 9:15 or 11:30 open. Which is easier?" Buyer: "Do 11:30." Rep: "Done, sending an invite. And if you look at it Saturday and it's an obvious no, just reply 'no thanks' and I'll leave you alone. Deal?"

That last line matters more than it looks. You've made "no" easy, which means "yes, Monday works" carries actual weight.

Compare it to what most reps do: "Great, I'll send that over and follow up in a few days." Nobody agreed to anything. That's not a follow up call, that's a cold call to a warm number.

What to listen for when you review the call

If you're pulling calls where the send me information objection came up, score four things:

  • Did the rep ask what would be useful before agreeing to send? Yes or no. Binary.
  • Did they wait for the answer, or list options? Listing options is a fail even if the buyer picks one.
  • Is what they sent smaller than what they wanted to send? Check the sent email against the call.
  • Is there a specific day and time both people said out loud? "Next week sometime" is not a time.

Four checkboxes. You can score a call on this in the time it takes to listen to two minutes of it.

Coach it with one drill

Pick three recent calls where a rep got the brush-off. Play just the ten seconds around "send me some information." Pause it. Ask the rep: "Which of the three was that — exit, research, or someone else deciding?"

Most reps get it wrong the first few times. That's the point. Once they can categorize it live, the right question comes out on its own.

Then run it live. You play the buyer, say the line, and make them get to a specific day and time without sounding pushy. Three reps, five minutes each, done before the morning huddle.

If you're already recording calls, this is a good rubric line to add — flag every call where the phrase shows up and check whether a real next step got booked. The pattern usually shows up within a week, and it's almost always the same rep making the same skip.