Objection: "Bad timing right now"
Separate a genuine timing problem from a soft no, then keep the door open without nagging.
Now's not a good time
“Now’s not a good time” is either true or it is a polite way to end things, and your first job is to find out which. Ask, gently: “Totally understand. Is it timing specifically, or is this just not a priority right now? Either is fine, I’d just rather know than chase you.” Giving them permission to say it is a no often gets you the honest answer.
If it really is timing, pin down what changes and when: “What needs to happen on your side before this is worth a proper look?” Then agree a specific next touch rather than a vague “check back later.” It works because it respects a real constraint while refusing to accept a fake one as if it were real. It backfires if you accept every “bad timing” at face value and let good deals evaporate into a follow-up graveyard.
No single documented originator; this reflects standard practice. The move of legitimising a “no” to surface the truth is core to Chris Voss’s work (Never Split the Difference, 2016).