Objection: "Just Looking"
Open a browsing customer up without pressuring them into a pitch they didn't ask for.
How it sounds
- Buyer I'm just looking, thanks.
- You Of course, take your time. Is there a particular kind of {{Product}} you had in mind, or just seeing what's here?
- Result You stay useful and nearby without pushing, so they come back to you when ready.
The full entry
“Just looking” is the default reflex answer to being approached in a store, not usually a real statement about intent; most people say it whether or not they are actually looking for something specific. There is no documented originator for how to answer it, it is standard retail floor practice built up over decades of trial and error.
Do not argue with it or repeat your opening line. Agree, then ask one easy, open question that gives them a reason to keep talking if they want to: “Of course, take your time. Is there a particular kind of {{Product}} you had in mind, or just seeing what’s here?” Then actually let them browse; hovering nearby undoes the whole point of backing off.
It works because it removes the pressure that caused the brush-off in the first place, while leaving a door open. The mistake is treating “just looking” as your cue to disappear entirely, or circling back every two minutes, either of which just proves their instinct to deflect you was right.