What to say when a prospect says "I don't have time for this"

That's fair, and I'll respect it. Do you want the one-sentence reason I called, or would you rather I let you go now?

When the objection is about the call itself, a choice between one sentence and ending the call hands control back to the buyer. Many will take the sentence, and the ones who do not were never going to listen.

Understood, it sounds like a heavy stretch. What's taking up most of your time at the moment?

People who are overloaded often want to say so. Their answer tells you whether your problem area is part of the load, in which case they may describe it themselves, or unrelated, in which case you can leave politely.

Makes sense. So you know what you'd be signing up for, a first look takes about [real time] and setup is roughly [real effort]. Does that fit anywhere in the next month, or is it too much right now?

Overloaded buyers often imagine the worst version of an evaluation. Stating the real time cost, honestly and specifically, lets them make an informed decision instead of a defensive one.

I hear you. Can I ask how much time [problem] takes up for you or the team each week right now, even roughly?

If the problem is costing them hours, the buyer will usually see the connection for themselves once they put a number on it. If it is costing very little, you have found out this is not worth their time, and they are right.

No problem. Instead of a meeting, would it help if I sent a two-minute summary you can read when things calm down? If it's not relevant, just ignore it and I won't chase.

A next step that takes two minutes fits inside a busy week, and "I won't chase" removes the fear of relentless follow-up. Buyers who are interested will read it, and buyers who are not feel no pressure.