In a recent LinkedIn post, Ryan Reisert offers a creative and humorous approach to handling a common cold-calling objection that arises after the holiday season: the desire to postpone conversations until after the new year. Reisert, a noted sales strategist, frames this common delay tactic not as a simple scheduling conflict, but as an opportunity for a memorable and engaging response.
Reisert’s post begins by identifying the familiar objection: “Let’s chat after the holidays.” Instead of a standard follow-up, he proposes a whimsical narrative to re-engage the prospect.
“Hey Jeff, actually, it’s actually the spring of 2026. There was actually a zombie apocalypse in October, you were one of the first victims.”
This unexpected opening immediately grabs attention. Reisert doesn’t stop there; he continues to build upon the fantastical scenario, illustrating a unique method for cutting through the usual post-holiday sales fatigue. As Ryan Reisert explains, the goal is to reset the conversation and bypass the automatic deferral.
Bypassing the Post-Holiday Deferral
The core of Reisert’s strategy lies in its sheer unexpectedness. By introducing a wildly improbable, yet internally consistent, narrative, he aims to break the prospect out of their routine response. According to Ryan Reisert, the objection “Let’s chat after the holidays” often serves as a polite brush-off. His method, however, forces the prospect to engage with the premise, thereby shifting the dynamic of the call.
He elaborates on the fictional scenario:
“But after a miracle treatment, they brought you back from the dead. The apocalypse was short and brief. It was truly a miracle, but one of the stipulations of the treatment was that you wouldn’t remember anything about it.”
This narrative is designed to be so outlandish that it bypasses the prospect’s defenses. It’s a playful way to highlight the absurdity of delaying important conversations without a concrete reason. Reisert’s approach suggests that by using humor and storytelling, sales professionals can make their outreach more memorable and effective.
The Art of the Unexpected Re-engagement
Ryan Reisert argues that traditional sales tactics can become stale, especially when facing common objections. His post champions the power of creativity in sales conversations. By presenting a bizarre, yet intriguing, alternative reality, he prompts the prospect to question the initial objection and, potentially, to re-evaluate the urgency of the business discussion.
The final line of his proposed script is a direct invitation to proceed, delivered with the same unique flair:
“Shall we proceed?”
In Reisert’s view, this unconventional method can serve as a powerful tool to re-engage prospects who might otherwise simply defer the conversation. It transforms a potentially negative interaction into a moment of shared amusement and surprise, creating an opening for a genuine business discussion. The underlying message is that creative thinking can overcome common sales hurdles.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Ryan Reisert on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on November 14, 2025 | View original post on LinkedIn →