Patricia Brown recommends "Not Now" pipeline category for speakers

Sales consultant Patricia Brown has published a recommendation for professional speakers to create a separate pipeline category called "Not Now" for stalled opportunities, according to an article published on the National Speakers Association website on 24 September 2026. The category is meant to track delayed decisions without cluttering the active pipeline.

Brown, who runs the consultancy Living Solutions Now and advises founders and brands on sales strategy, drew on a sales cycle with US retailer Kroger that lasted nearly two years.

The "Not Now" category

Brown recommends that speakers maintain the category outside the active pipeline and document why the opportunity stalled, when re-engagement makes sense, what was promised, and what matters to the organization. For re-engagement, she suggests asking what would need to change for future business and identifies possible windows such as three months, external triggers like new company initiatives, or fixed planning cycles in November.

What it means

The recommendation does not specify how to prioritize "Not Now" opportunities against new leads, nor does it address how long an opportunity should remain in the category before being closed.