What can you do to get a rapid response from prospects? Try one or all of these three approaches.
Get a Referral
Warm introductions are always better than cold calls. Check out LinkedIn and your internal company contacts to see who might know your prospect and request to be introduced to that person. People tend to agree to initiate conversations when approached that way. For more on selling by referral, check out, “No More Cold Calling” by referral selling expert, Joanne Black.
Do Something Unexpected
If constant emails and phone calls are not working, try something different, e.g., send a cartoon themed to business. A favorite of mine is one where the assistant is handing a note to her boss as he is obviously returning from lunch and she is saying, “While you were out, the paradigm shifted.” Relate that to specific changes in your prospect’s industry and, then, why it is worth having a conversation with you. Guaranteed to capture his/her attention!
For more creative (and sometimes outrageous) ideas on getting prospects to see you, check out this old, but still useful book, “I’ll Get Back to You: 156 ways to get people to return your calls and other helpful sales tips,” by Robert L. Shook and Eric Yaverbaum.
Ask for an Answer, Not an Appointment
Put “Your Reply is Respectfully Requested” in an email Subject Box. In the email, say that you have been attempting to reach this person without success and recognize that timing might be the issue, would he/she please indicate a response to the following:
- I have absolutely no interest. Please cease all outreach to me.
- I have no interest now. Please reach out in…. (weeks, months).
- I am interested but have just been very busy. Please try again.
This will tell you where you stand and save you a great deal of time and energy.
One definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different outcome. Experiment with the above ideas and you may see more desirable results!
Anne Miller
Words Matter – Make What You Say Pay!
Random Recommendations
1.If you want to maximize your online marketing, look at marketing pro-Doug Motel’s new Step3 program. It is really powerful and practical. What I like is its organization, deep content, and very reasonable pricing. Doug is the real deal. Check it out.
2.Now Available for Viewing< My webinar on the Sales Experts Channel: Metaphor: The Ultimate Sales Short Story for Selling
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