According to top performance in sales prospect- ing research, ‘it takes an average of 8 touches to get an initial meeting (or other conversion) with a new prospect.’ But the initial meeting is just the beginning. It takes a lot more to make the sale. Depending on the product, idea, or service, closing sales takes time, and it takes time to gain trust and nurture the relationship. Sometimes it can be a quick decision, and other times, espe- cially on high-ticket items, it can take a lot longer. Both the salesperson and the sales manager along with the business owners need to understand this. When reaching out to a prospect, either via email or by phone, you are an interruption to your pros- pect’s day. Decision makers have lots of other things going on that make your call an interrup- tion. They could be dealing with a deadline on one of their projects, or an HR issue with one of their employees, or a broken-down photocopier when they are rushing out the door to a meeting. Unless it’s planned, please understand that your
email or phone call is an interruption and may get buried in the chaos of a work day, week or even month. Understanding this perspective makes things a lot easier in your sales approach. Eventually, when it is convenient for your prospect, they will either get back to you, or you will catch them at the right time via phone. Often, I’ve had the decision maker apologize for not being prompt in replying. It’s the salespersons job at that point to be understand- ing and show empathy for how busy they are. Saying something like ‘I understand how busy you are, it’s my job to follow up with you anyways’ can often warm up the conversation so you can quickly move past any perceived friction. On the flip side, you can have a prospect who will take your call every time, who will reply to every email and still have no intention of buying. But they don’t want to come out and tell a salesper- son in fear of hurting their feelings. In sales, we call this ‘Lip Service’ and it is a huge waste of time for a salesperson. I’d rather hear no, than continue to chase an empty opportunity. Of course, qual- ifying leads and understanding your prospect’s buying timelines will help make things clearer. Nonetheless, however the sales process pans out, sales people and sales managers who are trying to hit deadlines and budgets need to know that ‘Your Urgency, Is Not Your Prospect’s Urgency.’ And even though your prospect may not have returned your call, or your email or has not sched- uled a meeting with you, understand that ‘It’s not Personal, It’s Business.’
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FEBRUARY 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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