"We follow-up with targeted coaching to ensure continuous performance improvement."
Try Us for Free"We don't lecture, we facilitate learning through open feedback from real customer conversations."
Try Us for Free"We take the guesswork out of return on training investment with call scoring and analysis."
Try Us for Free"We use patented technology to move beyond call analytics and deliver call optimitics."
Try Us for Free"We make training relevant by using real customer interactions to evaluate progress toward your goals."
Try Us for Free"We produce results using timeless relationship principles not the latest sales fads."
Try Us for FreeCall 1-866-468-0900
We almost never hear this.
Usually sales reps err on the side of being too soft, too concerned about annoying or bugging a prospect, and too worried about offending them. They are almost never too persistent.
‘But wait,’ you say. ‘We don’t want to be overbearing and sabotage a sale.’
I agree with that. Certainly you don’t want to be overbearing and irritating. But here’s my point: usually sales reps don’t even approach that ‘overbearing line.’ They never even get close to it. They’re so afraid of being overbearing that they fail to be persistent. When sales reps err, they err on the side of softness, not persistence.
What most reps call ‘overbearing’ is actually the correct way to sell.
What do I mean when I say ‘persistent?’ Let’s look at three scenarios that inside sales reps deal with on a regular basis. For each scenario we’ll explore the normal way an average sales rep handles the situation and then we’ll explore the persistent way—a way that many sales reps would view as overbearing.
Scenario 1: Many of your leads sign up online for ebooks, webinars or White Papers. They fill out a form and download information.
Normal Sales Guy: Standard procedure for the normal sales guy is to send a follow-up email. This email will ask if they read the White Paper, if they enjoyed it and if they have any additional questions. Perhaps the normal sales guy will send some information about the company or include a brochure or product information sheet as an attachment. Normal sales guy then crosses this lead off his list.
Persistent Sales Guy: Persistent sales guy doesn’t send an email. He mocks emails. Instead, the persistent sales guy takes 5 minutes, finds the lead’s phone number and makes a phone call. Even though the lead signed up for a White Paper and did not request more information about your company or your products, the persistent sales guy calls anyway. He tries to make the sale. The persistent sales guy actually, you know, tries to sell stuff. He lets his marketing team worry about sending follow-up emails. Great job persistent sales guy!
Analysis: Normal sales guys view these leads as a waste of time. They, frankly, aren’t all that interested in contacting these leads directly. The leads are not ‘super-hot’ and so a phone call would be too difficult, too awkward and too time-consuming. The sales pitch is complicated and the process is too long. Here’s the problem with those normal sales guy thoughts: they’re wrong. Consider that these leads have filled out a form with their contact information. They have voluntarily visited your site and given you their personal information. They’re obviously interested in what your company has to say, even if they don’t know precisely what you sell. They are expecting and anticipating a phone call. If someone downloads an ebooks or a White Paper, they should expect a phone call. If they are upset that you called them after they filled out a form and downloaded material, they are dumb.
Scenario 2: A lead sent an email to your marketing team specifically requesting more information about a product.. This person’s company is the precise type of lead your marketing team is targeting. You have this lead’s email address, office phone number and mobile phone number.
Normal Sales Guy: The blood is pumping now! This is a great lead! The normal sales guy calls the office phone and leaves a message. Two weeks pass, no one calls back, so the normal sales guy repeats the procedure. Average job normal sales guy!
Persistent Sales Guy: The persistent sales guy calls the office phone. He doesn’t leave a message though. Then do you know what he does 5 hours later? He calls the office phone again. Then do you know what he does the next day? He calls the mobile phone. The lead picks up the phone and the sales process begins.
Analysis: The normal sales guy didn’t necessarily do anything wrong by calling an office phone and leaving a message. He assumed that the lead would call back. When the lead didn’t call back, the normal sales guy didn’t want to be a pest so he waited two weeks to try again. The persistent sales guy, on the other hand, decided that he was going to contact the lead and talk to him no matter what. Screw voicemails. Forget office phones. This lead contacted you specifically asking about something you sell. He gave you his cell phone number on purpose. Call him and find him. It’s really quite simple. He wants to talk to you, so talk to him as quickly as possible. The normal sales guy may calling a cell phone and calling every day for a week is too overbearing. The normal sales guy is wrong.
Scenario 3: You’ve done a product demo with the lead and sent him some information. He’s hesitant to set up another meeting.
Normal Sales Guy: You let him get off the phone without setting up another meeting. This is fine, no need to worry, you’ll just reconnect with him in a few days. But as the days come and go you can’t reach him. You leave a message on his office phone. You send him emails. But weeks go by and you still haven’t been able to follow-up with him.
Persistent Sales Guy: The persistent sales guy would simply never let someone off the phone call without setting up a future meeting. The persistent sales guy also gets the lead’s cell phone number. So, if the lead breaks his meeting the persistent sales guy can call him immediately to discuss future plans. There would never be a 3 to 4 month period where the persistent sales guy doesn’t have contact with a lead. In the persistent sales guy’s world, that doesn’t happen.
Analysis: This might be the biggest problem in most sales pipelines: the once warm lead that hasn’t been contacted in 6 months. Don’t let it happen. Insist on setting up future meetings. Utilize your CRM and above all, remain persistent. Call them on their cell phone and their office phone. Emails alone simply won’t do. Remember: your lead was interested enough to talk to you the first time. Either they’re still interested and you just can’t reach them, or they have a concern that you need to overcome.
Here’s the bottom line: don’t be afraid to be persistent. Most sales reps are so worried about appearing overbearing that they overcorrect and behave timidly.
Be persistent!
Are your sales reps persistent? Download free sales skills ebook.
Start recording sales calls now with LogMyCalls.
Jump To...
@sellwithpower
Important Links
You Click We'll Call
Do you have questions?
Talk to someone right now!
Or you can reach us at:
866-468-0900
Free Offers
© 2011 ContactPoint LLC Privacy Policy | Phone Sales Training | Phone Skills Training | Call Center Training
