We have all engaged the perfect prospect. The first call with them went great, and we feel good. We know we can help them, and then the darkness appears. As warm as the first call went, everything is now cold. What do you do next? Let me share ten things you need to do to get the cold prospect hot again:
- Don’t panic! Keep your cool even when the prospect becomes cold. Your job is to re-engage them. Keep in mind that they may be cold just because of other things that they are dealing with, that have nothing to do with you.
- Always remember that it is your job to reach out to them. If they tell you that you don’t need to follow up with them, that they will reach out to you, don’t buy it! You know that you can help them, but they don’t know how much, so that’s why they don’t feel the need to talk to you. It’s solely your job to continue reaching out to them.
- Make each message valuable to them. Don’t make it about you or what your company does. It’s about them. Each of your messages needs to resonate with them and seem relevant to their company.
- Ask a follow-up question about something that they shared with you in your first conversation. This is one of best ways to encourage someone to engage with you in conversation. When you ask someone about something that they told you, it shows that you value their opinion.
- Be unpredictable in your schedule. Make your calls and other messages at different times of the day and days of the week. You have to fit their schedule; they are not going to fit yours.
- Use every medium available. Do not rely on just email but also use the telephone, including voicemail, text, and even social media. Just make sure that each message is different.
- Send a book. This may sound strange, but it’s not strange at all. Send them a book that they will find valuable to their job. By doing so, you’re telling them that you really care about them as a businessperson. Also, you now have the perfect reason to follow up with them: call and ask them about the book.
- Send a news link / article. Send an email with a link to a news article of importance to them. Be sure to add your commentary in the email, so they can see how you think. This is another great way to show that you care about them and their company.
- Connect with an associate. Create a connection with an associate of the person who has gone cold. The perfect place to do this is on social media. Just remember that social media is a long game. It is not about making a connection today and selling to them tomorrow.
- Repeat these steps until you achieve the desired results. It sounds like a recipe and in a way, it kind of is. You have to make the cold prospect hot by adding various ingredients. Your ingredients are your messages and each one is flavored differently.
Throughout the entire process, never lose sight of how much you can help them. If you have the ability to help someone, you have the responsibility to connect with them. Finally, never forget that each time you connect with them, you are making a statement about you. Your goal is to be seen as a person they can trust doing business with.
Copyright 2019, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results
