We’ve reached #10 in my list of reasons most prospecting plans fail.
Sadly, too many salespeople fail to realize that the telephone is still a great prospecting tool.
It doesn’t matter how much anyone says otherwise, I’m still a firm believer the telephone is an amazing prospecting tool.
I run into too many salespeople who when asked how much time they spend on the phone, they respond, “Little to none.”
The telephone works when used right.
Yes, I know people don’t answer the phone. Hey, I’m guilty of not answering it too. Why don’t people answer the phone? It’s because they don’t want to get stuck on the phone with a stupid salesperson!
Yes, I just said it!
People will, however, use voicemail messages as their screening tool. Leave a good voicemail and you earn points; leave a bad message and you’ll be banished to the pool of permanent rejection.
Salespeople are quick to say phone numbers are hard to get. Yes, they can be hard to get, but that means they’re also hard for your competition to get too.
There are plenty of ways to uncover phone numbers — far more than I can list here, but it all starts with saying to yourself, “I’m not going to let an obstacle stand in my way.”
Using the telephone is awesome, because of the immediacy it can bring to the process when you can reach someone. Regardless of the industry or the type of prospect you’re trying to reach, you must keep the telephone in your mix of tools you use.
Your objective is to use the telephone and to be prepared when you make any phone call for it to go either to voicemail or have a person answer.
Leaving a voicemail is dramatically different than talking to someone live. Be ready regardless of which way it goes.
For all the posts in this series on why most prospecting plans don’t work, check out:
Do You Rely on Email as Your Only Prospecting Tool?
Why You Must Segment Your Prospects
Not Enough Time to Follow Up with Prospects?
Do You Have TOO Many Prospects in Your Pipeline?
Are You Using the Same Prospecting Process for All of Your Prospects?
Do You Think Social Media is Your Answer?
Are You Committing Enough Time?
Your Prospects Really Don’t Care About You
Are Your Messages About the Prospect’s Needs?
The Telephone is Still a Great Prospecting Tool
Copyright 2015, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
