The answer is simple and it’s called PERSISTENCE! If your prospect doesn’t call you back, guess what? You keep calling them! If they haven’t returned your phone call after the second, third, or even fourth try, guess what? You keep calling them! According to the National Association of Sales Executives, 80% of sales occur between the fifth and twelfth contact and 20% of sales occur between the first and fourth contact. What do these statistics tell us?
These statistics reveal that the most successful sales reps are those who decide not to give up on their prospects! They understand that those prospects who respond with the “no interest objection” are actually requesting more information about products or services. They understand the importance of constantly following up with their sales prospects. They understand that their prospects will respect their enduring persistence. They understand that their “enduring persistence” can act as a catalyst in their prospects’ buying decisions. What exactly do I mean here?
These prospects (ie C-level executives, senior-level executives, directors, and business owners) being contacted are successful for a reason, and that reason is due to their “enduring persistence.” Many times our purchasing decisions are based on more than just the price, features, and benefits of a product or service. Our purchasing decisions may also be based on the person from whom we are purchasing the product or service. In this case, a prospect dealing with a sales rep who has demonstrated “enduring persistence” can quickly identify with this winning personality trait. They will perceive that the sales representative has something in common with them and, as a result, they can factor this information into their purchasing decisions.
Now that I’ve shown that being persistent helps bridge the gap between you and your sales prospect, now what? You need to constantly remind your prospect of their “enduring persistence” because doing so increases their awareness of you! This means that if you’re leaving them a message, you need to let them know that you won’t give up and won’t walk away! Let your prospect know (either on a cold call or via voicemail) that you’ve been trying to reach them for six months, a year, or even something crazy like two years!
I’ve included a few lines below that you can incorporate into your cold calls and/or voicemail messages. These examples of persistence include the following:
“(PROSPECT’S FIRST NAME), Can you believe I’ve been trying to reach you for (LONG) now? Let’s talk persistence, right?” (pause)
“(PROSPECT NAME), I think I’ve left you at least ten messages, do you respect my persistence here?” (pause)
“(PROSPECT’S FIRST NAME), you have to respect my persistence here, I’ve called you so many times I don’t have any more space in my ACT database.” (laughs a bit and then pauses)
“(FIRST NAME OF PROSPECT), I hope you appreciate my persistence here, I’m not one to give up so easily.” (pause)
Copyright 2006 SR. COLD CALL SEMINARS – All rights reserved.