Sometimes you just can’t seem to connect with that prospect you’ve been trying to reach. You call, you email, you try social media and it’s not working. Here are four quick tips that may give you hope.
Let me tell you a quick story. One of the sales people I was coaching last year was trying to get into a major retailer and called 42 times. I know the exact number because it became a game with him after the 5th or 6th try.
He had a place in his notebook where he put a check mark each time he called. He didn’t give up at 10 calls, kept going at 20 and finally on the 42nd call he reached the person that was in a position to review his product. The good news was the company not only showed interested in his product they became a customer. His persistence landed him a very large new account.
Here are three other proven methods for connecting
If you have a product that is typically reviewed by purchasing and you are having no luck talking to anyone in that department, then skip the buyer and go directly to someone in product management, operations or marketing. If they like the idea they can make the introduction to the buyer. “Fred you need to connect with Nick and take a serious look at this new product“.
If the person you are trying to reach has a company fax number listed on their website or product literature send them a fax. I have a client that uses faxes for lead generation regularly. Since no one is doing it anymore and most companies still have fax lines and fax machines it’s proven to be a great outbound lead generator for them. They are amazed at how well it’s working.
This is one on my favorites and I used it a lot when I was first starting out. I would send the person a Tim Horton’s gift certificate (it’s a Canadian thing) or other type of gift card in the mail.
The note with the gift card reads:
Hi Nick: It’s very difficult to schedule the time to have a coffee and talk about how _________ may be of value to (your company name) So instead of trying to set up a coffee meeting I’d like to buy you a coffee and give you a call (date, time) and speak to you for 5 minutes. Alternatively if you have a crazy busy phone schedule you can email me at _____________ and I will send you the information directly for your review”.
The coffee gift card is a very inexpensive sales tool and I landed some of my biggest accounts with this simple ice breaker.
Just remember that finding new customers can be one of the most difficult parts of building your business. Use a system, set aside time each day for prospecting and be persistent.
This article was originally posted to the Sales Compass Blog by Robert J. Weese on January 26, 2017.
