December 2010 Issue PDF - ENX Magazine

SALES & MARKETING We Saw It In ENX Magazine DECEMBER 2010By Ann BarrARE PROSPECTS LIKE CATS?If you think about it, prospects are sort of like cats; if youchase them, they will run away. Sweet talk and treats canpersuade a cat to approach you, like presenting benefits toprospects. The “what’s in it for me” thought process. Dogs,on the other hand, will usually think you are playing if youchase them.So . . . are you caught in the trap of chasing prospects?Leaving voice mail message after voice mail message?is a better way.ThereDonald Trump (not one of my favorite people but, okay . . . hehas been sort of successful) once said: “In selling you mustnever appear desperate. As soon as you look desperate, it’sover.”Craig Klein suggests a unique way to stop chasing prospects:Fire them. Yes . . . fire them. This is the script he suggests:“Hi, this is Craig Klein, with [his company]. We helpcompanies like yours grow sales by helping them marketand sell more effectively. I’ve left a few voice mails andsent a couple of emails and haven’t heard back from you.At this point, I’m going to assume that this is just not apriority for you at this time and I’M GOING TO TAKEYOU OFF MY CALL LIST. If there is anything I can dofor you, please feel free to contact me at [his telephonenumber].”and necessary, but it’s rooted in themacho selling image that, “If youdon’t keep chasing, it means you’regiving up — and that means you’re afailure.”It costs five times more money to attract a new customerthan to keep an existing one. Before you go out investinghundreds or even thousands of dollars chasing after newclients, think about the acres of diamonds in your own backyard.The people that you’ve done business with previously thoughtenough of you at some point to buy from you. Why not goback and re-cultivate that relationship? It will cost you onefifthof the cost of finding a new client and is much easier andmore productive than chasing after new prospects who don’treturn your calls. uAnn Barr is a consultant and sales coach who has writteneight books on sales and marketing. You can sign up for Ann’sfree Weekly Sales Tips e-mailed newsletter at her web sitewww.sellingsupplies.comWow! Shocking, right?But if you think about how many times you call a prospectwithout reaching them, multiply that by the one or two minutesit takes to make the call and leave the voice mail and thenmultiply that by the number of new prospects you pursue eachmonth, it adds up to a LOT of time!This could be a key reason that sales people can get frustratedand discouraged by cold calling. They are not in control. Theycan’t even get to talk to their prospect. You can get a feelingof inadequacy because it feels like you’re dialing the phone alot, but you’re not talking to anyone that can buy. Most salespeople find themselves calling the same list of prospects thatthey called last week and wondering, how many times have Icalled this guy? How many more time will I have to call toget to talk to him?Sales Pressure is a Major Cause of RejectionNever chase a potential client—you’ll only trigger more salespressure and more rejection.“Chasing” potential clients has always been considered normal64enx magazine