Modern selling is challenging in its own way. The modern buyer has far more information and clarity about what he or she is looking for. They know their options well. Sometimes your hot prospect may suddenly stop taking your calls or replying to your emails.
This can happen because Many times you connect with your buyer over a call, when the prospects has already completed more than 50% of their buying cycle.
This means when you get to speak with a new prospect, the chances are high that the the quality of leads generated is good.
This is where many of those in sales and business development face a tricky situation.
What is the most common frustration that you face while dealing with your prospects?
Let us assume that your lead generation system gave you a high-quality prospect. So now you eagerly pounce on one of these leads. It is your first call.
You have a great initial conversation with a prospect. Maybe such calls happened 2-3 times with the same prospect.
Then suddenly the same prospect stops taking your calls or responding to your messages.
You feel the desperation creep in. How the hell this happened? He was so deeply interested, and now he vanished? Where did I go wrong?
A galore of negative feelings and insecurities cloud your mind.
Your messages to the customer start looking like this:
“Just following up.”
“Bumping this to the top of your inbox.”
“Must be a busy week for you!”
“Is everything all right?”
“How is your research going so far?”
As Josh Braun points out,
“Your attachment style describes how you connect with people.
When you have an anxious attachment style, you constantly seek approval and fear being abandoned.”
Being too attached to getting the sale, creates a constant fear of being abandoned by the customer.
Your focus is continuously on getting that sale somehow. This loosens your focus on the customer.
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[ Must Read : How can you Easily Find Prospects Pain without making them Defensive and Guarded ]
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Fortunately, Josh has a needle-moving strategy for you.
5 simple steps, if prospects stop responding to you!
You need to know that it is about changing your mindset. Changing your focus!
Step 1: Detach yourself from the outcome. Focus on the process. ( On a side note, do you have a well-defined sales process? )
Step 2: Avoid following up 5-6 times when the prospect suddenly abandons you. This can annoy those who are really interested but are stuck in some sudden situation.
Step 3: Here comes the kicker! Send this one sentence email suggested by Christopher Voss:
Have you given up on this project?
Step 4: Chances are that a sincere prospect with the genuine problem will respond. To those who don’t respond, forgive! ( This makes you calmer.)
Step 5: Think about what you can share with the prospect to add some value at this crucial juncture. Maybe a guideline to choose the right solution or provider? Good impression and trust are gold. It may even make those who are less interested, come back to you.
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Why does this kind of “Letting go” attitude change everything for you in sales conversations?
Because now you can spend more time with prospects who are naturally motivated to speak with you.
Those prospects who were never really interested enough, get filtered in this process.
It also leaves a good impression and builds your reputation with your prospects.
Remember – “You don’t create motivation, you align with it.” – Josh Braun
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What needle moving shift in your Mindset do you need to make here?
You will think now on, that “you’re the prize“, not your prospects. You are giving something valuable to them, not the other way around.
So, will your actions in sales be aligned with this new thinking?
Will you create enough value for your prospect at each step of selling?
Can you imagine, how much it will boost your self-image and self-esteem?
