Connecting with the prospect depends on you

Taken from TheBizPlace
An article by Jeffrey Gitomer, May 2007

Every salesperson has experienced a stall when trying to make a sale. But I just read some bad advice on how to respond when that happens.

The writer started with the typical scenario: You meet with a prospect who seems interested in your product or service and asks for a proposal. You quickly oblige. A week later, you try to contact the prospect. He has evaporated and won't return your calls or e-mails.

What to do?

The writer recommends a range of manipulative sales ploys such as implying urgency to completing the sale.

Such techniques never work, and here's why:

1. The prospect isn't returning your calls for a reason. If you could discover that reason, it would help your next 1,000 sales calls.
2. You offered a proposal without making a firm appointment for a face-to-face follow-up meeting. Such follow-up is one of the most powerful elements of the sales cycle.
3. You were too focused on trying to sell.
4. You spent too much time and effort trying to butter up the assistant. Stop doing that. Assistants are loyal to their employers, not to you.
5. You did a lousy job in the presentation, left some holes, never discovered the prospect's motive to buy, were relegated to a proposal/bidding process, never followed relationship-based strategies and were too hungry for the sale and the commission to uncover how to build a relationship. You didn't connect. You didn't engage.
6. The customer's boss makes the decision on purchases, and you never met the boss or even know who he is.

Here's a reality check: In sales, you have one chance. One chance to engage, one chance to build rapport, one chance to connect, one chance to be believable, one chance to be trustworthy and one chance to meet with the real decision-maker.

You have one chance to differentiate yourself, prove your value and ask for the sale.

If you blow your chance, your chances of recovery are slim.

Not being able to reconnect with a prospect is not a problem. It's a symptom. And it's a report card on how well you're doing. Or not doing.

Good news: Lost sales are the best places to learn.

Better news: If you make a firm commitment to meet the prospect a few days later -- not by phone but face to face -- you have a better chance of discovering the truth about the customer.

Best news: Once you get to that truth, you have a chance at a sale. Or, better stated, you can create an atmosphere in which someone wants to buy from you.