It’s simply one of the oldest and biggest problems in sales…how does a salesperson get their calls returned? You’ve probably encountered this problem before.
I don’t anticipate this age-old issue becoming any easier in the near future. The truth is, there is no magic key or phrase or intro or any other “quick trick” that will guarantee a returned phone call 100% of the time. Because let’s face it, if there was a magic formula…sales would be easy!
However, there are a couple strategies you can apply to dramatically increase your chances to boost success with your sales calls. Unfortunately for most sales organizations, the majority of sales reps are too intimidated to practice these strategies regularly. So, if you make it a habit in your own sales team to make these strategies a non-negotiable, you’re likely to notice a boost in returned calls and ultimately…sales success.
1. Persistence
Sure, you’ve probably heard this one before. Is it basic? Yes. Is it effective? Absolutely. Is it practiced nearly as much as it’s preached? Definitely not.
The real key here is the definition of persistence. Most sales reps attempt 2-3 follow-ups and deem it a “persistent” effort. However, when I say persistence, I mean actively attempting to get in touch with the prospect 7-12 times. In fact, in my experience, it’s in that range of attempts that a prospect finally answers back if they’re interested in your offering and trust you enough to move forward.
2. Use an Omnimedia Approach
If you’re finding your luck is running out with the telephone, why not try another or multiple approaches? Use a combination of the telephone, email, social media outreaches, show up at networking events they’re known to attend, stop by the office when you’re in the neighborhood or get to know key people in other areas in the organization to arrange a meeting. We all have our preferred methods of communication, and your preferred method may not be your prospect’s favorite way of getting in touch. So, diversify your approach!
In essence, the real ideas behind getting prospects to call you back are very simple. Yet, too often, salespeople get stuck using only the telephone and giving up after one or two attempts. Ask yourself, how persistent is your sales team and how many different approaches are they attempting before throwing in the towel?
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How many attempts do you make to get in contact with a prospect? Let me know in the comments below!