Here’s the set up: You met with your prospect. Doesn’t matter how many times. You did your needs analysis.
You developed the solution & it’s great. You deliver your quote or proposal. The next day you call to follow up. Voice mail. A few days later you send an email. No reply. In a couple days another call – crickets. Another email in a few days. Now you’re starting to feel like a stalker. All of a sudden your prospect is in the witness protection program!
Stinks doesn’t it?
So what do you do? Truth is there is no magic bullet that will easily cause your prospect to answer your call or reply to your email. He might answer. You might even close this deal. But what happens the next time? What do you do to get out of this rat race – to get off this hamster wheel we call “chase mode”?
How about this – start it off better so you never end up in chase mode.
Most salespeople deliver quotes and proposals and sit back and wait for decisions. Wrong idea. Again, sometimes they come, sometimes they don’t. Too much hope with this strategy. From now on you need to set crystal clear expectations of what happens after you quote or propose.
Sounds like this: (speak to them in person or by phone)
Here is the outline of deliverables we discussed. OR I will be sending the outline of deliverables we discussed by C.O.B. today. Can you tell me what happens next?
(if they say anything other than YES or let’s move forward)
OK, thanks… when is the best day & time for me to call you to follow up on this to determine next steps?
Write down the day & time, put it in your smart-phone calendar & be anal-retentive in your follow up. If it’s important enough, you can even send them a calendar invite for that conversation. Make sure you call them back on that day & time.
Now you have a day & time on your calendar for the follow up call that YOU WILL BE MAKING. Will they be waiting by the phone for your call? No. It’s not about them waiting. It’s about you having an appointment to call them, under your control. This takes away that awkward “I feel like a stalker” feeling & does wonders for your ego.
Will you do it?
