Follow-up technique to stop chasing prospects

Chasing your prospect too hard? People not calling you back? Pushing too hard for deals? Try running the other way – let the prospect chase you.

It’s one of the best follow-up techniques there is. If prospects are not returning your call, whose fault is that? You’re chasing too hard. They’re running away. You couldn’t get their interest. You couldn’t get them to chase you.

The symptoms of a wrong sales follow up:

• You’ve followed up a few times, and now you’re searching for a reason to call them – but you can’t think of clearly defined next step.
• You are uncomfortable about calling, you are unprepared, you have not established the needs and pain points of the prospect, you are unsure of their status, or you don’t have much rapport with the prospect.
• You call, get their voice mail, and hang up.
• You left your best message and they didn’t call you back.
• They told you a decision would be made Wednesday, and Wednesday has come and gone. Still no response.
• The prospect is giving you a bunch of lame excuses. And you are accepting them!
• And the worst of it – you are blaming the prospect for your inability to generate enough interest, create enough value, or for not having a solid reason to call you back.

Ways to change the game in your favor:

1. Create a sense of urgency by telling a compelling story. A story about achievement lost because of delay. Hint at a solution. Let them think about it.
2. Give just a little information (a small bite of valuable content) about how they benefit. Things the prospect can put into his or her life or business that they are currently without. Ask them to take some action to get the reward or answer.
3. Give information about their “why,” or what you believe to be their hottest reason for purchasing. Everyone has a “main reason” they want to buy. It’s called a “buying motive.” Offer a valuable solution. Something better than they have now. Maybe even something that makes them slightly uncomfortable about their present situation – that makes you look like a blessing – or at least a viable alternative.
4. Think “profit” and “productivity” not “price” and “sale.” Your customers want to know how they’ll profit from doing business with you. They want to know the value of doing business with you. They want to be assured that they gain and earn more than they want to “save money.”

What it takes to make a sale.

Sometimes salespeople have no concept of what it really takes to get the customer to buy. They continue to think they have to “push” to make the sale, and nothing could be further from the truth. Persistent, yes. Pushy, no.

If chasing prospects too hard makes them run away, why are you continuing to do it? Your challenge is to lead your prospects so they will follow you – and turn into customers.

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