Why hounding prospects doesn’t work
Salespeople are often under pressure to meet their sales targets, and sales managers often measure their efforts by counting the number of calls, voicemails, and emails they make. This can lead to the temptation to hound prospects in the hopes of securing a meeting. There is a fine line between being persistent and being a pest. While it is important to follow up with your prospects, you don't want to cross the line into harassment.
Today's prospects are more informed, more connected, and more empowered than ever before. They can easily research your company and your product/service, compare you to your competitors, and even reach out to their networks for recommendations.
A better way to gauge rep activity is to measure meaningful contacts. A meaningful contact includes a message that is on target with the right individual and with persistence usually leads to a conversation that answers key qualifying questions that can advance the sales process.
Rather than bombarding prospects with irrelevant messages, sales reps should aim to make contacts that answer questions about the prospect's ability to buy. We call this the discovery process. In the discovery process you answer key questions pertaining to budgets, timelines, decision-making processes, competitors and more. With a focus on discovery, sales reps can build strong relationships with the right people and avoid harassing those who are not a good fit for their product or service.
Not everyone is a great fit for your product or service. By asking the right questions and doing some research, you can determine whether a prospect is qualified for your product/service or not early in the process. If they are not, it is better to remove them from your active prospecting list and focus your efforts on more promising qualified leads.
It is okay to contact promising leads in different ways, as long as you are targeting the right person and delivering a relevant message. Some people prefer emails, while others prefer phone calls or LinkedIn messages. The key is to mix up your communication channels and use the ones that your prospect is most likely to respond to. However, make sure that you are not sending them too many messages at once. Keep the frequency reasonable and adjust it based on their response.
Prospects will appreciate your persistence if it is done in a respectful and professional way. It is important to keep the communication open and transparent, and let your prospect know that you value their time and their decision-making process. By doing your research and understanding your prospect's pain points, needs, and preferences, you can tailor your message and your approach to their specific situation. This will not only increase the likelihood of a successful outcome but also show your prospect that you respect and understand their business.
Even when working with highly qualified prospects and great messaging, it can be difficult to get meaningful conversations started. People are busy, businesses are busy – sometimes it can take 8 to 12 contacts before a meaningful conversation that answers qualifying questions takes place. The best salespeople in the world have the patience to stick with the discovery process in their prospecting efforts. They know that it takes time for meaningful conversations to take place and they spend the majority of their time on securing those conversations.
