Ran into an interesting blog on the ARIA-Radio site in regards to being patient and building relationships. Before I quote the blog, I think back on the scenario that is laid out with a rep making a cold call and feeling rejected while the client feels like they are starting a relationship. These are polar opposites but if we have relevant questions to ask each time we call and if we do our job in learning about the business and how we can develop a plan to put more potential customers through the door than we have done our job. As I read this blog I kept thinking about the questions in a CMP or Customer Marketing Profile, why we ask them and if we don't then we miss opportunities. The Blog is from Dave Doetsch ? Director of Sales, Mid-West Family Broadcasting Springfield IL and it was titled "Be Patient, But Be Persistent"...
So here is what the very, very old, and might I say cranky sales trainer taught us. When we make the first call, often called the cold call, the client at best has only 10% interest in talking with us, and more often than not they have zero interest. And why should they, they were not expecting us, they had 9 other things to do, we tend at this point to only be a distraction. But rejection at this point deflates us, which makes no sense on our part, but we do it anyway don?t we?
So we go back to the office, tell our sales manager they said no, and the sales manager tells us to go back and try again. We do, but now our enthusiasm is at only 50% since we?ve already been rejected. Strange thing is the fact that the client now is growing in their interest. On the second call they may have anywhere from 10-20% interest only because you came back (you see most salespeople do not). Maybe you do believe in what you are selling! Clients at this point though still don?t show a ton of interest and we interpret that to be more rejection.
We now have called on the client twice, they have not leaped into our arms begging us to sell to them, and so we are reluctant to make the next call. But we must! Most salespeople never reach the third call! Why? Because our enthusiasm has declined to 10% due to our not wanting any more rejection. But here is the crazy thing, at this point the client?s interest has risen to around 30% and is growing. Since most salespeople don?t make it past the first call, let alone the second call, clients take interest in the salesperson that keeps coming back. They begin to believe that you believe in what you are selling, and now want to have some dialog about what it is you are actually selling.
Jim, the old cranky sales trainer told us that by the seventh call you?d have 90% interest from the client and they?d be willing to give a true answer to what it is you are selling. And by the 15th time you ask, you are almost guaranteed a yes (or why would they let you keep talking with them?). That may take some time, but time may be what?s needed with the client to build the relationship, sell on all the points they need to be sold on and so forth. Remember you can call on them more than once a week to help speed the process, but they must be willing to see you that often.
When I first learned this I was reluctant, but Jim told us to read a book that proved his point. It?s called Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. How many asks did they make? Just pick up the book and count