You call up a prospect and they tell you “Thanks, but no thanks!”.
You come back with your most compelling comeback and it’s still . . .
“Thanks, but no thanks!”
What happens in your world after that?
Do you continue to call them?
How often?
And if you do continue to call after that . . .
Is there a definitive time when you call it a day and stop calling?
Please weigh in with your thoughts!
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It’s not up to you it’s up to them.
Did they say you could call back…Did you ask permission?….Do you stick to your promises? When did they say you could call back?…Would they rather be approached in another way…..or are we done…..?
It’s not up to you it’s up to them.
Did they say you could call back…Did you ask permission?….Do you stick to your promises? When did they say you could call back?…Would they rather be approached in another way…..or are we done…..?
Thanks for kicking us off Jim!
I like the idea of finding out if they would like to be approached in another way.
We might have someone who doesn’t care for the phone but is all about emails, social networks etc.
Thanks again!
Interestingly, i have a few prospective clients who are illusive, so i persist. if someone doesnt want to talk to me or doesnt need my offering, then they should say, no thank you. Plaing hard to get could be just that they are really busy, they dont fully understand the discussion or they just cant say no. I persist for a while, say 4/5 calls after that i leave them.My feelings here are not to give up to quickly, but to remain tactful but persistent.
I think lots of people either misread busy as “not interested” and in general move on too quickly.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I usually hope “no” means “not now”. After two or three attempts over as many weeks, I’ll leave a message that says I don’t want to be a pest and I’ll check back in six months or a year.
Thanks Tom . . . I hope it means “not now” too!
Sounds like you will alter the frequency of contact so you are keeping in touch but not being a pest.
Is there a better time to reach you? Would it be better if I contacted someone else in your organization? If so, would you give me their contact data? Have you had any experiences with my company in the past? Were they bad experiences? If so, can I bring management in to repair the lost reputation?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
So before you would accept this as truly “not interested” you would try to get them sharing a bit more with you and perhaps redirect you to someone else in their organization if appropriate?
I would never completely stop calling. I’d “give it a break”, “find a different way”, but never stop. I only stop given one of two instances: 1) I determine I don’t want to do business with them, or 2) someone becomes a jerk (see reason #1). Tickler system is great to put the next contact “out there in the future” for me. Never, never, never give up. In my B2C, people buy when they are ready, I have to be there when that happens.
Well said Jack and I like the idea of giving it a break.
We can always heat it back up again at another point!
Thank you for taking the time to stop by and contribute!
Paul, You can’t simply give up. Very seldom does “Not interested” or “No Thanks”, mean never. Generally, it’s a timing or a methodlogy issue. I generally will drop back ten and rengage through an assistant or someone else in the organization to find the right method of communication.
I am a great beliver in never calling without a reason, so I never ‘drop it’ but try and build a rapport over a few months/ years sometimes, using a solid reason to call.
It might not be next week, but in months/ a year or so, they may be the new contact at a different company that can trade with you. Rapport build done and ready to go!
Oh… unless they’re a jerk, as previously mentioned by someone else!
I agree and especially agree with the no jerks rule 🙂
Thanks James!
I have always wanted to try this, but haven’t had the guts: “Mr./Mrs. prospect, before I let you go can I ask you one question? Prospect: Sure. Me: What do you think of the tie I’m wearing? Prospect: How can I give you an opinion on something I can’t see? Me: Then how could you have an opinion about me and my company without visiting with me about it? Prospect: (in my dream scenario) You know, you’re right! (chuckle) How about Tuesday at 10:00?” Boom…appt. closed! 🙂
To answer your question, I don’t stop calling/targeting until I learned enough to know that they already have a better solution than I think I can provide. As a rep, you have to be honest with yourself and your capabilities. If you really can’t help their situation, there is no need to waster their (and maybe more importantly) your time.
Brian that is great stuff. I do have the guts and if you dont mind im gonna steal it.
Let us know if it works for you.
Call me crazy but I think its disarming and might work 🙂
I triple dog dare ya to try that Brian! 🙂
Thanks!
If I have done my homework which I always do and I know this account is a must have account. I never stop until I win!
I stay in touch through my ezine and sharing breaking industry information prior to it being printed. By doing this I gain credibility. I continue to share testimonials from dealers he or she knows. If that doesn’t work I recruit my dealers to sell them.
I like this approach Pete. Sounds like you have a good mix of activities to keep them aware of you and your company!
Thanks for sharing your ideas!
As a rule, I will continue to follow the account. Personnel changes are common. It’s not unusual to find a whole new set of players – opportunities a year or two following the initial “thanks but no thanks”.
Good point Edward . . . Things do change!
Thanks!
I would keep the name. I would try again in 6 months. Then If I get a no, I would in 1 year, then forget about them.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I agree Bob and feel that sometimes we can misunderstand the “not interested” as a firm “never”
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
For years I called on a customer who said “no”. I was respectful and most of the time he was too. His shop was on my way home with a clean restroom (I cover a large area). One day he asked my why I kept calling on him. I told him the truth, he laughed and he started buying just a few things from me to keep me honest. LOL Thing is you never really know how many no’s are needed. Unless they flat out tell you to bugger off. http://www.gfsheridan.com
The product I sell has a 10 year life – so once they make a decision which includes their purchase order – they go into a long term file and as one of your comments notes – people change – situations change, so it’s a 6 month process for me. However – prior to the actual PO – I have done the tie bit, and I will tell you it does indeed work with the right client. I have also used this after I received the dear john response to my bid. I take a picture of their product and the product of one of their competitors – I send it to them with a comment such as – Not many can tell the difference between these two products because of how close they are – but I would bet you can tell me what makes one better than the other. The same is true with my product, and I can promise you if you give me 30 minutes of your time, I can show you how my offer is actually a better value for you than the product you picked. I will call you this afternoon at 3pm to attempt to set up this appointment.