“My prospects aren’t calling me back.”
“I can’t get past the executive assistant.”
“They’re not interested.”
If this feels familiar, I want to reassure you that your results are not abnormal. This is one of the biggest challenges any sales rep faces. Working in a sales role means a ton of rejection, and the willpower to just keep going and keep sifting through the junk to get to the true quality prospects who are much more likely to convert.
It takes an average of 18 to 20 calls to actually connect with a buyer, and I know how discouraging it can be to hear “we’re not interested” when you do get someone on the phone, or when you realize you don’t have the right contact.
How can you get better results from your sales calls
70% of purchasing decisions are made to solve a specific problem. Not sure what the contact’s problem is? MSP Sales Enablement/Marketing Automation Software will help you understand. It will allow you to review their activities– are they revisiting emails about a specific topic, or downloading e-guides? Then, when you have them on the call, be sure to ask them! Research has shown discussing 3-4 buyer problems correlates with the highest likelihood of advancing the deal to a firm next step.
How to make connections when you know someone from the company is looking at your materials, but you’re not sure who
If you’re calling a company that has shown interest in your offerings but that you don’t have a specific contact, you need to focus on the content which interests them the most. For example: If someone downloaded a whitepaper on MSP lead generation, I will make sure, I pitch the MSP Advantage Program from the lead-generation point of view.
Giving your contact the framework to understand/describe their own problem
You know the solutions that your company provides to your clients’ problems. Work that into a narrative that your listener can respond to. See that it doesn’t talk about your company or what you can do for them; it simply identifies a situation you may have seen from other clients before signing on with you. Here’s an example: Most MSPs I speak to want to market and sell their own services better, but just don’t seem to have the time, resources or expertise to do so. Are you facing the same challenge? We can help!
Notice how this pitch was less about me and my company and more about my prospect.
Be sure you’re following up after the phone call!
According to Forrester, 82% of customers viewed five or more pieces of content from the winning vendor before making a purchase. Even when you get someone on the phone, they aren’t necessarily going to have all the information they need to be ready for a sales conversation. However, 68% of buyers feel more positive about a brand after consuming content from it. As part of your post-call follow-up, even if you’ve spoken with a receptionist, include an e-guide or other educational content in the follow-up email you send to the contact you were trying to reach.
If you are already a Mindmatrix customer your consultant can review with you in your next meeting how to use the Outlook plugin to easily send those materials (or you can email support@mindmatrix.net to have them guide you through it on a brief screenshare).
One of my clients is very successful with her phone calls with contacts, and here’s what she’s doing: she regularly hosts webinars (or even in-person seminars). She does an email registration campaign, but also calls the prospects to make sure they are aware of the event and have all the information they need to register. Then she calls them after the event to ask what they thought of it, and if they’re willing to have a more in-depth conversation. This has resulted in new opportunities and closed deals for her business.