Problem Getting a Response from Prospect
One of the top challenges in any sales department is getting responses from prospective clients.
Not only is this challenging– but it can also be frustrating for salespeople to spend time and energy reaching out to prospects only to get nothing in return. Why are some people so unresponsive?
It’s important to understand that not all prospects will communicate in the same way. It’s possible that the same prospect that sends your friendly email to their spam folder is eagerly reading the downloadable eBooks from your company’s website.
Other times, prospects are engaged in other professional or personal issues– and finding time to respond to your sales messages is a tall order. Still, without responses from prospects, a large number of salespeople tend to feel that their efforts are going unrecognized. This can lead to low morale, and a loss of motivation and engagement.
The issue at hand
While this is a widespread problem, it doesn’t mean salespeople get a free pass to give up altogether. If you’re a salesperson, you need to find new and innovative ways to solve this issue.
Now matter what method you use to communicate with your prospect, your message itself needs to be compelling.
After presenting your product or sales message to customers, you will expect a response from them. However, some customers will not give you a response immediately but will wait until it’s more convenient for them, or after they’ve had the chance to look into the product more or even sample it. So, as a salesperson, you can’t always expect an immediate response.
Although marketing takes care of this problem in other organizations, in some, it is the responsibility of the salespeople to ensure that they generate leads and get responses from the prospects. Sometimes cold calls get ignored, emails go unanswered, and your attempts to reach out are fruitless. Let’s look at ways salespeople can work to remedy this issue:
Solutions to this problem
Develop a messaging strategy
Without a good messaging strategy your sales activities might not be successful. More often than not, a single phone call or email will not get the attention of the potential clients that you contact. It’s unlikely to catch a prospect’s attention, especially if it’s virtual, and you don’t have the opportunity to engage directly with the client.
Instead, try to send a series of communications particularly those that try to address the problems facing your prospects. Talk about how your product will solve their problems and make their lives better. Instead of pitching your product and letting your prospects draw conclusions about how it might help them, point it out to them. Don’t make them do any of the work when it comes to how your product can make their lives easier– bridge that gap for them, and they’ll be much more likely to respond.
Provide valuable and relevant information
Before you invest time and effort into reaching out to prospects, make sure that your product is relevant to them. If it is, find out in what specific ways.
Many consumers look for products or services that will help them solve a problem or improve their lives. Therefore, no matter how good your company is, without offering your customers solutions to their problems by providing products or services that they need, no one will buy your product. Try to provide information that pertains directly to them, and information that might not be available in your advertisements or landing pages. It is vital to understand that delivering the right message to the right consumer at the right time will increase your response rates.
Embrace social selling
You need to try and get to know who your prospects are and what they need, then develop a relationship with them first before you can start making cold calls.
The reason why cold calls are ignored is that the prospects do not have a connection with your brand or product. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out in the community, lean on connections, and find ways to meet new people. Prospects are more likely to respond to your message if they’re familiar with your name, or your brand. Sharing knowledge and information with customers, building trust, and gaining credibility in your industry can lead to a more successful career in sales. If cold calling isn’t working for you, take a different route– begin to reach out as a fellow professional, and let relationships with potential clients grow.
It can be disheartening to know your efforts to connect to prospective clients aren’t as useful as you want them to be– but this shouldn’t cause a dip in motivation. Instead of facing this challenge with a defeatist attitude, it’s time to pivot. Get to know your product inside and out, and work to develop your sales skills.
Without knowing how to get the attention of your prospects and getting them interested in what you are offering, you will not make any sales. Having the right product, the right message and the strategies will enable you to make sales and eventually make profits.