The Call that Matters
I was talking to one of my best friends today. He sells insurance for a company that shuts off the phones during lunch and at 5pm (they stay there later). He said he got his biggest accounts ever due to answering the phone during lunch. Can you imagine shutting things down in sales during lunch and after 5pm? I freak out when there is a message on our answering system that has not been attended to in minutes.
I talked to three different people last week that had made a call regarding sales but had “not gotten a call back yet, so they were waiting.” Other times, they had not gotten a “return e-mail.”
Here are a few tips on what not to do:
1. Don’t assume that people care. Hope they do, but facts can show you yes or no.
2. Don’t stop after the 8th phone call. End at 12 instead.
3. Don’t be afraid to let your prospects know that it is ok to say NO! I love to add that to my requests, as gives them an out or a reason to stay engaged!
4. Don’t think people care that you need lunch or are off at 5pm. We do! This is not like it used to be (except in West Texas) where you must eat lunch between 11:30am and 1:30pm due to restaurants closing.
5. Don’t think people will change and conform to your old ways. This is the new normal. You will hear about technology, you will think it does not apply to you, and you are right if you live on the Moon.
