Nov 14 2009
“What do you do when prospects disappear into the black hole?”-The Sequel
The JF Guest Author Spot
Jill Konrath
True Story: I May Have Misjudged Your Interest
A true story, but the names have been changed to maintain privacy.
Recently I received an email from a marketing/advertising sales professional who read my blog post on how to deal with prospects who disappear into the proverbial black hole.
She decided to try my “let them off the hook” strategy. Here’s what transpired.
Subject Line: I may have misjudged your intentions
My apologies if I’ve crossed a line to become your dreaded professional stalker. It’s apparent that I’ve misjudged Generic System’s interest and/or situation.
If and when the opportunity arises, please know I’ve tracked down the insider’s connection to the huge success being experienced by a business very similar to yours. Additionally, the short and affordable jingle we discussed is working its magic for bob@anothercompany.com.
Please call or e-mail if there’s any thing I can do for you or your organization.
60 Minutes Later She Got This Response
You haven’t crossed any lines. We’ve had several issues here unrelated to marketing/advertising. And now we have examiners here, so we’re spread pretty thin at this time.
We appreciated you coming to us and still have all of your information here. Hopefully things will settle down so Cindy & I can talk and make some type of decision.
My apologies for not communicating that to you sooner. We will be in touch, I promise!
The Lesson to Be Learned
Even if your prospects like your ideas or products, you’re not their #1 priority.
Don’t be afraid to contact your prospects to let them off the hook. If they’re still interested, their guilt about not returning your calls causes them to update you on their status.
What do you do when prospects disappear into the black hole?
Jill Konrath, a leading-edge sales strategist and business advisor, is a popular speaker at national sales meetings and association events. She helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, speed up their sales cycle and achieve their revenue growth goals.
She’s the author of the instant sales classic, Selling to Big Companies, which has been an Amazon Top 25 sales book since it was released. As a thought leader in the selling and marketing arena, Jill also publishes a popular newsletter and hosts a widely read blog. She’s written hundreds of articles on sales strategy, appeared as a guest expert for numerous podcasts & conducted webinars attended by sellers around the world.
Jill is also a member of the Executive Board over at Top Sales Experts
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