| Whenever I conduct a workshop or teleclass, | | | | Ask yourself: What is the value that I (the company |
| invariably someone asks the question: "What should I | | | | product/service) bring to customers. How do they |
| say when the prospect says, 'I'm not interested?'" | | | | benefit? How do I (the company/product/service) |
| My response invariably is: "It's probably too late." | | | | make customer's lives easy, stress-free, happy, |
| Certainly you can try to recover from that "I'm not | | | | profitable etc? You may have to do some market |
| interested" response. You can ask, "Why do you say | | | | research and/or brainstorming here. Once you've |
| that?" (Say this gently, as though you are confused | | | | determined that value, however, lead with it. |
| and really, really want the answer.) You can repeat | | | | Here's an example: |
| back: "Not interested?" (Again, say this gently, as | | | | Last year when I conducted the "Cold Calling College" |
| though you are confused.) This sometimes gets | | | | teleclass, I received an e-mail from a participant. He |
| people to start talking and explain themselves. Bottom | | | | said he was calling owners of mid-size companies and |
| line, however, if everyone that you speak with says, | | | | not having much success. His e-mail read: |
| "I'm not interested," you're not saying anything | | | | "...I say my name and company and then say 'we |
| interesting. | | | | specialize in business performance management |
| If you have a compelling script with stellar delivery, you | | | | solutions for budgeting, reporting and analysis.... I hear |
| will hardly ever hear the words, "I'm not interested." | | | | 'not interested' then they hang up before I can say |
| That's because you will actually be saying something | | | | anything else. |
| interesting! | | | | Another thing I have tried is, '...the reason I am calling is |
| On the telephone, you have approximately 10-20 | | | | to introduce [company name]'s budgeting reporting |
| seconds to grab your prospect's attention - and if you | | | | analysis solutions and to invite you to an Excel |
| do not do that, your call is probably over. 10-20 | | | | seminar...' But after this I hear, 'not interested,' then they |
| seconds is not a lot of time. You are not going to | | | | hang up before I can say anything else." |
| convey a lot of information in 10-20 seconds. Instead, | | | | It's hardly surprising that these introductions didn't work. |
| what you'll convey is your energy, your confidence and | | | | They weren't interesting. There was nothing in those |
| your excitement. Your words must reach out and | | | | first sentences to grab and hook a business owner's |
| immediately grab and hook your prospect's attention. | | | | attention. |
| From the moment your prospect says, "Hello," your | | | | Later on, after going through the "Cold Calling College" |
| goal is to gain your prospect's attention so that she is | | | | system, the person who wrote this e-mail was able to |
| hungry to hear more. If you don't hook your prospects | | | | pare his introduction down. His introduction ended up |
| in the beginning of your conversation, they will not want | | | | being something like: "We help companies keep the |
| to speak with you. They will say, "I'm not interested," | | | | money they make." Short, sweet, to the point and |
| and worse case, they may hang up on you. | | | | focused on the value to business owners. Prospects |
| In order to hook your prospect, ask yourself: Whom | | | | stopped hanging up on him. Instead, he was able to |
| are you calling? Why should they be interested? | | | | start scheduling meetings with those business owners. |
| You're looking for hot buttons, those issues that are so | | | | Lesson learned: Do your homework. Do what ever is |
| important to your prospect that when they come up, | | | | necessary to truly understand your prospects. Before |
| your prospect stops in her tracks to listen. The big | | | | you ever pick up the phone, have the answer to the |
| point here is that when you are trying to hook | | | | question: "Why should this prospect be interested?" If |
| someone, you have to have some sense of what's | | | | you have that answer, you will never again hear: "I'm |
| important to them. | | | | not interested. |