Success in sales is dependent upon intelligent repetition of contact, without being a pest. We need to be able to reach out to people lots of times, in lots of different ways and keep them engaged with us and very few salespeople have mastered this skill.
David: Hi and welcome to the podcast! Today co-host Chris Templeton and I will be talking about how to create intelligent repetition of contact with prospects and clients. Hi Chris.
Chris: Hi David. Thanks for having me. I'm really, really excited to talk about this one because I think it's so, so important. Repetition of contact, you know, it seems that any sales position requires this. What is it that gives you the sense that salespeople aren't doing this or maybe just as importantly, aren't doing it well?
David: Couple of things, if you've ever heard a salesperson say, “I don't want to be a pest,” that to me is a screaming red flag, right? Because what that generally means is they're not following up with people enough. They're not being in touch enough because they don't want to create waves. They don't want to bother the person or whatever. And to me that's a function of not being very clear about your outcome for the conversation because your goal is not simply to follow up with people and get on the phone and nag them until they're ready to buy. If you are doing that, then yes, that's being a pest, but don't do that. You know? Think in terms of what you actually want to accomplish, have reasons and excuses for contacting people so that when you are reaching out, you're actually providing value in the conversation, in the communication. If you do that, you'll be advancing the dialogue. You'll be helping your prospects and you will not come across as a pest.
Chris: And I imagine that the other thing is that if a sales guy says, "I don't want to be a pest," especially to a potential client, they already feel like they are one.
David: Well, yeah, because you're planting that thought in their mind, the fact that you're thinking it and then let alone vocalizing. Even if you don't say it, if you're thinking, “Oh, I'm afraid I'm going to be a pest,” it's going to come through in your voice and you're not going to sound as confident as you need to sound and it's not going to be helpful. If you actually say it out loud, “Hey listen, I don't want to be a pest.” Then immediately their thought is you just said you don't want to be a pest. I now have to process the word pest in my brain and then draw a line through it because you're saying you don't want to be that. And maybe just by saying it, you're being a pest. So, I think it could be a self-esteem thing, but if you can just sort of get over this idea that you're being a pest. Part of it though, and I always believe that confidence is tied to competence. If we're good at what we do, we're going to feel a lot more confident doing it. And so if you're not quite sure what to do, what to say, who to approach, how to approach them, then yeah, you're going to feel like that. And you might feel like you're being a pest, so if you're feeling that way before you go into the call, ask yourself, "Okay, what can I do to add value in this communication so that what I'm saying to them is helpful to them." because then that way I can be reasonably assured that I'm not being a pest.
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Chris: Isn't a big piece of that in terms of adding value in a conversation about really being focused on your prospective client as opposed to focused on selling the product?
David: Absolutely. Focused on their results. What is it that they want to accomplish? What do they need to have happen as a result of making this purchase? Just focusing on their goals, their desires, their outcomes, and when you're focused on them it becomes a lot easier.
