Do you follow up with your prospects? Here are some interesting sales statistics from Jack Daly. As with most things that are hard, staying with it is one of the keys to success. Just because you don't make a sale on the first try, doesn't mean you should give up.
A business acquaintance I met many years ago told me about sales call where the prospect kept stringing him along and buying product from his competitor. Finally, after many visits, he asked the prospect how many sales calls it would take before the prospect gave him an opportunity to win the business. The prospect was a surprised and blurted out "five". The salesman left and came back the next time and didn't talk any business. They talked about the prospects kids and their sports teams. Right before he left, he took an index card out of his pocket and made a note of the date and put it back in his pocket. He got up and left.
He came back a few weeks later and repeated the process. They discussed only personal things, no business. Like the last time, he took the index card out of his pocket and made a note of the date and left. On the third visit, when there was no discussion of business and he made a big production out of the index card, the prospect asked what he was doing. The salesman said, you told me on such and such a date, that it would take five more calls before you'd give me a chance to win your business. See, I made a note of it on this index card and I've recorded the date each time I called since. I need to make two more trips before you'll give me a change to earn your business.
Of course the prospect blurted out "five" to discourage the salesman from continuing to call. Little did he realize that he'd make a game of it. The salesman put the index card back in his pocket and got up to leave when the prospect gave him an order. He has since earned nearly all of the prospects business and turned into a loyal and profitable account.
The moral of the story, stick to it.
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He came back a few weeks later and repeated the process. They discussed only personal things, no business. Like the last time, he took the index card out of his pocket and made a note of the date and left. On the third visit, when there was no discussion of business and he made a big production out of the index card, the prospect asked what he was doing. The salesman said, you told me on such and such a date, that it would take five more calls before you'd give me a chance to win your business. See, I made a note of it on this index card and I've recorded the date each time I called since. I need to make two more trips before you'll give me a change to earn your business.
Of course the prospect blurted out "five" to discourage the salesman from continuing to call. Little did he realize that he'd make a game of it. The salesman put the index card back in his pocket and got up to leave when the prospect gave him an order. He has since earned nearly all of the prospects business and turned into a loyal and profitable account.
The moral of the story, stick to it.
Connect with Chris on Google+ LinkedIn Twitter
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