Face it. When you engage with a new prospect there’s a 90% chance that they won’t need you right at that moment.
“Check back in six months.”
“We’ll be issuing an RFP next year.”
“Fire me a reminder in May.”
A word of caution. Before you schedule a follow up call in the future, consider that 70% of buyers are 50% of the way down the decision making path by the time they choose to reach out to a sales person. On top of that, 75% of those buyers have a have a preferred vendor in mind when they issue that RFP. This suggests that showing up months later is as naive as hoping for a positive response to a wedding proposal on the first date.
This interim time is the single biggest opportunity for you to position yourself to win. Use this time to “drip,” and I mean that in a good way. You want to remain on top of your buyer’s mind so that you are firmly and positively on their radar when the time is right. << Tweet This!
Here’s the challenge. You probably don’t have enough new and relevant things to say for six months…or you invariably run out of steam.
This is why you need to build an Access Arsenal.
So what is it exactly? It’s an electronic and/or paper based file (whichever you prefer) that contains items of high interest or value to your prospects. Here are some examples:
- Past prospecting messages that have generated enthusiastic responses.
- Recent/timeless articles and white papers of relevant interest to my market.
- Statistics and market trends.
- Client “impact” testimonials. (My customers’ words have more clout than mine.)
- Client success stories.
- Links to experts’ videos that make a relevant point.
- Prospect industry-specific news.
- Thought-provoking questions and quotes.
Having your Arsenal means you won’t be paralyzed by lack of valuable material to share. It’s an ongoing source of ideas from which you can create highly relevant messages.
Be thoughtful in how you leverage your arsenal:
- Send only short, specific and relevant communications. << Tweet This!
- Always connect the content to your prospect. For example, when sending articles, highlight a specific paragraph or page and share the significance to this buyer.
- Make each item in your arsenal work smarter. When sending out an item from your arsenal to a prospect, consider who else on your list would benefit from it.
- Dive into your arsenal when seeking ideas to incorporate into presentations, proposals and other interactions.
- Update and purge your Access Arsenal on a regular basis.
One of my best and favorite (yes I have favorites) clients was not in the market for sales training when I first spoke with him. I dripped on him for 7 months and it was worth it! When he called there was no hassling, no negotiation, no competition. Just a firm decision to move forward.
And, while a number of things contributed to this outcome, my Access Arsenal assured I got there faster.
Good selling!
JILL HARRINGTON, sales expert, speaker, trainer and president of salesSHIFT, has contributed to the success of thousands of sales professionals and business owners around the world. She delivers the uncommon sense that will shift the way you think and maximize your influence, impact and income. www.salesshift.ca
