Sales training ideas – How to get in touch with the hard-to-reach hot prospect.

Here’s the scenario: You’ve got a hot prospect who said to give him a phone call next Tuesday because he’s going to make his decision then. You call on Tuesday and get his voice mail. You leave a message stating that you’re calling to follow up and ask that he get back to you. You hear nothing. On Wednesday, you call again. Again, nothing. Here’s what to do next. 

On Thursday, telephone every hour starting at seven in the morning. Do not leave any messages. Call in the hopes of getting the person on the phone. 

Use this technique any time you need to get in touch with someone on a critical issue and you think she may be ducking you. With this technique, you are being persistent without being obnoxious. If you were to call every hour and leave a message, you’d severely annoy the prospect. Obviously, you want to avoid aggravating her. 

Note 1: It is possible the prospect will have caller I.D., especially at a residence, and know that you called every hour and didn’t leave a message. If this is the case, block your call or make sure you’re calling from a number that is blocked. In the worst-case scenario, even if the person did know you were calling, you’re starting from zero anyway. You have nothing, so if you end up with nothing, you’re no worse off! 

Note 2: In a case such as this you can and should also show up in-person. In the above scenario, make it Wednesday. Just say you happened to be in the area.