Aug 13 in General discussion
Being Too Easy To Find
I think I might be too easy to find by prospects... Let me explain.
Over the last week, I have been working a deal that has involved a lot of back and forth texting with our champion (a deal champion is not the main decision maker, but the stakeholder rooting for your product/service within the organization). Whenever a text would come in, I would try and answer within 5-10 minuntes to remain reachable and stay top of mind wit the prospect.
Over the last few days, I have begun to wonder if I am actually damaging the deal by being too accessible. I have been taught through sales gurus, books, and blogs that active communication is core to being a top performer in sales. You want a proposal, BAM you got a proposal. Quick question about our functionality, BOOM response with links and examples. You want a discou... I mean you want our pricing structure to match your budget... KABLAM custom pricing. I have prided myself on having a quick draw in responding and staying reachable to prospects, but there is one glaring problem in all of this that can undermine exactly what I am trying to accomplish if I am not careful... sales reps that are in high demand are not IMMEDIATELY reachable.
How a prospect perceives your status play a large role in closing large deals. Being easily accessible to a prospect communicates that they are the highest priority to you and that you are willing to do almost anything to make them happy. Our goal is not to make them happy. Our goal is to solve their problem. The million dollar question is, how do I stay on top of deals while keeping an in-demand status in the eyes of my prospects? Here are a few things to try:
- Take time... even when you don't need to
What I am not saying is to intentionally stall deals for the sake of wasting time. If a deal clearly needs a quick response to move forward or save the deal, then by all means save it. After a call or a demo, however, set a reminder for the end of the day to get them a recap email rather than right after the call. The content will still be fresh enough to not lose momentum, but it will set a precedent for the prospect that you are both busy and responsible to follow through with your commitments.
2. Remind the prospects of how busy you are
I tell every prospect how busy I am... even if I am having a slower day or week. Conversations typically start like this: "Hey John, glad we got a chance to connect. It has been crazy over here this time of year and I have been slammed. I carved out some time to take a look at what you're doing now and have a couple thoughts on how to (reiterate their problem or ask them to explain their problem)". By starting the call this way, I already set the precedent that I am in demand. From this point forward, every call, demo, or email will include a reference to having other meetings or being booked. Even when I am setting a follow up meeting at the end of a call or demo I will typically say something like "Ok John, it looks like Monday is booked solid, but I have some time at 10am pst or 1pm pst if that work s for you? I want to make sure YOU get on my calendar because I really think we can help". This makes him both feel like a priority while keeping my status in his mind. Trust me... tell your prospects how busy you are and see how they respond.
3. Check you email less
You don't need to have your email open all day. In fact, I wouldn't even check you email or slack until a couple hours after you get into the office. If someone truly needs you, they will find a way to get a hold of you. Keeping your email open all day turns every notification into a fire drill for your brain. A little ding and a red bubble on your gmail app immediately becomes your priority and steals your attendtion from the revenue producing tasks you have planned for (hopefully). If you're having a hard time staying on task for the day, check out my timeblocking post a while back. By only checking email a couple times a day, you inadvertently create time in between interactions and lower the impact on your focus from checking email constantly.
Become a little harder to find and watch how quickly your prospects start looking.
What are some ways you have found to increase your status in the eyes of your prospects?
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Being Too Easy To Find
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