Find My Catalyst Podcast The Prospect or Client Goes Silent - Uh Oh - 113
This is one of the more common questions we receive from listeners and from participants in our workshops/training sessions. How do I get the client/prospect to re-engage?
This week on the Catalyst Sale Podcast we discuss how to avoid this situation, what to do if you are in this situation, and we have a bonus question around sales rep compensation/credit.
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Questions Discussed- How do I get the customer to re-engage?
- Why is this a common question?
- Is it important that the content is generated by your organization?
- What if you are in a rut, how do you get out?
- Bonus Question - How do I make sure I get credit for the sale?
- Sometimes the question is driven by sales management and frequent requests for updates. CRM may not be current, account plans may not be current.
- Sometimes the question is a result of sales rep activity or perception. They could be experiencing be a slump or rut.
- Avoid the rut by not getting caught in the rut in the first place.
- Project manage the sales cycle.
- Establish clear next steps
- Hold the client/prospect & yourself accountable to these next steps.
- Create a reason to stay engaged.
- Account Planning
- Use your Account Plan.
- Maintain a list of next steps - what are the 1, 2, or 3 items that I know that the client will need as they go through the buyer journey.
- Know your gates.
- Design your next steps based on the journey that you know your customer should go through. i.e. schedule time for the demo, define participants, identify questions, schedule a trial, etc.
- Manage the buyer journey.
- Next steps should not be scripted out, but you should understand the guideposts.
- Always have a list of resources or pieces of information that you can share with the client/prospect that will provide value.
- Whitepapers, blog posts, podcast, etc
- Let them know that you have come across the post, and you thought of them.
- Provide context
- Have a call to action - this might be an open deliverable that the client is responsible for completing.
- Take on the role of curator, you are curating information, don't fall into the trap of only sharing content you create.
- Context is critical.
- Don't fall into the trap of only working with one point of contact. Expand your network within the organization.
- Give yourself another option/person to communicate with.
- Build up a level of trust with others in the organization.
- What if you are in a rut, or the prospect/client has gone quiet - what do you do?
- Be patient, don't let your problem become the customer's problem.
- Evaluate the situation, where did things leave off?
- Find something, a compelling event, a location, and use it as a reminder to re-engage.
- It is about them, it is not about you.
- Maintain a service-oriented approach.
- Help your client solve problems.
- Don't make up the story in your head. Stay engaged. Build your network.
- Sometimes a prospect/client will go silent, a couple of months later they may return via the website. They fill out a lead form and get re-directed to someone else in the company.
- You, as the rep are responsible for documenting your activity.
- Ask the question - if you have been working with them for over a year, why did they come through the website?
- Sometimes this is the result of client research.
- Sometimes they are looking for a competitive quote.
- Do your job - make sure you are following your internal process.
- Ask the prospect - how did you find us?
- Establish clear process & procedures. Set expectations.
- Sometimes it makes sense to double comp the team - you might identify a gap in your own process.
- Catalyst Sale Live Chat
- Pam Boiros
- Why You, Why You Now
- Account Planning
- Catalyst Sale Planning Templates
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Catalyst Sale
In every business, in every opportunity, there is someone who can help you navigate the internal challenges and close the deal. There is a Catalyst. We integrate process (Catalyst Sale Process), technology and people, with the purpose of accelerating revenue. Our thoughtful approach minimizes false starts that are common in emerging markets and high-growth environments. We continue to evolve our practice based on customer needs and emerging technology. We care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do.