Local Business - Socialized
Don’t Rush the Call
A few days ago I finally made contact with a new prospect and we started discussing his situation. Most preliminary calls like this take between 15-30 minutes and I usually start our conversation by asking, “Is this still a good time to talk?”
However, I didn’t do that in this particular situation and six minutes into the call my prospect said, “I have to get to a meeting. Send me some information and we’ll talk later.” As a result, I did not have the time to more deeply pursue my prospect’s problem. I got caught in the time trap and ended up rushing my call.
It is essential that you resist the temptation to push through a call because your prospect is pressed for time. A better alternative is to reschedule your call to ensure that you have the time you need to do a thorough job.
This is more challenging than it seems. It requires focus and discipline and the courage to say to a prospect, “I want to make sure that I fully understand your situation before putting together information. When would be a good time to schedule a 20 minute call?”
This concept will separate you from your competition and help you earn your prospect’s trust and respect.
However, I didn’t do that in this particular situation and six minutes into the call my prospect said, “I have to get to a meeting. Send me some information and we’ll talk later.” As a result, I did not have the time to more deeply pursue my prospect’s problem. I got caught in the time trap and ended up rushing my call.
It is essential that you resist the temptation to push through a call because your prospect is pressed for time. A better alternative is to reschedule your call to ensure that you have the time you need to do a thorough job.
This is more challenging than it seems. It requires focus and discipline and the courage to say to a prospect, “I want to make sure that I fully understand your situation before putting together information. When would be a good time to schedule a 20 minute call?”
This concept will separate you from your competition and help you earn your prospect’s trust and respect.
Comment
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Comment by James Burchill on October 5, 2009 at 3:42pm - As always Kelley, great advice. And so true about the challenge to avoid rushing the call.
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