Dear Mike,


Salespeople go crazy when a great prospect stops responding to calls and e-mails.  This happens to just about everybody, but why? The causes of ghosting are well known and the antidotes are simple, Really? Yes. Read on…

The Biggest Problem in Sales


As we approach the end of another fiscal quarter, panic has already begun to set in for many sales teams. Their fearless forecasts, confident commits, and polished prognostications have all evaporated.  Their champion, their good buddy, their professional pal who promised them a PO last month has gone silent. No call, no email, no text. Bubkes. What’s going on?

There are very few reasons a trusted contact will go silent. All are predictable. Some are preventable. Why are they ghosting you?


Here are some root causes:

The Ether has Worn off


The optimal time to gain a commitment and an order is immediately after your presentation / proposal. That’s when the desire to take action is at its peak. Every day they wait, other issues and priorities pop up and your project goes to the back burner. How old is your proposal?

No Compelling Reason to Take Action Now


The two biggest drivers of action are expectation of gain and fear of loss. Yet how many salespeople use either of these psychological tools in their presentations and proposals? Almost none.  


  • Where’s the cost-benefit analysis?
  • Where’s the return on investment?
  • What will the customer lose if they don’t take action?


The expiration date on a proposal, if there is one at all, is a joke and the customers know it.  Give any prospect a chance to procrastinate, they probably will.


Remember the good old days when Black Friday Sales meant something? Remember what customers would do to save $500 on a TV? Real incentives give real results.

The Planning Fallacy


Customers plan to take action, but underestimate how much work is involved and how long it takes. It’s an ingrained human tendency. This fallacy leads to overly optimistic project timelines and budgets. In short, they mean well, but your customer has over-promised and is ashamed to admit it.  

Nobody Likes to Deliver Bad News


Many times, you’ve lost the business but the customer procrastinates in telling you. They know it will be uncomfortable. Maybe if they don’t say anything you’ll just go away.

Prevent Ghosting


The best way to fix a problem is to prevent it in the first place. By my informal survey, 100% of salespeople believe they set firm follow-up appointments with customers. Approximately 0% do it the right way, if at all. 


Confirm a firm date and time for the next action. When a customer promises to contact you, nail down the date:


  •  “Soon” is not a date
  • “Next week” is not a date
  •  I’ll let you know” is not a date
  • “I’ll send this to procurement” is not a date


Secondly, always have a convincing reason they need to talk with you again. Here are the three most common follow up statements used by salespeople. See if you can find a customer benefit in any of them:


  • “I’ll check in with you” is not a compelling reason
  •  “Touching base” is not a compelling reason
  •  “Circling back" is not a compelling reason


If you don’t have a powerful reason to talk, don’t contact them and don’t expect them to contact you.
 

Summary:


Want to prevent someone ghosting you? Provide a convincing reason you need to speak again. Get a commitment for a follow up date and time. Gain solid confirmation they will do it.
 
 
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Meet the "Hit Mann"
Mike Schmidtmann coaches business owners and sales leaders across the USA. He works to drive results in sales recruiting, new business development, and profitability.

Mike led sales for Inacom Communications for ten years. then founded and built a $30 Million business unit for SPS.

Mike produces the award-winning Trans4mers webinar series on IT sales and management subjects. He is a frequent public speaker on business topics.

He lives on a farm in Northern Virginia with his family and assorted horses, alpacas, goats and dogs.
 
 
 
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Mike Schmidtmann

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Mike@Trans4mers.net
 
 
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