Ideally, all prospects would approach your business, already aware of your offerings and ready to sign a contract. But, in reality, you’re probably faced with more cold leads than you’d like, and by taking initiative and contacting prospects, you can bring these leads to the next level. In an article for RainToday, Erica Stritch reveals what she deems “5 Commandments for Turning Cold Prospects into Warm Leads.” It can be tough to crack through the exterior of someone contacted via cold calling, but Stritch believes her commandments can be successful in warming up prospects, even if they had never heard of your business before your phone call. To start off, here is the first commandment, and the rest can be found here.
I. Thou Shall Not Be Impatient with Thy Prospect
Don’t expect the prospect to go from a first conversation to a new client in 30 days. It rarely happens that quickly. Remember, this is a “cold” prospect; he’s never heard of you before, and you are initiating the conversation.
Have patience with these prospects, and be prepared to shepherd them through a long buying cycle. Trust, credibility, and expertise are essential elements to a professional services sale and do not happen overnight. Be prepared to invest time in the relationship to help it grow.
Do you have personal commandments you follow when cold-calling?
Friday, Jul 24, 2009
Jessica Helinski