So you got referred to Mr. Potential Prospect through a “contact of a contact.” You left him four voice messages in the last three weeks. Finally got him on the phone live. Mentioned the name of the person who made the referral. Introduced yourself and why you were calling in the first place.
You sense you are being unheard and brushed off on this first call. You remain composed on the exterior but feel the frustration building up on the inside. You are debating the right time to make attempt number two. Now multiply this scenario by 20 each time you decide to make cold calls.
The old cliche is that picking up the phone is a numbers game. But while that statement is true, learning to weed out who is real from who isn’t will change your attitude and level of happiness in sales. Once you understand how many calls it takes to get to a yes, how many voice messages it takes to get a call back and how many meetings it takes to get a listing, the process is less painful. In fact, it can become exciting if you can predict “on average” what to expect.
Real estate agents, mortgage experts and anyone working for themselves in general need to generate new business. While this can be done in various ways, the phone cannot be avoided. Tracking your efforts is key. Deciphering whether Mr. Prospect is not ready from someone who is playing hard to get will save you time and unwanted agitation. Moreover, some people just don’t know how to say no.
Your job over the phone is to analyze each scenario. While each situation will be different, there is usually a common theme of responses, which include:
- Now is not a good time. Try back later.
- We already use ABC Realtor.
- Try me next year.
- We are happy with the way it is.
- Not interested.
- I need to ask my wife / husband.
The list goes on and on. You need to know when to persist and when to walk. Through practice this becomes easier and easier. After a while, everyone will sound the same and you will spot the signs.
Nicole Attias is the owner of Prospect2Win. Prospect2Win is a sales-based company in Canada that is dedicated to helping businesses get in the door through cold calling and presentation training. Nicole facilitates workshops and webinars for real estate agents and various real estate boards. Contact – nicole@prospect2win.com
Stay tuned for my upcoming eBook, “Transform your sales approach – More than just a cold call.”
