Always in our own end zone
As we work the phones to acquire new business, our second and third calls to decision makers too often don’t “get the ball moving.” Instead, we ended up with the same “field position” we had after our previous calls. Does the following answer sound familiar to you?
Decision Maker: “Oh hi. Sorry, who’s this new one? Um, my gosh, no, I guess I never got your information. Why don’t you go ahead and send it back and test me next month .”
We worked hard to get this person on the phone, twice, and now here we are, still close to our own end zone with over half the field to score!
Commitment = first down
The solution is to get decision makers to commit to a small action item before talking to us. This gives us some of your shared opinion. Just like a first down in soccer, it “marks our place” on the field for our next play: starting our second call 10 yards further toward our goal than we were at the start of our previous call.
Why does this work? When people say “Yes” or take an action, that event automatically gains more conscious or unconscious space in their brains, even if it just means they feel guilty for not doing it. And while it doesn’t guarantee that they will do something, it does make it more likely.
If I tell my boss I’ll turn in a report before I go home and I don’t, I’ll think about it until I’m done. We are more likely to go to a party if we answer “yes” to the RSVP. And we’re even more likely to if we sign up to bring the beer. (Oh, there are commitment levels we can use!)
Who got the first down?
Which of these scenarios ends with a commitment from the customer?
Decision Maker: “Yeah sure, feel free to call back next week and speak to my office manager, Joe.”
Decision Maker: “Yeah, go ahead and call next week. I’ll let Joe know you’re calling.”
It’s a small difference, but in the first scenario you own all the action, and in the second, the customer takes on the action element of communicating something to Joe. He may not, but he’ll think of you more than any other provider, and might even introduce you to Joe on his second call.
Let’s try it from the seller’s point of view. Which one ends with the commitment?
Nearest: “Hey, if you ever consider changing carriers due to service issues, give me a call.”
Nearest: “If I send you my contact information, could you save it and call me if your local provider has any trouble meeting your needs?”
Although neither tactic gets the decision maker to identify their primary supplier, in the second scenario, it gets the customer to say “Yes,” and that makes it more likely that they will keep their contact card and remember it when they call the next month.
Lead action items can be as small as taking your next call or as big as researching and calling you. As a sales professional, it’s up to you to determine how big your move will be.
Just make sure you get the first try.