What can you do when your previously hot-to-trot prospects disappear into "The Black Hole?" When you don't know what's behind their
silence, figuring out how to respond can be a dilemma - especially
since you don't want to be a pest. Jill Konrath
Here are some strategies you can use in dealing with "The Black Hole:"
- Just keep trying. Realize that prospects expect you to carry the "keep in touch" burden - so do it. It can often take 8-10 contacts before you actually reach them again. Don't panic. This is normal in today's business environment.
- Make each connection valuable. Don't just say, "Hi Eric.
Just getting back to you as I promised about your xxx decision. If you
have any questions, give me a call.
Instead, you might say, "Eric, Based on our conversation last week, I know how important it is to you to shorten your sales cycle. There's a white paper on our website that addresses this issue. I'll be sending you a link via email shortly."
- Have a sense of humor. After 4-5 contacts, leave a funny message such as, "Eric. I know you're swamped. But I also know that shortening your sales cycle is important to you. That's why I keep bugging you. I'm looking forward to FINALLY reconnecting."
- Leverage a variety of mediums. Mix up phone calls with emails, mailings, invitations to upcoming events, sending articles, etc. To position yourself as a resource, makes sure each connection educates, informs or adds insights.
- Create multiple entry points. Never let one person be your total gateway to a company. Identify and nurture multiple relationships concurrently. When appropriate, reference others you're talking to in your messages/emails.
- Re-evaluate your initial connection. How could you increase their urgency? Determine if you're just column fodder? Or, tie your offering more into their business priorities? In way too many cases, sellers have done a product/service dump when talking to prospects. Instead you need to on critical business outcomes and the difference you can make.
- Plan your next step now. Never leave a meeting without a homework assignment (for you and/customer) and a firm follow-up appointment scheduled. If they're unwilling to do this, it's an indicator that something may not be quite right - which should prompt you to explore their need and urgency in greater depth.
- Let them off the hook. Send an email stating that you thought they were interested, but perhaps you misjudged the situation since you haven't heard back from them in the last 6 weeks. Believe it or not, this strategy often gets a response & an explanation from a prospect who is feeling guilty about not reconnecting.
- Reduce your contact frequency. If, after ten touches, you still haven't heard, start contacting them less often. A quarterly schedule might be more appropriate. Or, you might want to keep on top of what's happening in the account and reconnect at a more appropriate time.
By leveraging one or more of these strategies, you'll often be able
to re-engage a prospect who has disappeared into "The Black Hole." Not
always, but often. And, if you've continually provided value and
focused on the impact your offering makes, they'll likely be ready to
implement your solution yesterday.
Related articles
• Preventing Opportunity Linkage
• Killer Sales Disease Strikes
• Value Creation: The New Sales Paradigm
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