The majority of people in sales don't last very long because they fail to have enough quality conversations with prospective buyers. They make excuses similar to the image above instead of proactively prospecting for new business opportunities like: Decision Makers never take my calls anyway, I feel like a pest, I'm afraid prospects will hang up on me, I'm uncomfortable talking to strangers, I'm tired of hearing 'I'm not interested', I'm not always sure about what to say, or I'm too busy putting out fires and working the pipeline...
But why? Why do your reps make these excuses? Why do your reps fail to make the calls, ask for introductions, go to networking events, do walk ins, generate leads at trade shows and follow up accordingly through social?
Call Reluctance: An emotional state in which your enthusiasm for the prospecting activity is significantly diminished, sometimes to the point of avoiding the activity entirely. The core reasons for call reluctance, or why your people fail at lead generation fall into two broad categories: conceptual and technical influences. Conceptual influences come from between our ears. It's internal, part of the brain's programming, or head trash holding us back. Technical influences revolve around processes and skill sets, or lacking the knowledge and awareness of what to say and when to say it.
Examples of Conceptual Influences can be traced all the way back to the childhood messaging we received as we grew up like: Don't talk to strangers, Only speak when spoken to, or Don't stick your nose in other people's business! These messages can turn into uncomfortable prospecting feelings, such as: Talking to strangers, fear of Rejection and being too nosey or pushy.
Never become emotionally involved in a prospecting call.
When we combine the conceptual head trash and uncomfortable feelings with process and skill uncertainty, such as: Not having a plan of action with defined activities, lacking a well-rehearsed call approach that communicates value, or the inability to keep the conversation focused on the prospect, not the seller - we are left with the costs of call reluctance that take the shape of: Prospecting Avoidance, Poor Results, More Negative Feelings, Excuses, Rationalizations and a downward spiral leading to burnout, or bailout.
Decide what you want, build a plan, and you can bet on the outcome.
- Here are some Key Points to help you, and/or your people get over Call Reluctance:
- Don't expect to convert every suspect to a prospect.
- Prospecting is a scavenger hunt to find qualified prospects, nothing more and nothing less.
- Set a specific goal as a benchmark to measure your effectiveness and success.
- Schedule time to prospect; stick to the schedule.
- Develop your prospecting strategies, messaging and tactics, and practice, practice, practice!
- Don't tell your people what to do without showing them the How to do it!
- Don't take rejection personal by separating your Role Identity from your Self Identity.
All sales professionals have experienced call reluctance at one time or another. It's a natural and inevitable part of selling. And, it is something you can overcome once you understand it. You can go out and make something happen, or you can sit around and wait for it to happen. The choice is yours, but, keep in mind that the majority of the success goes to the active prospectors.
If you have reps that are not proactively prospecting for new business and you want to get to the bottom of it to fix it! Reach out to me here! and of course, connect with me!
Attend a complimentary Executive Master Class for business leaders to discuss the real reasons why salespeople and sales managers fail, and what you can do about it!
