Have you or your teammates wondered why things slow down after sending the first email? That is because prospects are usually most interested when they speak with you for the first time. The lack of knowledge and details about the project fuels this initial interest. Once you speak to them and share an email, they gain more information. Most of the time when you follow up with such a prospect, you are trying to get to the next step in the sales process and remind them of their interest in the project.
Funnily enough, one of the hardest parts is getting a commitment to meet after the email has been sent. It’s hard because prospects do not mind saying I have not read the email or I have not received the email, when all they need to be saying is, “I do not want this – I am not interested”. To top it all, the prospects do not like follow up calls, because it forces them to be accountable to the sales process. By using a differentiated approach, you will stand out from the stereotypical sale executive image and start building accountability to fairness in the sales process.
Call Script to Help You Follow Up After The First Email
Ring..Ring..
Prospect: “Hello.”
You: Pause. “Is that (Prospect Name)?”
Prospect: “Yes it is. Who am I speaking with?”
You: “I will be brief. I am not sure if you remember -we spoke on Jan 10th. My name is (Your Name). I understand you wanted to know about our Project in (Location). You might have forgotten about it!”
Theory: Say I am not sure, even if you are. Here you are acting the exact opposite of a typical sales person. If your approach is opposite to that of an over-enthusiastic sales executive, your prospect will also, as an effect, not act like a typical prospect. By the way, your sales CRM should tell you if the email was sent and read. In this part of the call, if you know it was read, there’s no need to tell the client. If you know it was unread then don’t say anything about either, just wait for the prospect to bring up whether or not they have received, or read the email. The goal is to not sound too eager or enthusiastic.
You are here to help the client choose a piece of real estate, reading/receiving emails are not the most important things in the deal to talk about. At this stage, all you need is for the prospect to say, in their own words, that they remember you.
Prospect: “I remember, but have not received or read the email.”
In which case, confirm the email ID and if it is correct, then ask –
You: “Would you suggest that we do this alternatively? It seems like my emails are not reaching your inbox.”
Theory: Wait for a response from the prospect. If you do not suggest or accept resending the email with a brochure, you would save yourself from going one step back in the sales process. The ideal option is for the prospect to google and get to the landing page while you are both still on the line. If the prospect does not come up with that step, try getting the prospect to think about it.
You: ‘Would you like to review the project information on our landing page? It is easy to find. Do you have a computer in front of you? I can show you how to visit the page.”
OR,
If it sounds like the prospect is outdoors/at home– “How about I send you the link via a text message? It has all the information about the project.”
Once the prospect reaches the online landing page./your website or says, “Okay, send me the text”, Retreat and reschedule. Do not ask for an appointment or discuss any details now.
Just tell the prospect,
You: “I will let you explore the information on your own for now, and connect with you in a day or so to see if you want to know more about the project. Does that sound okay?”
If prospect remembers, then:
Prospect: “Yes, I got the Email.”
You: It’s probably not the case here, but sometimes when I do not hear back after sending the brochure, one of two things have happened. Either my prospective client is terribly busy, or they find that the project does not meet their immediate needs. Just wanted to take a minute to learn from you which of the two cases has it been for you? Are you busy or does the project not fulfill your current requirements?
Theory: If you are doubtful about how effective this approach will be, then the best way to test it is by trying it. We’ve used a softening statement, “Probably not the case here“, and if you speak this line with the right tonality, you can set a platform to put forth your fears or concerns in the deal. If you discuss freely and encourage your prospects to be fair and transparent, you will have fewer roadblocks to sale.
Know the biggest roadblock to any sales? The sales executive not knowing what his/her prospect needs/wants. Again, we use the third person when we say, “You are good, but some people I work with do not call me back because they get too busy or just did not like what was in the brochure.” Finally, we end this with a close-ended question, “Too busy or Too Bad” – you can use different words here if you think the gods will be angry at you for questioning your prospects.
When the prospect hears the question, ‘too bad or too busy’, they are subconsciously preparing an answer in the negative. If they say too bad, ask for more details. Use a simple line, “Can you tell me more about why you feel this may not fit your needs?” and if the prospect says,
Prospect: “I was too busy to revert/ talk…”
You: “That’s not unusual. Not sure if you would be open to visiting the project site? Is it too soon in the process for you do that?”
Proceed to schedule the site visit, but If the prospect asks for more details try to answer as briefly as you can. You may also offer to send these longer responses on emails and say you would check back later to see if the prospect is willing to explore in the future. Showing that you are willing to give space and control to your client, is essential to create a fair bi-lateral exchange of information. Now go ahead and modify this script to your needs and practice.
