According to Sir James Dyson, "Failure Doesn't Suck". In fact, he attempted to create a new hand dryer and it took him 5,126 tries before he got it right. So, how many times are you experiencing "failure" by not reaching your decision makers? Are you calling one time, five times,  ten times or more?

 

1. How important is this customer (is it a hot lead, a warm lead, or a cold call.) If you have a hot lead, call until you reach the person. (Read on for what to say later in this article.) If this is a warm lead, you may need to spread your calls out more, and if it's a cold call, judge accordingly (read on for that, too.)

 

2. What is the personality style of the customer? If she sounds assertive, you'll have to call more, and you can get away with it. (Weekly, for example.) If the customer is more timid and passive, you may want to call less frequently and schedule the calls (for example, once every two weeks, or every month.) 

 

3. How timely is your service or product. For example, if you are selling ski equipment to retailers, calling persistently  in the middle of ski season won't get you very far. However, if you know your ordering season is July through September, you'll want to make sure you are maximizing your opportunities and will have to call more during prime ordering time. If your business isn't seasonal (like ours), than what difference does that make? Just keep on being persistent.

 

4. Consider whether your call is a referral call, too. If the referral gets too old, so does the lead. Contact your referral name as soon as you can so that the lead is still fresh. Many people change jobs at the drop of a hat, so taking advantage of a good referral is critical to your securing new business where the path has been paved for you in advance.

So, here are a few key phrases and ideas that you can use while determining whether you are either persistent or a pest:

 

Call and leave a message that explains why you are calling and to set up a phone appointment. Here's  how this script goes:

 

"Hi, Fred. This is Renee Walkup with SalesPEAK. I need to speak with you about your sales team's initiatives for '07 and want to make a brief phone appointment. Call me at: 678 587-9911.

 

If you have called repeatedly, change up the message. For example:

 

"Hi, Fred, this is Renee Walkup again from SalesPEAK. Say, I know you are swamped, so try me when you have 2 minutes to talk about boosting your team's sales at: 678 587-9911."

 

One more idea: "Hi, Fred, this is Renee Walkup with SalesPEAK. At the risk of sounding like a pest, I'm calling you ONE MORE TIME to share a few ideas. Call me at: 678 587-9911."

 

Try these ideas and keep calling. You'll find that your returned-call ratio will increase and sales will be yours!

 

(c) Renee Walkup, SalesPEAK, 678 587-9911 www.salespeak.com