Do a check in to these questions to determine whether you are on the right track--or not!
1. Is this someone you know? If you met him/her at a networking event or at a party, you probably received an invitation to call. Keep trying. This person will talk to you but is probably just as busy as your other decision makers. Keep calling and leave a message so they know that you have something interesting to discuss.

2. Is this a "warm" call? A warm call is defined as a referral, a call-back, or a lead of some sort. If it's warm, you'll need to have a conversation to determine how important the decision is and what the prospect's time frame is. Keep trying. Research shows that you'll need to make an 4.1 contacts to get this person's attention.

3. Is this a "cold" call. Regardless of where you received the prospect's number, keep in mind that you might as well received the cold call information from the Yellow Pages. These people don't know you, nor do they care about you. Calling too often may indicate that you are a stalker! Plan on leaving about one message  a week when it's a cold call. Be persistent, don't give up too soon, but don't become a pest, either.

4. Lastly, what's the personality style of the prospect. Listen to the voice, tone and inflection to determine if the prospect is assertive. If so, leave lots of messages because these people need to hear your voice. And a lot!

©Renee Walkup, SalesPEAK, Inc., All Rights Reserved,
678 587-9911, www.salespeak.com