The Most Annoying Fob Off—“Email me your information…”

“Email me your information. I’ll get back to you.”

Time and again, as sales people, we run into these situations that slow down our sales cycle like hitting a brick wall.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I accept “no” for an answer too easily?

2. Am I failing my prospects by trying to find the easiest path?

3. Will I be the first person my prospects think about when it’s time for a change?

Your answers to these questions can have a huge impact on your sales performance, because perseverance in sales is the key to success.

Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he created the first electric light bulb – “I haven’t failed, I’ve identified 10,000 ways that it doesn’t work.”

With that in mind, the following ideas will help you persevere through those annoying fob offs that everyone receives:

1. Solidify your goals. Write down your goals and then break those down into smaller steps you need to take to achieve them. What would this customer mean to your bottom line? Get specific and review your goals daily to keep them forefront in mind when determining your next steps. When Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, he re-evaluated his goals and the steps to get there. The rest is history.

2. Determine your path. Sometimes we inadvertently pursue the wrong person, and that wastes valuable time and effort. To make sure you’re on the right path, try to make contact with other people in the organisation you’re targeting. If more than one person gives you the same name of the person you need to talk to, you know you’re on the right path. Dr. Seuss was rejected 27 times by publishers before finally selling his first children’s book! Learn from his determination, and focus on your own path.

3. Try something new. If one approach isn’t working, try another. Read and learn as much as you can about your sales targets so that you’ll have a deeper understanding of what motivates them and how to reach them. Always bring value to every connection you make with a target to keep yourself firmly in their minds. Winston Churchill lost his first bid for Parliament. Called “the British Bulldog,” Churchill regrouped after his loss and, with a new approach, he went on to eventually orchestrate the Allies’ victory in WWII.

4. It’s a race, not a sprint. Clever marketers claim that it takes between 7 and 13 “touches” with a prospect before a sale is made. Know that you’re in this for the long haul, and you’ll be in a better position to stay the course. By always growing and reinventing yourself and your sales technique, you’ll stay fresh and alive in your prospects’ minds.  Said British statesman, Benjamin Disraeli, “Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.”

And finally, Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t– you’re right.” Perseverance is a mindset, one that you can cultivate daily and work on continually. So the next time you’re fobbed off by the old email request, consider the above tips for turning the situation around.

Natural Training has many programmes that can help you stay abreast of industry developments and cutting edge sales techniques. Contact one of our experts today for a free consultation about training courses that will exceed your expectations – 0207 043 1582.

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