Usherpa Blog - Why your hot leads have turned cold and what to do about it
9/11/2018 -
by Paul Harrington
in PowerTools- Super Hacks
Have you ever had a warm prospect go cold out of the blue? It can be frustrating to feel like you wasted your time on a prospect who inexplicably lost interest. But there’s worse news: It’s probably your fault.
Why Your Prospects Went Cold
In most cases, warm prospects don’t go cold for no reason. The most common causes are mistakes that salespeople make:
- You were talking to the wrong person. If you’re not talking to the decision maker, you’ll have to work twice as hard to get your prospect to approach the decision maker — and then they may still fail to communicate your value to them.
- You were selling at the wrong
pace . To some degree, you need to look to your prospect to set the pace. If you move too fast, prospects can feel pressured and get scared off. And if you move too slow, prospects who are ready to buy will take their money elsewhere. - You didn’t communicate the value. It’s easier to sell someone a car than a speedboat, even if the speedboat is cheaper. That’s because people need cars. If you can’t convince your prospect that they need your product, they’re much less likely to pull the trigger.
- You misread the situation. Is it possible that your prospect was never warm in the first place? Some people simply don’t shut down a salesperson because they don’t want to be rude. It may be that your prospect has always been cold, and you’ve only just noticed.
Is It Reversible?
Sometimes, a prospect that’s gone cold can be re-engaged — but only if handled carefully. Here are some key things to remember when getting in touch with a prospect that looks like they’re ready to cut ties:
- Be honest. People can be so guarded with salespeople, but if you offer up a little honesty, they may be surprised into doing the same. Acknowledging that they seem to have lost interest and asking if there’s anything you can do to correct it may be the trigger they need to tell you about their obstacles. Sometimes, asking for permission to put the sale on hold can push your prospect to explain the hold-up.
- Help them out. Instead of reaching out to touch base on the sale, try reaching out to see if there’s anything you can do to help. Offering your prospect something that will make their job easier, whether that be a resource or a favor, shows that you genuinely want to solve their problems, and makes your outreach look less desperate.
- Know when to let go. When it comes to cold prospects, sometimes you need to take the sage advice of ice queen, Elsa herself, and just “let it go.” Some cold prospects can be thawed, but others are simply not a good fit. Knowing when to let a prospect go is key to making sure you don’t waste more time on people who are never going to close.
Above all, make sure to keep your priorities straight! It’s important to determine which prospects are the most qualified and the most likely to close before you sink time into them.
