There will be times when there is not a clear next step with a prospect. They may have time left on the contract with their current vendor, and there is not an immediate need to discuss your product or service. To establish a relationship, you will need to find reasons to keep in touch.
Try not to contact a prospect to say hi or to check on the status of an RFP. You don’t need to move the sales cycle along every time you make contact. The most significant accomplishment you can make is to build trust. Building trust takes time and patience.
Here are eight reasons to contact a dormant prospect.
1. Congratulations on their company winning an award, making an exclusive list, positive earnings results, a personal achievement, etc.
2. Tell them about a new book or article you’ve read that you think they will like.
3. If they’re not getting back to you, or they keep delaying the next step, tell them that your boss is going to contact their boss. Say, my boss has been asking about your company and is excited about the opportunity to do business together. She is going to reach out to your boss to see if there is anything she can do to help move things along. This will often get your contact to move forward, or at least make a decision. If not, then make sure your boss calls their boss.
4. Tell them about new and innovative products or services you’re offering that are relevant to their business. If your company doesn’t have anything new and innovative, it may be time to work somewhere else.
5. Send a commendation letter to their boss. Let the boss know how much you appreciate the professionalism of his staff.
6. “Like” a comment they made on social media. This is subtle, but it will make them feel good.
7. Offer your view on industry trends or market conditions. For example, if the current vendor is passing through “industry-wide” cost increases, your prospect may want your opinion.
8. Offer to provide a benchmark vs. their current program, even if they’re under contract. If you can demonstrate potential savings or service improvements, you may get a shot at the business. Or you may give them leverage to negotiate a better deal with their current supplier. Either way, you build trust.
Bonus tip: Can’t get a response by email and don’t know who else to contact? Send an email during popular vacation days or holiday breaks. You may get an out of office reply with names of who else to contact while your primary contact is away.
“If your company doesn’t have anything new and innovative, it may be time to work somewhere else.”
– Michael Tattersall
Put yourself in the position of the prospect and answer the questions; what is this, and how is it relevant to me? If you were the prospect, would the message be something of interest to you?
