How many voicemails or emails to you have hanging out there right now, just waiting to be returned by your customer? Five? Twenty? One hundred? If you’re doing your job, then your number is probably pretty high. Although sales professionals have all kinds of prospects not returning their calls, many can be understood – cold calls, warm leads, and referrals. After all, they may not have asked you to call and its acceptable behavior not to return an unsolicited message (although it doesn’t seem too hard to simply type an email saying “not interested”, but that’s a different post). However, when you work with someone over several meetings and invest multiple hours developing a proposal only to get the silent treatment, then it’s frustrating. You’re trying to update your boss on the opportunity that was supposed to close three weeks ago, and nothing … nada … zilch.
Well, I developed an idea that helps solve this problem by accident about 15 years ago. I had a client in Jupiter, Florida that was impossible to reach. Mike was the CIO of a hospital, and was legitimately running all day, every day. He never returned calls or emails, and I needed him. Coincidentally, I bumped into Mike one morning at an Einstein’s Bagels in Jupiter. I was there visiting his facility but meeting with a different department. (He knew of my visit because I left him at least two voicemails and emails.) Mike saw me first and approached me to say hi. Mike was always friendly and approachable, just not accessible. We caught up for about a half hour over coffee and breakfast bagels. When we were leaving, I asked him: “So, is this where I can find you in the future when you don’t return my calls?” He laughed and enthusiastically answered: “Yes, I’m here every morning at 6:45. Don’t call me – I hate the phone. Just show up here and we’ll catch up.”
And we did. We caught up and discussed millions of dollars of work during unscheduled meetings at a bagel shop. He doesn’t know this, but a couple times I left Orlando at 4:00 am just to meet him, and was back home by 10:00 am.
Since that serendipitous morning in late 2003, I always end my meetings with one question that has helped me stay out of voicemail jail and the email black hole. This one question has impressed brilliant executives, helped me see more people and talk through proposals, increased my closing ratio, and decreased my sale cycle. What’s the question? …
“When you’re slammed, what’s the best way to connect with you?”
I’ll even follow my questions with suggestions like: “Most people hate the phone and email. Many of my clients ask me to text them to make sure they’re available, or call at 7:00 am, or maybe they have an assistant that coordinates all meetings. I even had a guy tell me one time to meet him at an Einstein’s Bagels at 6:45 am any day of the week. How about you? What’s most convenient for you?”
This method does a few things
- Let’s you know the best method and/or time to contact them.
- Emotionally commits them to taking or returning your call if you follow their instructions.
- Differentiates you as a very sharp professional.
Try it. It works. Also, if you have an account that can buy seven figures from you, drive two-and-a-half hours to have coffee with him. It’s worth it.
