1960s-1980s
Sales were territorial. You either sold to those houses, industries and warehouses in your designated region or you didn't cover your target. So ringing the bell 100 times in a month was mandatory. You sold on insistence.
Years 1980-2000
Enter the telephone and call centres, either to sell to companies or to end consumers. Listings were scarce and so you had to call dozens of times to try to make yourself heard and put in the sales offer.
2000s - today
Approach processes have changed a lot. The entry of digital, social networks and access to information by buyers have played a major role in the decision-making process.
Time is not wasted trying to convince people to buy, but in the search for customers with high buying potential, in other words, potential customers who need, can and will buy soon.
Access to the market is much broader. From the armchair of your living room you can approach literally any executive of a company here in Brazil or on the planet. Tools like Linkedin and Google, virtually in seconds bring to your screen the prospect you want.
Nowadays, in a few minutes you can generate lists of prospects to approach. The market is huge in Brazil. There are hundreds of companies that need what you sell.
You have numerous points of contact: telephone, email, social networks, networking, events and forums.
There is no point, in this context, for you to "waste" your time with people who don't understand/need what you have to offer.
The word 'neighbour' should be talked about and considered much more.
- Didn't answer the call? Next.
- Phone busy? Next.
- Was the conversation confusing? Next.
- Lead did not respond to the introductory email? Next.
- Did he disappear after receiving the offer? Next!
And so on. The countless hours wasted every day dealing with dead opportunities is an epidemic of inefficiency.
The causes:
- A lot of difficulty detaching so as not to deflate the commercial narrative.
- Belief that you will win by insistence (1960s was like that, nowadays, no.)
- Lack of leads and overvaluation of the ones you have.
- Emotional attachment.
The focus has shifted from insistence on convincing the reluctant to the processes of finding and talking to the propitious.
Insist on keeping processes and volumes in line with your goals. Insist on modifying/adapting/improving your offerings to market. Insist on getting back to your leads as quickly as possible. Insist on creating opportunities.
But give up on those who show no appetite for what you sell. And move on to the next on the list.
Unequivocal signs for you to consider quitting:
- Prospect does not return.
- Prospect is evasive in his answers.
- Prospect delegates issue down and delegates the issue to unprepared people.
- Prospect is left to schedule and/or send information and fails to do so.
Internal statistics at PaP Solutions:
- Number of contact attempts: 4 (four)
- Out of every 100 cold calls, 34 are meaningful (there was minimal interest), of which, 7 became leads (real interest), of which 1.4 became customers.
- Average sales cycle: 55 days (from cold call to contract) - for PaP products
Give up the non-responders and go all out for the pro-active ones in actually evaluating your offer. In a few months your diary will be full of real opportunities and customers.
