It's happened to everybody who has a service-based business. You've been interacting with a potential client and all of a sudden they stop returning your calls and answering your emails. It'd be one thing if they'd never expressed a strong interest, but it's really disconcerting when they seemed genuinely interested in what you had to offer.
You're left with a mystery ... and nothing but questions. The mind spins. "Are they just not interested and don't want to tell me? Is something going on in their lives that has them out of contact? Did I do or say something to turn them off?" In the absence of solid information, we tend to fill in the blanks by making up stories. It's not a good place to be. Anything, even a polite brush off, would be better than not knowing.
So, what do you do?
Well, for starters, don't assume it's about you.
There are a lot of reasons prospects disappear:
- They're swamped and can't get back to you.
- A family emergency or personal health problem has arisen.
- Their priorities have shifted.
- They have a temporary money issue.
- They might not feel any sense of urgency. What you have to offer appears to be "evergreen" ... always available. So, what's the rush?
- They may be checking references or exploring other options.
The list goes on and on. There are plenty of reasons why you may not be hearing from them and only a couple have to do directly with you.
Okay, fine. Don't make assumptions, but what do you actually DO?
Well, the answer is deceptively simple.
Keep trying. It may take multiple tries before you make meaningful contact. Research statistics show that people in sales or those marketing their businesses can expect to have to make at least 7 attempts before they succeed at closing the sale.
But, here's the nugget. Most people stop at 5 attempts!!! Why? Because it's a tedious process. And they don't want to bother people. They don't want to be seen as pushy or annoying. Can you relate? I sure can. But what if making 2-3 more attempts would make all the difference in how many people you were able to get through to and serve?
Here's another simple but effective idea. If you're primarily a phone person, mix in some emails in case they never check their phone messages ... and vice versa.
And what do you do when you've tried plenty of times to make contact and still nothing? Understanding that you're likely to feel increasingly uncomfortable the more messages you leave, you might want to try something unusual, something different to move the conversation forward. Maybe use a little humor or send an unconventional message.
For example:
Hi Jessica,
I had the impression you were pretty interested in the services I offer, but I haven't heard from you, so I'm starting to think maybe I was wrong. Can you please give me a call me either way?
You'd be surprised at how a little boldness, irreverence, or humor can prompt a response you wouldn't have gotten otherwise. And, after all, at that point, what do you have to lose?
Finally, realize that you can't win 'em all. Give it your best effort and then let go of your attachment to the result. You'll attract the people you're meant to attract. Maybe there's a reason you're not meant to make that particular connection right now. It doesn't mean you have to give up. You might just reduce your contact frequency to quarterly and see what happens.
The bottom line: Don't assume it's about you. Keep it up. Mix it up. And have faith that everything will work out the way it's supposed to.
Warmest regards,
Barbara
