The Fine Art of Annoying Prospects
Your Pitch is Bogus!
GUEST POST by STEVE KLOYDA
I received a call recently from an advisor on the east coast. He introduced himself and said he was following up on a call we had three months prior. He said because I didn’t take action after our first call that I had missed a great opportunity. But fortunately for me here he was again to offer the next great investment bonanza. I stopped him and said, “you must have me confused with someone else. We have never had a ‘previous’ conversation.” He responded with; “you probably receive a lot of calls like this and you don’t remember.” This statement may seem reasonable to a lot of producers but let’s take a closer look. I know that I had never spoken to this person so his ‘call three months ago’ is fictitious and I told him so. By using the old line about me getting a lot of calls like this and not remembering, he in so many words called me a liar. This is one of the many ways that we producers start wars with our prospects and why so many of our prospecting calls die on the vine.
As you might have guessed, my caller didn’t miss a beat. He launched into his sales pitch. When he stopped momentarily to catch his breath I said “with all due respect I don’t appreciate your approach and we have never spoken before.” I had become invisible by then and he let errrrrr rip again. I started to get hot. I jumped at a quick opening in his pitch and interrupted him again. I told him who I was and what I do. Then I heard someone in the background feeding this poor producer one liners to try and get my attention. I really thought that these tactics went out with the movie Boiler Room. I was floored. He kept hammering away, I kept interrupting, and finally told him I was going to hang up if he continued. I directed him to my website, (www.TheProspectingExpert.com), suggested he read some of my blogs and if he didn’t stop he would be the subject of my next blog. He kept rolling and I kept my word. I hung up befuddled by his total lack of respect. Not once in a two or three minute call did he ask me a question or listen to a word I said. Our debilitating legacy continues.
Let’s explore what he could have done different. First, this advisor did not need to make up a story to engage me in a conversation. Your prospects aren’t stupid. He could have introduced himself and stated the purpose of his call. The opening of a call with a new prospect does not need to get any more complicated than this. Simplicity and honesty will keep you off the battleground. Second, he could have asked me if I had a minute to talk rather than barging in. You will avoid defensive prospects by asking for permission to talk. Third, after telling him three times that I was not interested and was going to hang up if he didn’t politely end the call, he should have thanked me for my time and stopped. And last but not least, he should never have taken advice, in the form of one-liners, from his shadow mentor. I am still trying to comprehend that managers really think this approach works. It is a sad story that producers are starting out this way, learning from a system of training and mentorship that is poisoning our profession.
By preparing well, listening well, not making stuff up, keeping it simple and keeping to the purpose of the call, you will influence your prospects and win new clients. Respect and honesty are contagious.
Today’s Action Ideas – Prospecting With Integrity
- Prepare for each call in advance
- Keep it simple and keep to the purpose of your call
- Always be honest and treat everyone with respect
For more information on how to identify and clearly articulate your unique message which will attract more prospects, more clients and more sales, visit www.TheProspectingExpert.com or email me at steve@TheProspectingExpert.com and Twitter http://twitter.com/stevekloyda.
“If you’d like to talk about your Insurance Risk, contact me today. We can talk about your exposure, and begin our relationship!”
Thank you,
Ryan H.
Please subscribe below for the RyanHanley.com Weekly Post Roundup!
Related posts:
