Sometimes, despite all our efforts to break the ice and establish credibility in advance of that first call to a prospect, and despite having well-crafted and articulated valid business reasons, the prospect is still reluctant to see us.
What can you do at that ‘moment of truth’ on the phone?
Remember the NERO formula!
N - Name the resistance: “It sounds to me, Bill, that you’re afraid our meeting would be a waste of your valuable time.”
E - Empathize: “And I know how you feel. All my other big clients are pressed for time, too.”
R - Redirect: “But they’ve discovered that we have the resources to design solutions to their problems; hence, boost their profits.”
O - Overcome: “All I’d like you to do right now is to set aside about 45 minutes for us to talk, so I can get a better feel for some of the challenges you’re facing. After that, I can get to work developing some ideas to help you. Which day would be better for you . . . ?”
NERO is no substitute for a well-designed strategy to secure an appointment, but it could help you out of a jam on the phone, and into the prospect’s office.
