That was exactly what I thought and then did after reading an email I received from a salesperson trying to sell me something. In fact, just to add perspective… here is what the email said:
Demrie,
Just wanted to reconnect with you. The organization is experiencing very exciting growth and I would like to update you. Would you be open to chatting tomorrow?
When I opened this email I immediately thought about a conversation I recently had with a client about how his salespeople seem to ‘just check-in’ with their prospects. He told me they don’t call them with a valid business reason nor do they offer any real value… or in other words, a compelling reason for the prospect to believe that having a conversation with them would actually help their business. He said his salespeople tend to call prospects and say something like: “Hi, I just wanted to check in with you to see how things are going? Is there anything new going on that I can help you with?”
If you want your prospects to take time out of their schedule to meet with you or talk with you, you must make them believe you can add value to their business.
Which also means that you must be able to quickly demonstrate that you know enough about their business, industry, and/or specific challenges. It also means the valid business reason must be about their business and potential goals.You can’t expect your prospects to care if your “organization is experiencing very exciting growth!” Why on earth would your prospect want to take valuable time out of their day to “chat” with you about how great your company is doing?
That would be like calling a girl you’d really like to date and saying “hey there, I’d really like to tell you about all the awards I’ve just won, I’m doing incredible! Do you want to go to dinner with me tomorrow night so I can tell you all about me and how great I am?” That is laughable, and a complete turn-off!
When you think about it like that… it’s obvious how absurd that approach is. Yet, salespeople regularly use a similar approach when reaching out to prospects. They make the reason(s) to meet or talk all about their company, their products or their services. Decision makers who could really benefit from your services/products want to know HOW to use your company resources to grow their business and solve their problems. They are looking for a valid business reason to give you that first appointment.
A strong valid business reason is:
- A reason for them to move you up on their priority list—based on importance and urgency.
- Not why you want to meet with them, but why you believe they would want to meet with you.
- Built on the company need you have learned from them, your inside coach, or your own research.
- A chance to show some empathy, expertise, or problem solving—or all three!
A strong valid business reason is also the difference between getting that first appointment and getting deleted! If you’re serious about learning how to craft a strong valid business reason, leave a comment and I'll be happy to share specific tactics and ideas to help you and/or your sales organization get that first appointment.
Don’t delete, pass it on.
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