INFORMATION OVERLOAD
Most of us are inundated with calls from marketers and sales people throughout the day, even if we’re not the one making the ultimate buying decision. So even though no one likes the sound of the office phone ringing incessantly, often times it’s easier to just let the call go to voicemail.
Returning that call? Well, that will just have to wait.
Unfortunately, my job is to make your phone ring. I’m not a bad person and I’m certainly not calling to complicate your day. I’m hoping to have an opportunity to connect in an effort to help save you money, time, exposure and a variety of other things that can make a positive impact on your company. 
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
In any sales career, the salesperson is always looking for the next opportunity and their success, in most cases, is a matter of timing.
It’s usually all about being in front of the right person at the right time.
It’s fairly simple to identify the decision maker(s), but how can I, the salesperson, know the right time? This is where you come in.
During the course of these daily attempts to reach the decision makers in any company, many of these calls will invariably land in voice mail or with an administrative person who promises to convey a message because you are out, busy, or just plain unavailable.
In most cases I won’t leave a message, because I can’t expect someone to call a name and number that is unfamiliar without knowing the reason for the call. Plus, it’s my job to reach out to you and not the other way around! I’ll call back later.
When I do leave a message, it is generally very brief: who, what, why and my contact info.
Of course, I will make subsequent attempts to reach you via email or social media platforms, in addition to trying you again on the phone.
This all sounds vaguely familiar, doesn’t it?
MAKE IT STOP
So how do you handle this unceasing, intrusive pleading for your response?
The majority will ignore these attempts and hope that the caller just gives up. Unfortunately, a lot of callers, just like me, are very persistent.
In the current Business to Business marketplace, most salespeople will exhaust their call sheet. Every. Single. Day. They do this in large part because it is their job, but also because they know that they may be one call away from finding a potential client who really needs their products and services.
So, the next time your phone rings think about answering and either telling the caller to “go away” or to “call back at a better time”.
Even better, a simple “we aren’t interested” or “we won’t be looking at these services until next year”, will not only provide the caller something to work with and some timeframe to honor, but it will make your phone ring a little less often. Guaranteed!
I promise, as a professional sales person, I will honor your timeframe and your wishes. Granted, a “not interested” response is certainly not The Sweetest Words I Ever Hear, but a very close second.
Now, get on with your day. I’ve got calls to make!
