Does this sound like something you’d say, after hearing your prospect express interest in speaking further about your agency’s credentials (recent work, award, new client win, etc.):
“Great! I’ll call you next week.
More than likely, what’s going to happen next week? You’ll call a few times, get their voicemail, and then try for weeks to get them back on the phone. Any momentum you had after the last conversation will be lost.
Instead, follow these 5 steps whenever your prospect wants to talk further:
- Pick a specific day (Wednesday).
- Set a specific time (2:30 pm – know their time zone and plan accordingly).
- Identify the subject, the purpose of the call (to discuss how ABC agency helped XYZ company exceed the new product’s sales plan by 20% in the first 6 months).
- Determine the amount of time your prospect needs to block off on their calendar (10 minutes? 45 minutes?) There’s nothing worse than hearing that they have to go to another meeting, just as you’re getting to the good stuff.
- Put the appointment on both or your calendars by setting it up in Outlook, or some other software, which they need to electronically Accept.
Too often even experienced new business pros forget steps 3 – 5. It may seem presumptuous at the time, but do it anyway. Think about it this way: you’re showing how your agency works: are you casual about appointments and deadlines; or, are you always prepared and professional in your approach?
With these five steps established beforehand, your prospect will be ready for your call at the correct time and be prepared to hear what you have to say. And, with a little luck, they’ll even listen and ask you follow up questions, which will reveal challenges and opportunities for your agency.
