When following up with a prospect after delivering a presentation, does this kind of email sound familiar?

“Thanks for contacting me, but I’ve checked with the powers that be, and we’re just not going to do anything until (Fall, 2020, OR next year, 2021, OR maybe even 2022).”

Disappointing, isn’t it?

There is one burning question that should be at the top of your mind:

What is behind this stall?

Remember a truth in sales: Behind every stall or objection, there often lies the real objection. Stalls like the email above are often called, “smokescreens,” because they hide that real objection.

The first thing you need to do is get behind that smokescreen and find out if your prospect is even sold first.

In other words, you should be thinking to yourself, “Well, when that times comes, were you impressed enough with what I presented to you that you’d either recommend this to “the powers that be,” or would you be inclined to move forward with it yourself?”

Now remember: I said: This is what you should be thinking.

Your next step after you get an email like this is to either:

A) Get them on the phone and ask them, or

B) Structure an email response which gets them to reveal this.

Why? Because if they aren’t sold, and this is just a smokescreen, then you’ll get nowhere using any other approach.

Here’s your script for this:

By Phone: (Note: Call the prospect 5 to 7 times without leaving a voice mail. Your goal is to catch them live on picking up the phone if possible):

“Hi ________, this is _______ _______ with ________, how are you doing?”

[Listen to their response here. Are they receptive to you?]

“I got your email and no worries! The timing has to be right, of course….

“Quick question: Just out of curiosity, when things do get back to normal for you, based on everything we went over—you know, on what you know about what we offer—did we sound like the solution you think would work for you?”

OR

“Did the “powers that be” give you an indication of that they thought about our service?”

Again: You must get buy in first to see if they are even interested in your service/product.

By Email: (If you can’t reach them by phone, then use this):

Hi…

Thank you so much for getting back with me!

No worries on timing—I completely understand.

Quick question: What were your thoughts on the presentation itself and what we offered?

In other words, when things do get back to normal, would you be recommending us to the powers that be?”

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Signed….

Finally: Remember, even in this time of Covid-19 when stalls are coming to us fast and furiously, you must stick to sales fundamentals.

These responses will help you do just that.

Further resources are available in the Mr. Inside Sales blog by clicking here.