Dear ToddCohen.com Sales Community,
Forgive me, friends, for I am about to rant a little bit again. I am trying to understand why, when given a personal referral, sales professionals wait to call that warm lead? Please help me understand this one! Anyone? Hello? What am I missing? OK, I admit this is a pet peeve. So call me a “Type A.”
When we are given a lead, this is a warm lead and hence needs to be addressed immediately. There is no other way. Period.
There have been times when I have made personal referrals for people, and I am stunned to find out that calls to follow up have not been made. Color me clueless as to why! As a sales professional, I have made it my business to network and develop relationships to build my business – whether it’s a sales territory or my own consulting business. That’s our job as a sales community. The best sales pros know this and have a high sense of urgency on this topic! If someone is kind enough and thinks enough of me to make a referral, I drop what I am doing and call. Any other response is just not acceptable. By not calling, I am demonstrating a lack of interest and no sense of urgency. As the person making the referral quite frankly it’s embarrassing to hear that the people I have referred have not followed up in some fashion to acknowledge the lead. I don’t care how busy you are. Use your cell phone or PDA and leave a message.
Selling is hard enough and takes so much time to develop our business. Please, don’t make it harder by sending the wrong message to people who think enough of you to extend themselves on your behalf. I have learned that people will refer you once. Please be smart and do the right thing.
Thank the person making the referral, make the call, and get selling!
OK – Rant over!
Good Selling!
-Todd
TRC- Right on…. on too many points my old banker’s abacus can count! I just don’t get it… in this day of hi-tech, 24/7 connectivity that people don’t have the simple decency to acknowledge someone’s inquiry…even if the reply comes at 2 am when only the mice are running around most traditional offices nowadays. My business (like most) are built on relationships- there are just too many other players in my sandbox who want to steal my lunch. Sad, indeed.
I guess I have to add my own rant to this posting. I whole heatedly agree with your rant and take offense when I give up a precious lead to someone. In many cases, the effort to pass along a referral is the ONLY opportunity to consider the lead warm. What’s worse is that these are the easy ones. In a profession where many young sales professionals have not figured out how to ask for a referral, surely you should be able to follow up on a cherished opportunity. Tjis act of passing along a referral should be looked at as a gesture of respect and should be repaid with action. Rant over ….
Now on to another thought, in an effort to build our community, I would like to ask a question. What was the last and what was the best sales book you have read?
“How to Become a Rainmaker” by Jeffrey J. Fox was the last one I read. It is good and practical. It does not hype the sales process, but rather gives logical no nonsense scenarios that are easy to follow and apply.
My favorite is still Zig Zigler’s “Secrets of Closing the Sale”.
I am interested in what others are reading. Its always a good idea to reaffirm your knowledge as well as always look to learn something new (something I always find myself doing when Todd and I have time to share our professional experiences).