MoneyWatch

Turn "Send me some info" into a Sale

By Geoffrey James

Updated on: September 4, 2008 / 11:35 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

"Send me some information" is a common response that pops up early in the sale cycle. It sounds like the prospect is just trying to get rid of you, but that's not really true. If the prospect didn't have at least SOME interest in your offering, you'd just get a "not interested" (if that) and a dial tone.

What "send me some information" really means is that the prospect has some interest in your offering but doesn't want to think about it right then. Unfortunately, if you simply send the information without developing the opportunity, whatever you send will probably get thrown away. If you call later and ask about the information you sent, you'll be starting from scratch.

Your challenge is to refocus the prospect's attention on whatever problem or opportunity that your offering addresses in order to move the sales process forward. You must raise the priority of your offering so that learning more about it becomes temporarily more important than whatever is currently occupying the prospect's attention.

This is possible because the prospect has just asked you to do something. When you agree, the prospect now "owes" you something in return. This is a social obligation that most human beings can ignore only with great difficulty. But rather than simply accepting the "Thank You" that social convention dictates, you need to leverage that obligation into a substantive conversation. Here's exactly how to do this:

Customer: "I'm a little busy right now. Send me some information."
Sales Rep: "I would love to...

...Of what I just said, what caught your attention?"
...Let's say you like the information; where do we go from there?"
...What information would you like me to send you?"

Any of those questions will start a conversation that will turn the customer's attention to your offering and provide you with more information about the customer's needs. Keep the conversation going for at while. Add some value, even if it's only your ability to listen and understand. Now ask for the appointment or follow-up call, like so:

Sales Rep: "I can have that information to you by _____...

...When would be a good time for us to talk further about this?"
...I'm available next week to discuss this further. What time works for you?"
...What's your availability over the next few week or so?"

What you've done is nurture the seed of interest contained the information request. This is much more effective than simply sending the information and hoping against hope that, this time, the prospect will actually read it.

The above is based on some material that uber-guru Barry Rhein sent me. You gotta check out this guy; he's got some great stuff.