Which Last Ditch Message Works?

Every sales pro has run into prospects who play hard to get... a hold of. They're never in the office. They won't answer emails. They don't return voice messages. What do you do now? Here are three last ditch techniques, all of which I've seen sales pros try to use. One technique works; two of them don't. Can you spot the winner?

Click here to see the techniques.»


Every sales pro has run into prospects who play hard to get... a hold of. They're never in the office. They won't answer emails. They don't return voice messages. What do you do now? Here are three last ditch techniques, all of which I've seen sales pros try to use. One technique works; two of them don't. Can you spot the winner?

• Message #1: "Kidnapped by Aliens?" You send a letter with a stamped reply card, asking if the person you've been trying to contact has been kidnapped by aliens. The card has boxes to check off -- all of them a bit funny -- to explain why that person hasn't called you back, and a place to put a time and date that they'll take the call.
• Message #2: "Is Everything OK?" Next time you get through the voice mail, you say something like this: "This may sound a bit strange, but from the voice on your outgoing message you don't seem like the kind of person who'd just ignore somebody who's working hard to get through to you. Could you at least give me a call and let me know whether I'm wasting my time if I keep calling you?"
• Message #3: "When Are You In?" Keep calling every day, but add an additional call each day, leaving more and more messages, requesting a time when you can call and speak personally. Continute until the prospect notices that you're completely determined, comes to respect your persistence, and finally agrees to speak with you.

Click here to see the correct answer.»
The correct answer is: "Move onto the next lead!"
OK. I know. I didn't put that answer in the poll. But I happen to think it's the right one.

That being said, one (and only one) of these approaches has a ghost of a chance of working and that's not much more than a ghost. First, let's get the duds out of the way.

"When Are You In?" (#3) is a non-starter because you could have the rapport building skills of Tony Robbins on steroids and you'd still come off as terminally annoying.
"Is Everything OK?" (#2) is a teeny bit better, but you're making assumptions about the prospect that will probably irritate him and you're implicitly threatening a "When Are You In" routine if you don't get called back.

"Kidnapped by Aliens" (#1) might work because it's non-obtrusive and shows a sense of humor. And it's a last ditch thing, so if it works 10 percent of the time, you're ahead of the game. (The source of this technique, by the way, is the sales trainer Wendy Weiss, who swears by it.)

But even so, why bother? There are plenty of leads out there. Why waste your time with the invisible man? You're probably setting yourself up for future headaches anyway.

READERS: Anyone else care to weigh in?