Recently, I had someone ask me what my prospecting success rate was for blind outreach.
To which I responded, “what do you mean by blind outreach?”
Answer = calling someone without something scheduled.
I have been thinking about it ever since, the rest of the conversation is actually less important than the apparent feelings behind the question.
That calling someone without an appointment is an interruption – imposition – intrusion.
Immediately I got thinking about Emotional Intelligence for Sales Success (both the concept AND book by Collen Stanley), so I pulled out my well-loved, highlighted, and tabbed copy. As I flipped through, there are so many concepts that apply, even a whole section near the beginning of the book on the neuroscience of prospecting.
I’ll say that there are a couple of concepts that feel like they directly relate to feeling like calling people is rude.
Instant Gratification vs. Delayed Gratification
THEIRS: The immediate reaction from someone receiving a cold call might be one of annoyance or rejection, catering to the human tendency towards instant gratification — the desire to continue what they were doing without interruption.
YOURS: The principle of delayed gratification is crucial for us salespeople to understand and embrace. It’s the idea that the fruits of our labor today, the successful conversation with a prospect, is what will help us achieve our future goals.
Why do I say future goals?
I teach that prospects need three things to make decisions (any decisions):
- Brainpower to think about the change.
- Time to implement it.
- Money to spend in making it happen.
Many times in my blind outreach, when I reach someone one of those is missing!
Outcome Attachment
The natural inclination is to feel a sense of failure or rejection when we can’t move forward in the sales process. Yet, every time we connect successfully with another human being it is a step forward!
Understanding and accepting that, we’re not attached to an immediate business opportunity as the outcome of each call can liberate us. It’s about valuing the process over the immediate result, recognizing that each interaction is a step towards achieving our goals.
Making outbound calls and how salespeople feel about blind outreach resonates with every salesperson who has ever picked up the phone to dial a number, hoping to convert a stranger into a prospect, a prospect into a client.
The next time you dial a number, remember that you’re not just reaching out blindly. You’re engaging in a sophisticated exercise of emotional intelligence, where each response, each refusal, and each success is a step forward.
Making the connection today means they’ll be ready to speak with you when they do have the required brainpower, time, and money to work with you.
Here’s to reaching out,
Lynn