You’re having issues closing many of the deals in your pipeline, and your usual “I’m writing to follow up on…” email has failed to elicit the enthusiastic response you hoped for. This discouraging state of limbo is taking its toll on team morale. What can be done to save the deals you spent so much time and effort cultivating?
In a saturated market, your advantage lies in taking an ingenious approach to checking-in. Here are 5 unconventional ways to save a deal gone cold.
- Invite the prospect to be featured in your marketing content
Does the prospect you are trying to reach have any specialized knowledge in your sector? Make the prospect feel valued by asking them whether they would like to be featured on your latest company article, video, or event. It’s a mutually beneficial scenario. The prospect gets to showcase their industry experience on a public platform, and thus build their personal brand up. Your team benefits from having an expert in the field linked to your organization. This collaborative setup can pave the way for the continuation of your deal, or at least warm up the relationship further for future opportunities. Consult with marketing specialists at your organization to see whether this possibility would be strategic given the prospect.
- Break the rules
When a prospect feels you went out your way on their behalf, they are more likely to seriously consider your proposal. That’s why it might be advantageous to break the rules every once in a while, to secure the business of a particularly important potential client. Propose a unique offer tailored exactly to the prospect’s needs that makes it easy for them to say yes. Management will need to approve this one, so discuss potential offers and associated perks with your superior prior to reaching out to the prospect. This strategy should not be overused, but it can be helpful to rein in larger, more substantive deals.
- Adapt your materials to their preferred format
Mimicry has its benefits. One simple way to make your prospect’s life easier and simultaneously make your messaging more palatable is to adapt your marketing content to their company’s preferred formatting. Try to retrieve an official document from your target prospect’s company. Then adjust your materials to resemble their style, structure, template, and tone. Go ahead and present your content using their own framing devices if applicable. Your prospect will appreciate your curation because it takes care of an additional layer of work they would otherwise have to perform. If you can eliminate at least one potential barrier to internal distribution, you can help increase the probability that prospects will share the materials with their team and that the deal will be reignited.
- Send a package to show you’re thinking of them
Obviously, generic items are out for this one. If you’re taking the time to send your prospect an item, make sure it’s personalized. Brainstorm ideas based off prior conversations. Did the prospect mention a favorite sports team or music group? Find and send a trinket that would make their day and show you really were paying attention during those calls. If your sales reps are having trouble tuning in, use a conversation intelligence software to offer extra support. Attention, for example, can help train your sales reps to ask better questions and allows them to track customer engagement during conversations.
Sales leaders should work with sales reps to determine the amount that would be appropriate to allocate for such presents. As the world becomes more digital, emphasizing your appreciation for the real humans behind business transactions will help you stand out from competitors. Conversations surrounding the package received might be the spark you need to save that deal.
- Find a solution to their problem
Sometimes being a good Samaritan pays off. If you have any insights pertinent to an issue your prospect is experiencing, even if that issue is not directly related to what you’re trying to sell, send the prospect an email with some genuinely helpful advice. At the very least, you’ll leave a good impression and inspire confidence in your abilities, thus contributing positively to your organization’s overall reputation. And of course, there’s always the possibility that the client will interpret your message highly favorably and commit to a more in-depth, long-term partnership with your company. It’s not that far-fetched of an outcome. Even in a highly competitive market, it’s rare to find individuals willing to go out of their way to support each other’s goals. Sales reps that can convey authenticity and add value to their buyer’s daily lives will be sure to impress.
Break new ground
Of course, not all of these approaches will be welcomed by prospects. And once a strategy becomes widely adopted, its value will depreciate as the novelty wears off. So, keep innovating, and remember the common denominator for the suggestions listed above is a willingness to go above and beyond the norm and make prospects feel appreciated.
It’s also important to note that the way a suggestion is carried out matters as much as the idea itself. Sales leaders should take care that sales reps who opt to employ these strategies are well-prepared to execute them in a professional and competent manner. Additional sales training can help prep sales reps to take on the challenge. To better support sales reps on their learning journey, try Attention. Attention is a sales training software that uses AI technology to provide tailored feedback during live interactions. It analyzes your sales calls so you can track and measure performance. This tool can revolutionize your sales training approach by turning your junior reps into top sellers under a month. In conclusion, be proactive about following up on inconclusive deals. Giving up is the only way to know for sure how a deal will end.
