The bottom line: people simply have less time than ever before and I believe they want to make decisions quicker. We, as association or organizational salespeople, need to come to terms with this trend. How do we shorten the sales cycle without becoming a nuisance to our prospects?
There are many factors coming to fruition now.
- Many marketing or biz dev emails are not being opened. That’s just a fact.
- Voice mail messages are not being returned. And, there is recent data to indicate that voice mails are rarely retrieved. So, when we actually get a small business person on the phone, we need to best present our opportunity to ascertain if there is perceived value in what’s being offered.
- Try to get clear direction during each call because the likelihood of multiple conversations is limited at best.
Your conversation should go something like this:
“Kim, from our discussion – it appears ABC Association is an outstanding fit for your organization as we offer several solutions to alleviate your pain points. I know you are a busy person. Would you like to move forward with completing the application and going through the dues form right now?”
This approach is intended to save the prospect time and money, but not to pressure. Holding their attention is key because we’ve found as soon as they hang up the phone with us, they are on to the next thing.
I see this in my own business. The folks who reach out to me by phone are more likely to get my attention. Email solicitations? I never respond to them. I honestly believe if those salespeople (who initially try to engage via email) are good at their job (and, interested in what we can do together), they will accentuate the email with a phone call.
Hopefully, my experience as a small business person will help you sell more association memberships. Start by crafting a few new sales scripts utilizing this approach.
Related Moery content: Overcoming the #1 Sales Objection,
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