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What to Do When They Say "Not Right Now"
By Bernadette Doyle

If you're getting feedback along the lines of "not interested", "not right now", "call back in a month", then what the prospect is telling you is "this isn't a priority right now".

But my point is this. If what you're offering ISN'T a priority to your prospects, then it means that something else IS. There are other issues that are keeping them awake at night. There are other problems that they are preoccupied with. And if you can uncover what those points of pain are, and link your solution to addressing those points of pain, there is a very good chance that they will soon be a paying client.

Now you might say that those other problems have nothing to do with my product or service. But the fact is, if you want to form a relationship with this individual or group of individuals, "what IS keeping them up at night" has EVERYTHING to do with you.

So how does this work in practice? Let's say you're a sales trainer, and you want to develop a relationship with sales directors who outsource their training. You've tried cold calling and direct mail to introduce your service, but you feel like you're meeting a blank wall. When you're approaching sales directors as "just another training provider" no one's interested.

So step back and ask yourself, well what are they pre-occupied with? Maybe they're frustrated with the fact that 80% of business comes from 20% of the sales force? Maybe they've already invested in training, and felt like they didn't get a significant return on their investment? Maybe they are so bogged down with fire-fighting, that they can't even lift their heads to THINK about training?

You need to spend some time exploring and uncovering these points of pain. How? Listen, first and foremost. I started the Client Magnets newsletter because I kept hearing trainers, coaches and therapists tell me: "I don't have enough clients, and I'm not confident in my ability to get new clients." The other thing you can do is just "put yourself in their shoes", start to see the world through their eyes and get an understanding of what their hopes and fears are.

So back to our sales trainer example, as you uncover the points of pain for your target prospects, you will start to see common themes emerge. There is a good chance that you know how to solve these problems. Maybe you could put together a simple report that provides some solutions for these issues. Or you could organise a half-day seminar or a teleconference call where you provide the answers personally.

Take off your blinkers and start thinking creatively about what you can do to link your solution to a current pressing problem that your target market is experiencing. Small businesses and solo operators have a tremendous advantage here, because they are nimble and have the ability to quickly repackage and reposition their offering.
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(c) Bernadette Doyle, 2008. Reprints welcome so long as by-line and article are published intact and all links made live. Bernadette Doyle publishes her weekly Client Magnets newsletter for trainers, speakers, coaches, consultants, complementary therapists and solo professionals. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, then sign up for her free weekly e-zine at www.clientmagnets.com



 

  

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