What to Say First when Your Lead Answers the Phone
By Rao Wu
You may have read our popular article “The 30 Second Voice Mail” on what to say, and how to say it, when you call on an Internet lead (i.e. sales prospect) and get their voice mail for the first time.
But what do you say when your Internet lead actually answers the phone? This is your golden opportunity to make a great first impression and, like the first voice mail, it’s something that can be won or lost in a few seconds. We covered this topic and in detail in the article “Mastering the First Conversation with Your Internet Lead.” But we thought it would be helpful to provide another, slightly more subtle approach to that first conversation.
Why Should You Approach a Pre-Qualified Sales Lead as if They’re a Cold Call?
While an Internet lead from a good provider will be pre-qualified and in-market, you still don’t want to approach them with a sense of entitlement or too much familiarity – as this can really backfire on you, and may even give your prospect a slightly paranoid feeling.
For example, you don’t want to call and open the conversation with, “I have some information about you…” Always err on the side of caution. You can’t go wrong with a more formal approach.
What You Want to Establish in the First Few Seconds of the Conversation
Forget the fact that your Internet lead may already be expecting a call from your company. When they first answer the phone, you still want to establish:
- Who you are
- Where you’re calling from
- Why you’re calling (translated to: what kind of value you’re going to bring to the table)
Here’s an example:
“Hello, Paul. This is Rao Wu and I’m calling from ABC Phone Systems. We specialize in hosted voice over IP for small, medium, and large businesses. I would like to introduce you to our low cost solutions by sending you some information. Have you heard of us before?”
Even though you’ve received a lead that may have detailed information on your prospect’s needs, such as the products they’re looking for, the size of their business, etc., you want to leave it to your sales prospect to put 2+2 together. When you call, they may think, “Wow, great timing. I was just looking at ABC product. ” Or, they may automatically assume you work with the site where they submitted their request for more information. In either case, leave it to them to ask, “Oh, do you work with Compare Business Products or XYZ site (where they submitted the lead)?” They might also ask, “How did you get my information?” In which case, you can respond, “We work with so and so to connect with people like you who are looking for more information on our products online.”
The point of this approach is that you want the first conversation between your prospect and yourself to be centered on your solutions and their needs. This is what really matters – not how you found them. You never want to put your lead provider between you and your sales prospect. This can almost sound like – you don’t necessarily want to call them, you’re only doing so because the lead provider told you to. If your prospect then asks for clarification on how you found them, then freely provide it – but don’t let that be the focal point of the conversation.
Getting the first few seconds of the first conversation with your lead off to a great start can go a long way in helping you win the deal.