Emailing a prospect before making a cold call has become a popular remedy for salespeople who are trying to “soften the blow” of a sales call and, frankly, avoid the pain of hearing “No, thanks.” But an email before a call is not a remedy for making more contacts and sales, says Michael Pedone, CEO of SalesBuzz.com, a provider of online telephone sales training.
Salespeople who resort to sending emails first often end up making the same mistake within the email message that they make when they call and get the prospect on the phone, Pedone says. Fix your opening value statement and make the call first. If you get voicemail, leave the right message, send the right email and then schedule your second attempt within 24 hours.
If your salespeople are trying to “soften the blow” of a sales call, it’s time to review how they view the sales calls and urge them to reject the notion that their prospects won’t be grateful that they called.
“Make sure your reps understand the true benefits that your targeted audience will receive if they use your product or service before they get them on the phone,” Pedone says. “If they do that, they will be able to ask the right sales questions and start helping prospects be successful.”
