4 ms·

> Is this a joke, or is it based on real-life experience? I think it's a joke, but there is actually real advice along the same lines. When cold emailing someo

> Is this a joke, or is it based on real-life experience? I think it's a joke, but there is actually real advice along the same lines. When cold emailing someone with the goal of getting a phone call, you want to avoid giving the person enough information to say no.

mindcrime 9y ago
When cold emailing someone with the goal of getting a phone call, you want to avoid giving the person enough information to say no. Why? What's the point in wasting time having a call with somebody when the answer is going to be "no" either way? Better to get to "no" as fast as you can, so you can move on to a better prospect.
- Alex3917 9y ago
  > when the answer is going to be "no" either way No one is ever going to say 'yes' to a $10M sale from a cold email. They'll only say yes after they've met you in person, but they're not going to agree to meet you in person until you've done a phone call.
  - mindcrime 9y ago
    Sure, but that doesn't argue against "giving them enough information to say no". If the customer doesn't need what you're selling, knows they don't need what you're selling, and are never going to buy what you're selling, then you're wasting your time with the phone call and in-person meeting. That time would be better spent working on a prospect who saw your information and didn't disqualify themselves right from the jump.
    - Alex3917 9y ago
      > That time would be better spent working on a prospect who saw your information and didn't disqualify themselves right from the jump. The problem is that everyone will say they don't need what you're selling, even if they do. You want to disqualify folks as fast as possible, but email doesn't work for that because even if you're selling the cure to cancer to someone with cancer, you're still going to have basically a 100% false negative rate.
    - s73ver_ 9y ago
      Just because someone doesn't need it doesn't mean they can't be convinced to buy it.
      - mindcrime 9y ago
        True, but just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.
        s73ver_ 9y ago
        Remember, we're talking about sales, here. If they can make a cent, they'll do it.
SomeStupidPoint 9y ago
Why would you want to do that? I won't pretend I'm great at sales, but this is directly contrary to the advice I get, which is you want to filter out people who are a sure "no" or not a match (eg, on budget) as fast as possible so you don't waste sales resources on them while minimizing the chance of leaving a bad impression from trying pressure tactics on someone who wont buy. What am I missing? (I guess it could be intending to be unethical, but I prefer to assume I don't understand.)
- mindcrime 9y ago
  minimizing the chance of leaving a bad impression from trying pressure tactics on someone who wont buy. This, so very much this. I love what Jeff Thull says about this... "always be leaving" (as opposed to "always be closing"). Make it clear to the prospect that you are not going to be the stereotypical sales-person who grabs onto them like a little pit-bull grabbing onto your leg, and who won't let go until they've been beaten over the head with a stick. Show them that you respect them, and leave as soon as it's clear that there isn't a good fit. Leave a good impression and later, when they do need your "thing" they're more likely to call you up (or take your call when you call again in a year).
  - SomeStupidPoint 9y ago
    Also, it turns out people in $industry who don't need $thing might know people who do. If you leave a good impression, there's every chance they'll recommend you to someone who does need $thing, doing much of your selling for you -- you just have to leave them thinking "well, $thing wasn't right for me, but I'd do business with $person and $company".

mindcrime 9y ago

When cold emailing someone with the goal of getting a phone call, you want to avoid giving the person enough information to say no. Why? What's the point in wasting time having a call with somebody when the answer is going to be "no" either way? Better to get to "no" as fast as you can, so you can move on to a better prospect.

Alex3917 9y ago
> when the answer is going to be "no" either way No one is ever going to say 'yes' to a $10M sale from a cold email. They'll only say yes after they've met you in person, but they're not going to agree to meet you in person until you've done a phone call.
- mindcrime 9y ago
  Sure, but that doesn't argue against "giving them enough information to say no". If the customer doesn't need what you're selling, knows they don't need what you're selling, and are never going to buy what you're selling, then you're wasting your time with the phone call and in-person meeting. That time would be better spent working on a prospect who saw your information and didn't disqualify themselves right from the jump.
  - Alex3917 9y ago
    > That time would be better spent working on a prospect who saw your information and didn't disqualify themselves right from the jump. The problem is that everyone will say they don't need what you're selling, even if they do. You want to disqualify folks as fast as possible, but email doesn't work for that because even if you're selling the cure to cancer to someone with cancer, you're still going to have basically a 100% false negative rate.
  - s73ver_ 9y ago
    Just because someone doesn't need it doesn't mean they can't be convinced to buy it.
    - mindcrime 9y ago
      True, but just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.
      - s73ver_ 9y ago
        Remember, we're talking about sales, here. If they can make a cent, they'll do it.

SomeStupidPoint 9y ago

Why would you want to do that? I won't pretend I'm great at sales, but this is directly contrary to the advice I get, which is you want to filter out people who are a sure "no" or not a match (eg, on budget) as fast as possible so you don't waste sales resources on them while minimizing the chance of leaving a bad impression from trying pressure tactics on someone who wont buy. What am I missing? (I guess it could be intending to be unethical, but I prefer to assume I don't understand.)

mindcrime 9y ago
minimizing the chance of leaving a bad impression from trying pressure tactics on someone who wont buy. This, so very much this. I love what Jeff Thull says about this... "always be leaving" (as opposed to "always be closing"). Make it clear to the prospect that you are not going to be the stereotypical sales-person who grabs onto them like a little pit-bull grabbing onto your leg, and who won't let go until they've been beaten over the head with a stick. Show them that you respect them, and leave as soon as it's clear that there isn't a good fit. Leave a good impression and later, when they do need your "thing" they're more likely to call you up (or take your call when you call again in a year).
- SomeStupidPoint 9y ago
  Also, it turns out people in $industry who don't need $thing might know people who do. If you leave a good impression, there's every chance they'll recommend you to someone who does need $thing, doing much of your selling for you -- you just have to leave them thinking "well, $thing wasn't right for me, but I'd do business with $person and $company".