As a B2B sales trainer, one of the most common questions I get from salespeople is “why is it so difficult to sell over email?”. The answer is simple: it’s not difficult. It’s just not meant to be relied upon as your main sales method. Doing so is setting yourself up for failure.
The truth is: if you want to make more sales, obtaining a face-to-face meeting is still the tried and true technique that (usually) works. Unfortunately, some salespeople -- especially those who are new to the game -- simply don’t know how to get a prospect to dedicate real time. Instead, they rely on inbound automations and impersonal emails to do all of the leg work. If this sounds like you, don’t be discouraged. With some guidance, you can effectively obtain meetings with prospects and give yourself a real shot at closing a deal.
Exchanging Value for Time & Having Conviction
If your dream prospect refuses to take a meeting, the reason could be that they don’t see the value they’d receive in exchange for their time. With this in mind, you should clearly iterate to the prospect what they stand to gain by agreeing to a meeting. To do this, you’ll need to show conviction in your efforts to obtain an opportunity to pitch your product or service.
Remind the prospect they won’t be wasting a second of their time by meeting with you, as this is one of the main objections a potential client will have during your initial conversation. More importantly, though, believe in yourself 100%. After all, if you doubt your abilities, you can bet your bottom dollar the prospect will be able to tell.
Dominating the Sales Process
It happens often in B2B sales: a prospect is reluctant to make a change -- no matter how advantageous it may be to do so -- and is adverse to a meeting as a result. To thwart this line of thinking, and dominate the sales process from the get go, you’ll need to sell the meeting like your life depends on it.
Talk to your prospects about the next steps they can take (I.E. learning more about your products or services) to achieve the results they’ve been dreaming of. Shine a light on their specific pain points and emphasize how you plan on making them a thing of the past. Make your opinion known when it comes to why your prospect needs to change what they’re currently doing to be more successful.
These are the basic fundamentals of dominating the process and becoming an expert at obtaining face-to-face meetings on a consistent basis. Without them, you’re failing to provide motivation for your prospect to award you with their time.
The Takeaway
At the end of the day, techniques such as lead magnets and email automations should be considered complementary tools, depending on what it is you’re selling. If your goal is to get a real opportunity to sell, you’ll have to get yourself in front of a prospect.
If you need more guidance when it comes to obtaining meetings with prospects, or want to gain more B2B sales insight, feel free to check out my podcast: The Brutal Truth About Sales & Selling!