In Too Deep
Sarah Deloury — VP of Client Engagement @ demandDrive
It’s no secret that responses from prospects typically come through email. In the lead generation world, emails are an easy way to either 1) get someone off your back or 2) express interest without taking up too much time. This is why when my office phone rings, I stare at it in bewilderment and anticipation.
A couple of weeks ago, I was prospecting a company that I felt would be a good fit for my client. After reaching out to a couple of contacts, my phone started ringing and the company name came up on my caller ID.
Right when I picked up the phone, the prospect started firing questions at me: “Tell me about the technology… what business benefits would I see… who are your competitors… why would I go from XYZ company to you?” Naturally, I attempted to answer the questions as best I could while saying to myself “They are definitely interested — this is going to be a lead!” As I continued talking with him, I pulled up his LinkedIn profile. I then saw that he had previously worked at a company who would be considered a competitor and his skills included all of the main components of my client’s technology. Then it hit me… this was a test!
Cue my “this is getting way over my head” line:
“So I’m actually more on the marketing side and honestly I am not the most technical person in the world! I want to make sure you have the most accurate information so, what I CAN do is connect you with one of my managers who can give you far more information and answer all of your questions.”
He then followed with a response I had never heard before:
“Well, I’m assuming you looked at my profile online and see who I used to work for. You are doing pretty well! I’ve had a lot of experience in this area so feel free to ask me any difficult questions you may get along the way.”
That completely threw me off. All I could do was laugh a bit and thank him, then casually suggest the meeting again.
In the end, he finally told me that, although he worked for the competitor previously and everything was working well now, I should reach back out to him in June when he would have time to weigh the pros and cons of his current system.
This call taught me a few things:
- Never assume someone who asks a lot of questions or picks up the phone to call you back is going to be a lead.
- Confidently say any facts that you’re sure of to help build trust.
- Know when to admit that you’re in too deep. There is nothing wrong with jotting down the questions and letting the prospect know you will get back to them with the answers.
This blog was originally published on March 15th, 2013.
