• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Weekly Sales Tip
  • |
  • 303-741-6636
kla-logo

KLA Group

IT Sales and Marketing Agency

Menu
  • SERVICES
      • Digital Marketing
      • Custom Website Design
      • SEO Consulting
      • Email Marketing
      • Content Development
      • Marketing Coaching
      • Software Development
      • Our Process
      • Revenue Generating System
      • Digital Marketing Services
      • Sales Training & Coaching Programs
      • Sales Training Programs
      • How to Cold Call
      • Consultative Selling
      • Email Prospecting
      • How to Ask for Referrals
      • Lead Generation Training
      • Sales Coaching
      • Sales Process
      • Sales Hiring Coaching
      • Outsourced Sales Management
      • Sales Assessment
      • Contact Us
  • WHO WE SERVE
    • ConnectWise Evolve
    • IT Managed Service Providers
    • IT Solution Providers
    • Sales Consultants
    • B2B Companies
    • Phone System Providers
  • ABOUT KLA
    • About Kendra Lee
    • Hire Kendra Lee to Speak
    • Meet the Team
  • BLOG
  • RESOURCES
    • Books by Kendra Lee
      • The Sales Magnet
      • Selling Against the Goal
    • Ebooks & Guides
    • Events
    • Weekly Sales Tip
    • Thoughts About Generating Revenue
    • Coffee with Kendra
  • Contact us

Put an End to Sales Prospecting Procrastination – Part 2

Last updated June 14, 2022 Categories: Sales Prospecting

Part two of a series on Things Sellers Avoid

Put an end to Sales Prospecting ProcrastinationIn our last article, we talked about why we avoid certain sales activities even though they’re essential for success.  We then unwrapped prospecting, probably the most common activity sellers avoid.

Today let’s examine why we avoid proposal follow-up and account management, and talk about strategies to avoid these.

Proposal Follow-up – It’s not about you

Why do we avoid following up on proposals when we haven’t heard from the prospect within a reasonable time?  It’s simple.  No one likes rejection.  And all too often we assume it’s personal.  “The prospect must not like me.”  “I must have done something wrong.”  “They like so-and-so better than me.” 

But the reality is that it’s almost never about us; it’s about them.  They get busy.  They’re waiting for funding.  Their priorities shift, or some such thing.

I recently found myself in a situation like this.  My prospect kept canceling appointments and avoiding my calls. It would have been easy to take it personally.  But one day, out of the blue, he called and said he was ready to go. “How quickly can we get started?” he asked.  How thankful I was that I hadn’t given up!

His apparent avoidance had been nothing more than waiting for a discussion with his partner.

Proposal Follow-up – No news is not good news

The other reason you might avoid proposal follow-up is you’d rather not know you lost a sale.  Not knowing leaves room for hope, or so the thinking goes.  But no news is not good news.  We all lose sales from time to time for a variety of reasons – rarely personal – and it’s better to find out sooner than later.

Once you know, you can adjust your forecast and move on to more productive things.

And who knows, by following up you may find you can save a sale.  Maybe the prospect has questions you can answer.  Maybe she was just busy and your prompting helped her move forward and decide.

Account Management – Show some love

For similar reasons, we avoid making account management calls to all but our favorite clients.  We’re afraid of what might be an ugly conversation.

You might be remembering that the client wasn’t available or was too busy to talk the last time. Or maybe he cancelled the last meeting without notice.

You might be thinking they’re kind of cold and hard to talk to. Maybe he wasn’t receptive to a recent recommendation you made. Maybe there’s been a customer satisfaction issue and you’d rather not dredge it up again.

Think about it this way instead:  Remind yourself why they chose you in the first place.  Chances are they have many more reasons to like you than not.  Maybe there was just one bad situation, bad timing, or other things going on.  Maybe your call can reverse a problem.

Approach each call expecting to help, not expecting a problem.  Use questioning to understand.  Show some love.  (What could be more fitting this Valentine’s week?)  And remember, it’s rarely about you.  That takes the intimidation right out of it.

Primary Sidebar

Join Us

6 Marketing & Sales Strategies To Fill Your Pipeline Fast Kendra Animated

Buyers are hesitant to spend money, but you can still fill your pipeline.

RSVP

Get Your Guide: Build and Protect Your Sales Funnel

KLA 45 Ways

Use these strategies to protect your current clients while generating new leads.

Download It Now

Find Us On Youtube

Get Connected


Get Connected

Categories

  • B2B Lead Generation & Marketing
  • blog
  • Christmas Parodies & Holiday Blogs
  • Email Marketing
  • General
  • Lead Generation
  • Revenue Generating Success Strategies 
  • Revenue Generating System
  • Sales Hiring
  • Sales Prospecting
  • Sales Strategy
  • Sales Tips & Tricks
  • Sales Training Development
  • Selling in Pandemic
  • SEO
  • Success Strategies
  • Videos
  • Website Design
  • Winning New Customers

Footer

Services

  • Digital Marketing Services
  • Sales Training
  • Sales Process
  • Hire Kendra to Speak
footer-logo

Resources

  • Blog
  • Coffee with Kendra
  • Events
  • Ebooks & Guides
  • Newsletter
  • Weekly Sales Tip
  • Books by KLA

About KLA

  • About Us
  • Who We Serve
  • Revenue Generating System

Contact Us

Call +1 888-305-0471Contact Us

Join Us

Subscribe OptionsCoffee With Kendra
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

© 2023 KLA Group. All Right Reserved.

Be the first to know about our sales and marketing webinars

You could be generating more revenue.

Get proven sales and marketing strategies that help you generate more revenue, hit goals, and grow your businesses during our Coffee with Kendra webinars.

Get On the List

Let us know which invites you want to receive and we’ll add you to the list.

Name(Required)

Talk with an Expert

Name

Lead Generation Syllabus

Name

Sales Coaching

Name

How to Ask for Referrals Syllabus

Name

Email Prospecting Syllabus

Name

Consultative Selling Syllabus

Name

How to Cold Call Syllabus

Name