What To Do When Your Calls Aren’t Being Returned

We’ve been so conditioned to focus on the sale that we assume we’ve lost it if they haven’t called us or e-mailed us back.

The number one reason potential clients begin evading us is: They’re afraid we’re going to pressure them.

Chances are they’ve had negative experiences with other advisors attempting to offer their services they weren’t interested in.

The solution?

Focus on the truth, not on the sale.

If you switch to focusing on finding out the truth, then the situation isn’t that you might be losing a sale – it’s just that you don’t know the truth yet.

Read this a few more times, and let it sink in. As you absorb it, you’ll start to feel a powerful shift.

You’ll start feeling less anxious because you haven’t lost a sale. You just don’t know the truth yet.

And all you have to do is call back and find that out.

You don’t know why your calls aren’t being returned, and that your goal is always to identify the truth.

You want to know the truth about the situation – whether the sale is going to happen – but you must approach your potential client in a way where they don’t feel your agenda is more important than theirs.

The best route to the truth is to take a step back.

Instead of trying to move things forward, move things backward. Return to the place where you left off.

Your prospects will trust you and reveal what they’re thinking only if they feel like you’re on their side.

Once you’ve taken all this in and are feeling clear and comfortable, pick up the phone. Always start with a phone call. The last thing you want to do is start by sending an e-mail because it’s inherently impersonal and one-way.

If you can’t reach the person directly after several attempts, voice mail and email is your only and last option.

Be clear in your own mind that you’re willing to assume that the breakdown in communication is something you triggered. Here are some ideas to shift your mindset before you make the call:

1. Get clear. Review any notes on past calls and bring yourself up to date regarding the person and the situation.
2. Let go. Sit silently for a few minutes with your eyes closed, breathing deeply and consciously, accepting that this sale is probably gone. Let it go, so that when you call there’s no part of you hoping or pushing for it. You need to decide that it’s not about the sale anymore – it’s about learning for next time.
3. Decide what you’re going to say. Put yourself in the mental place of focusing on the fact that you’re calling to apologize for something that went wrong along the way and that you’re assuming the sale isn’t going to happen.

Here are some examples of what you might say:

• “Hi, Jim, it’s Kristen. I just wanted, first of all, to call and apologize. I’m not calling about moving things forward. I’m only calling to get some feedback as to where we went wrong along the way that might have caused some drop-off in communication.”
• “Hi Bob, It’s Tom. I’m calling, not to move the process forward, but to apologize that we ended up not being able to connect. I’m assuming that you’ve probably moved forward with somebody else or decided not to move ahead with what we discussed, and that’s fine, but I just wanted to see if you’d be open to sharing any feedback on how I could have helped you more effectively.”

The above language removes the sale from the picture entirely.

Communicate in the way that you would use with people you care about, which is what they need to feel from you, that you care about them.

Ari Galper is the world’s number one authority on trust-based selling and is the most sought-after high-net worth/lead generation expert for financial advisors. His newest book, “Trusted Authority” has become an instant best-seller among financial advisors worldwide – you can get a free copy of Ari’s book here and, when you click the “YES” button in the order form, you’ll also receive a complimentary “get new clients” lead generation consultation. Ari has been featured in CEO Magazine, Forbes, INC Magazine and the Australian Financial Review. He is considered a contrarian in the financial services industry and in his book, everything you learned about selling will be turned upside down. No more chasing, no pressure, no closing.

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