Just because someone is willing to talk with you about your services, it doesn’t mean they’re a fit. You still have to qualify them.
Let’s compare it to cold calling. You’d pick a company you thought was a match, you reached out, and you tried to get the right person on the line. That’s far before you’d even start your sales pitch. Today, this process is predominantly done through email, but the strategy is nearly the same—you’re just replacing those first few steps:
- Start with a navigational message, confirming that you’ve reached the right person to talk with.
- Follow up with an email that’s informational, demonstrating to them that you know your market.
- Send an invitational email that asks them to have a call.
Don’t get discouraged if you get on the phone and learn that who you thought was a fit really isn’t one. It happens. It’s part of prospecting. Take that information and hone your search parameters with it, and continue that process. The more leads you can reach, the more conversations you’ll have—and the sooner you’ll close deals with the right ones.
