You are sitting in your office wondering how you could possibly have over 200 unread emails when your phone rings.

Hello, My name is Christie and I have something great to sell you!

Did you make a face when you read that line? How far do you think I will get with this prospecting approach?  I’m polite, straight-forward and by the way, my product really IS great.  Why wouldn’t this work?

For starters, you don’t know me.  My product may be great, but I haven’t done anything yet to earn an ounce of trust from you.  In addition, you are busy.  Your time is valuable and you won’t waste it on an unknown even for the possibility of something great.  You probably just said, “No thanks, I’m not interested and hung up.  I would do the same thing.

This rather simple example begs the questions, how do you engage a good prospect and let them know about your great product when you can’t get them on the phone and they are too distracted to listen?  The answer?

Consistent, persistent communication delivered in their language on a personal level

Let’s break that down:

Consistent – Communicate with them on a regular basis through multiple channels.  Establish yourself as an expert in your field and share industry information in the form of:

• Monthly newsletters
• Blog posts
• Webinars
• Trade publications articles
• Trade show classes
• Feedback forums

Persistent – It takes an average of 6 attempts to connect with a prospect before you will get a response.  You may think you are not getting through, but if you are connecting in different ways and in ways of value (sharing articles, providing information, or giving something to them for free), they will remember your name and your company’s name when the time is right.

In their language – Sharing information that is of no value to the customer will not serve either of you.  Think about what they want to hear, NOT what you want to communicate.  If you spend a little extra time in understanding why they would care about your product or service before communicating, you will shorten the prospecting process significantly.

On a personal level – You don’t have to send a personal handwritten note to every prospect, but what a WOW that would create.  Find a certain percentage of hot prospects that you can focus on getting to know well and connect with them directly.  What keeps them up at night?  What do they look forward to?  What do they care about?  What organizations are they active in?

Consistent, persistent communication delivered in your prospect’s language and on a personal level is the easiest way to get AND KEEP their attention.