I’m a rather driven person, and I’m going to make the assumption that you are, too. So why is it that when we get a new lead, particularly one from the internet or that has no referral attached, do we send one email and then if they don’t respond, leave it at that?

That, my friends, is insanity. But it’s a regular habit we get into.

We are hiding from “no”

Why do we do it? I believe there are a few reasons (and I’m sure you can add your own to this list), but at the top of the list is our fear of rejection. That horrible “NO” that means that someone isn’t into our stuff. It can be crushing if we let it, so I’d like to show you a few ideas of how you can reframe that inward conversation with yourself.

Firstly you may be afraid that you are bugging them by sending follow up messages. You convince yourself that if they don’t respond after one or maybe even 2 emails or voice mails that they just don’t care about what you’re offering. Or maybe they’re annoyed at getting our incessant messages and that’s why they’re not responding. Nope. Wrong there!

Secondly, you might not have the systems in place to remind you to follow up with your prospects. There are lots of systems out there and I suggest you get one. You can get systems like Contactually to remind you to call people, or just automate it. Here’s a link to a zillion different options for you. NO EXCUSES! Ha! http://www.capterra.com/email-marketing-software/

Haha. You’re wrong.

So if you’re wrong in assuming that people don’t care or that you’re bugging them, AND you have the systems in place to manage it, I have a new motto for you:

Go ‘til No.

GO ‘til NO is simply this: unless someone says “I don’t want what you are offering me” or unsubscribe from your email campaigns, they’re fair game. Go after them. But you have to do it right.

How to go after people without annoying them to death

The best way to get people to respond is to understand why they say “yes”. There are certain triggers people need to see to make that happen. Here are a few ideas you can use:

Structure it Right:

Your emails should have 3 parts:

1. Personal reference: How do you know them? Did they download something on your website – if so thank them!
2. Your value offering: What do you have that they need? Done of the best emails I received recently went something like “I’d like to show you a few things that you probably can’t figure out on your own”. Cool. Inside scoop!
3. Ask for the meet: Not “would you like to connect” but “When would be the best time for me to get 10 minutes of your time to talk?” That is how you get them. You’re so confident in what you have to offer them that it’s not if it’s when!

Repeat!

Truth is, you can’t exactly use this same tactic over and over. It gets old. What do you do on the other emails? The answer is simple: send something of value every time. If you’re in real estate or other service profession, you have a wealth of information right at your fingertips so send them reports, updates, ideas on the home/industry, etc. If you sell a product, showcase some other features and benefits that the product offers in a “Did you know…” fashion.

In every one, ask for the meet, whether it’s over the phone or in person. Get them out of email and into your life! But never, ever stop until they say, “STOP!” I chased someone for 6 months once and emailed him or called him every 2 weeks. He either never answered, or gave me a wishy-washy “I’ll let you know” answer. But never did he say “NO” so I kept going. He’s my client now. Boom!

Do not be discouraged with the “no’s” you may be getting. Look at it this way:

Every NO gets you closer to the YES, so keep on going! GO ‘TIL NO my friends!

You won’t be disappointed.

-Rebecca

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About author:

Rebecca has been in Marketing for over 12 years now. She has worked at all sorts of companies – large public ones, small private ones, medium sized firms and now she works for herself. She specializes in training companies to use social media intelligently, so they can use it to grow their business, get found in social and Google searches and integrate their online and offline marketing strategies. Follow her on Twitter or Facebook

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