One of the most frustrating situations SDRs encounter when prospecting, is when a prospect agrees to a next step, and then “goes dark.” Despite numerous phone calls and email attempts by the SDR, the prospect remains unresponsive, leaving the opportunity “stuck” in the sales pipeline. Do not let unresponsive prospects prevent your team from hitting quota. More importantly, do not sit around waiting for the prospect to get back to you. Continue to be persistent until you get a “yes” or a “no”.
Here are 4 strategies SDRS can use to re-engage prospects that give them the cold shoulder:
1. Confirm the prospect is still an active employee.
If a prospect is no longer employed with the company, that might be why you are unable to reach them! Start by checking the prospect’s LinkedIn. Often times when people switch jobs, they may not update their job on LinkedIn right away. If you see that the prospect is still currently employed at the company, call the company’s main line. If you reach a receptionist or gatekeeper, confirm the prospect’s name and title, and then confirm that they are still employed with the company.
2. Try new prospecting techniques.
Phone and email are the most popular prospecting methods among SDRs; however, they are not the only prospecting resources at one’s fingertips. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, can all be used to send messages to prospects that have been unresponsive to phone calls and email. Social media also allows you to see their most recent activity, which can help determine if they are still active within the company.
3. Switch up your call strategy
When prospecting, sometimes it is not how many times you call, but rather when you call. A great way to get prospects live, is calling them when their admins are not at their desks, such as the start of the workday, lunch, and after 5 o’clock. Along with reaching out at off-peak times of the workday, it is also a good practice to switch up the time of day in which you call. If a prospect is unresponsive to your morning calls, try calling them in the afternoon!
4. Continue prospecting into the company
When a contact identified or decision maker goes dark, do not stop prospecting the company! There are often multiple decision-makers and influencers within an organization. If you are having trouble getting in touch with someone who is C-level, try reaching out to a manager or director, who may have involvement in the decision-making process. Alternatively, if a manager or director has gone cold, try reaching out to their C-level counterpart. If you connect with another contact at the company, be sure to reference your conversation with the contact identified that is not getting back to you.
A prospect may go dark for a number of reasons. However, do not assume they are not interested. Think back to your initial conversation. What sparked their interest? What pain did you uncover? Re-engaging with these types of prospects can be challenging, but with the right tactics, it is attainable!
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