I got a phone call from a sales executive. She told me that she represented a Famous Marketing Legend and that the Famous Marketing Legend had wanted her to call. Years ago, I’d purchased some products from the FML. Along with those products, came the FML’s Gold Membership program. This membership, free for the first three months, promised to turn me into a money-making machine.
At the end of the three months, and not yet a money-making machine, I let my membership lapse. In all honesty, I’m not sure that I ever even looked through the material or listened to the audios.
So anyway, I got a phone call from this sales executive. She told me they’d noticed that my membership had lapsed (it took them 6 years?) and she was calling to offer the FML’s Silver Membership that promised to make me a money-making machine.
Not even stopping for breath, she made the assumption that I had let the membership lapse because I’d thought it too expensive. She assured me that the Silver cost far less but was an amazing wealth-creation, profit-producing program none-the-less. She went on to list all of the “things” that came with the membership, (a monthly newsletter and some exclusive audios and videos, a hot sheet, a million-dollar resource directory, a Facebook group and some special call-in times where you could speak with someone other than the FML). She never bothered to ask any questions about my business, how it was doing, what direction the business was going or even what my goals might be. Then she asked if I was ready to buy.
I was scandalized. After all, she was calling representing the FML himself!
After nicely declining, I did what I always do in these situations. I suggested that she visit my web site, https://gosalesology.com, because she clearly needed some help.
What are the lessons learned?
- Make sure that you understand the value of your offering to your prospect because that’s what your prospect wants to know. It’s your job to make the connection.
- Ask questions so that you can truly understand what is going on with your prospect before spilling your guts about your offering.
- See #1 above.
