Are You Sorting or Pitching?

“Josh, prospects keep ghosting me. I hate being rejected. I need to talk them into scheduling a meeting with my AE. What should I say?”

This is going to be a tough pill, so buckle up.

Prospects disappear because they’re afraid of you.

They’re afraid you’re going to try to talk them into buying.

The problem is the word “into.”

When people feel like they’re being talking into buying, they can smell your commission breath and want out. They know you’re putting your best interests before theirs.

Why does this happen?

The traditional cold call mindset assumes everyone is a fit which sets in motion behaviors and actions that feel pushy.

That’s because you’re attached to the outcome. The meeting. The close. The end game.

So you don’t give up. You don’t take no for an answer. You chase. You pitch. You persuade.

Same intent.

Same words.

Same tonality.

Same results.

What’s the way out?

Let go of assuming you’re for everyone.

Be okay with walking away if your prospect isn’t a fit.

How?

Imagine that you have a Harry Potter Sorting Hat.

Your job is to “sort” out prospects who aren’t a fit rather than assuming everyone’s a fit.

The Sorting Hat creates an environment where prospects feel comfortable telling you the truth about how they’re currently getting the job done because they don’t feel “sold” or “manipulated.”

By way of example, here’s what a Sorting Hat cold call sounds like for Gravy.

Permission

“Hi, Josh. My name is Amy. We’ve never spoken before, but I was spinning through the courses on your website and was hoping you could help me out for a moment.”

Problem

“Thanks. I’m with Gravy. Not sure if you’re experiencing this, but we’re seeing that a lot of course creators are losing 6-8% of their revenue YoY due to failed credit card transactions.”

Poke the Bear

“Just out of curiosity, how are you recovering failed payments today? Do you have an in-house team, is it automated, or are you using an outsourced recovery team?”

Then be silent.

Listen without having an agenda.

Be curious. Peel the onion using mirrors and labels.

Go where the prospect takes you instead of where you want to take the prospect.

Ironically when you detach from the outcome, you have more truthful conversations, which leads to more opportunities because people don’t feel the pinch of the pitch.

The truth might be that you’re not a fit, which is perfectly okay. Sort them out. Selling is about having conversations with an “s,” not a conversation.

The debilitating feeling of rejection melts away when you realize you’re not for everyone.