How I Lost the Sale In Eight E-mails (Or Less)
February 1, 2006

Recently, I made a huge selling error, one that is likely to be shared by a number of zealous salespersons throughout the country. Specifically, I made the mistake of being too persistent in my desire to gain a prospect's commitment. As a result, the contact went from being my advocate to being less than enthused about endorsing my work with her company. As a result, I lost the sale. Have you ever had this happen?

Please imagine yourself in this situation:

A prospect contacts you about doing some work for them. He lets you know that he has heard a lot about you, and has a great deal of respect for what you provide. Further, he asks if you would provide this service, (in my case it related to speaking to a sales team's national meeting), and even how to price and sell the idea to his superior.

Sounds good so far? To continue:

You follow the contact's suggestions, meeting with his superior within a couple of days of the initial contact. You spend time speaking to the superior about the firms' specific issues, and work to understand the particular needs/associated solutions you may offer with your specific products/services.

You create a proposal within 24 hours of meeting with the superior, capturing key thoughts and providing a detailed solution that you are confident will deliver. So far, so good, right?

It was at this point that I became my own worst enemy. Here's why:

Instead of asking my advocate how he would like me to follow-up, essentially the timetable and manner he would like me to utilize, I assumed that he was as enthused about providing me his commitment as I was in gaining it. This was a big mistake. We all know what happens when we "assume," right? (As a reminder, we make an "ass" out of "u" and "me.")

I kept the same level of energy and what I perceived as desired proactive behavior in my follow up as I had in responding to the initial inquiry. Unfortunately, it was at this vital stage of gaining the customer's commitment that I lost the sale, in eight e-mails or less.

I learned this lesson because the prospect was kind enough to share his feelings with me about why I lost the sale, frankly, because I asked him to do so after receiving the news they weren't going forward. Specifically, the prospect advised me that I appeared to be more concerned about my timetable, and my needs, than his specific schedule and priorities.

At this point, I want to assure you that my intent in following up diligently was not only to serve my needs, although there is no way that selling can be considered a truly altruistic endeavor. I had assumed that he wanted me to keep the same level of persistence and urgency in gaining the commitment, as he wanted in responding to the initial query. This was, as you now know, a big mistake.

The lesson:

• Ask your prospect/customer how he wants you to follow up in gaining the commitment
• Be sensitive to his specific situation, pressures and priorities
• While customers are usually pleased about your timeliness and responsiveness, pressing them at the stage when a decision is being made can serve to turn them off
• Paradoxically, your desire to service the customer may serve to make them uncomfortable, irritated, unimpressed, and no longer your advocate!

Final thoughts: I truly appreciated the prospect sharing his feelings with me. While I don't agree with his conclusions, specifically about the perception that I was more concerned about myself than him, perception is reality.

And, in case you're wondering what I mean by this article's title, "How I Lost The Sale In Eight E-mails, (Or Less)," the prospect helped me understand the fervor of his negative perception when he advised that I had sent him eight e-mails!

• ...at times, instead of seeming interested we can seem irritating.
• ...at times, instead of seeming confident, we can seem insecure
• ...at all times, ensure that you have agreed upon benchmarks and behaviors with your prospect or customer for you to follow in gaining his commitment. If not, all the work and energy you invested will go for naught!