“No Reply At All” – Sounds of Marketing
“No Reply At All,” Abacab (1981) by Genesis
Talk to me, you never talk to me
We’ve all experienced that person who just won’t return our calls or respond to emails.
Ooh, I’ve been sitting, staring, seems so long.
Or waited patiently to meet with someone who seems to think our time is not nearly as important as theirs.
Look at me, you never look at me,
You’re looking through me
Like I wasn’t here at all
No reply, there’s no reply at all
Still, maybe the worst is painful meetings where meaningful conversation and clear direction are nonexistent?
I get the feeling you’re tryin’ to tell me,
Is there something that I should know?
Or messages are filled with generalities and corporate clichés?
What excuse are you tryin’ to sell me?
Should I be reading stop or go, I don’t know.
Now is the time to figure out whether this is a potential win-win relationship or just another Fake Maybe. When salespeople are afraid to admit that a prospect is a Fake Maybe it hurts just about everyone—the salesperson, their peers, boss, the entire organization.
Maybe deep down inside, I’m lying to no one else but me
First, you need to be honest with yourself. Some people you rank as prospects really just rank—as in pungent. You need to be diligent when prioritizing and segmenting clients and prospects. You also need to truly spend time on Pre Call Prep. Be ready with fact and emotion-based questions pertinent to the prospect and their business. Ask open-ended questions and then do something sales people are often accused of not doing well?
Is anybody listening? Oh, oh?
Listen to their answers and read their body language. You should be able to quickly spot a —Fake Maybe.— Once you do, now comes the hard part. Your instincts will tell you to keep on pushing. Your pride might even kick in?
Too stubborn to say, “The buck stops here.
It’s not the one you’re looking for.”
But you have to be willing and able to get rid of those Fake Maybes. They waste time and energy. Let them go now. Focus on real prospects who might actually reply with a ‘Yes.’
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