Early in a cold call, a prospect will give you the classic stealth sales objection: "Can you send me more information? I'll review it and get back to you."
A new and insecure sales rep will respond, "Of course! I'll send it right your way." They send out the email, and that's it. Maybe one or two timid follow-ups, and they file the lead away.
Let's examine why blindly sending more information is the wrong response and how experienced and successful sales reps respond to this common request.
The Painless Way of Losing Deals
To insecure sales reps, it doesn't feel like a lost opportunity. There's still hope, right?
Maybe the prospect will review the info you sent him, find you're selling exactly what he needs, call you up, and ask one or two clarifying questions. A subtle nudge of your elegant salesmanship will be all it takes to close the deal.
Positive thinking at its finest—except the real world doesn't work this way.
What "Please Send Me More Information" Really Means
It means, "I'm not interested, and I don't want to give you my attention and time."
It's simply the most convenient way for the person on the other end of the line to get rid of you. They don't want to be rude; you don't want to be rejected. You both know it. Thus, an unspoken agreement is reached between the two of you.
Why You Shouldn't Just Send More Information When They Ask for It
You haven't learned anything about this prospect yet. You haven't qualified them. You don't know their wants and needs, which problems they face, whether they can afford your solution, etc.
Based on this lack of knowledge, what kind of information will you send them?
Just generic stuff about YOUR company.
What do you think will come out of that?
Nothing.
When you send information materials to a prospect, you want to be sure that they're custom-tailored to the recipient so that they actually hit the mark.
How to Respond When Someone Requests More Information
1. Use the Power of Yes
First of all, tell them: "Yes! Can I have your email?"
This is the jiu-jitsu part. You use the momentum their request has to your advantage and then redirect it the way you want to.
2. Get Them Invested
After they give you their email address, tell them:
"I want to ensure that I send you the most relevant information. Can you tell me, _______ [easy to answer the qualifying question, e.g., are you guys more interested in X or Y]?"
This is a tiny, little follow-up question that most prospects will answer. However, it's powerful because it will cause them to lower their guard, thereby shifting the conversation's momentum.
They have given you a bit more information, invested a bit more time and energy into the conversation, and are thus more likely to stick around.
3. Ask More Follow-Up Questions
Engage them in a conversation by carefully asking more follow-up questions. The secret to success here is fine-tuning your antennas, but it's not rocket science. You can do this if you're in a good state and genuinely care and listen.
Some people will cut you off and tell you to send them the information. If they do, that's fine. Thank them for their time, and get them the info they requested.
You can often really engage them in long sales conversations. I do this all the time when people ask me to send them more information because they're "too busy to talk right now." Twenty minutes later, they're still on the phone with me.
People often LIKE this. Rather than a high-pressure sales call with a sleazy telemarketer, they're having a real conversation with a knowledgeable person showing interest in their opinions, problems, and wishes. (I'm assuming you have expertise in the subject matter.)
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4. Take the Next Step
Usually, you'll still end the call by telling them that they'll get more information.
But now you've moved the sale much further. You know more about them, and they know more about you. You both have determined that there's some real potential for mutual value creation. You'll be able to send them much more relevant information, and they'll study it much more attentively.
I've had many sales calls where a prospect tried to get rid of me by asking for more information. Using the simple engagement strategy I shared with you here, I re-engaged and closed them on that same call. If you practice this enough, you'll see similar results.
Don't forget to download your free objection management template.
