RAB Insights

RAB Research Archive

Interested or just polite?



One of the biggest challenges to productively pursuing cold-call prospects is distinguishing between prospects who are interested and people who are merely polite.

Sometimes, prospects will express enthusiasm and willingness to hear your pitch – even if they have no serious intention to buy. They won't say no to spending time, but they will say no to spending money. The more cold calls you make, the clearer the distinction between truly curious customers and the amiable (but uninterested) ones becomes.

Conversely, some prospects may seem reluctant at the beginning, but will ultimately follow through after considering the opportunity. I've had calls I thought were going nowhere fast. Surprisingly, some of those customers ended up asking me leading questions that indicated they could envision the benefits of our services when we met.

The moral of the story: Don't be too quick to judge; you'll often be wrong. However, don't be too slow to judge because you will often waste time.

Source: John McLellan, sales/marketing executive