What are some nice ways to say “don’t waste my time?”

I'm running into leads who SAY they're interested and want quotes, but don't follow through with their end of the bargain. 

My company requires that leads open an account. the paperwork is either printed out, completed, and scanned back in or completed and signed through DocuSign. I have about ten leads who haven't done this. 

there's that OR they're customers who stopped buying from us and I'm reactivating their accounts (most of the time, the entire application form isn't needed for them). BUT they have me work on and submit quotes and ghost me. 

so, how do I say "don't waste my time?" I need people to realize that I'm not going to put in effort if they aren't. 

Any advice? 
📈 Closing
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👑 Sales Strategy
12
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
11
Account Executive
Putting the onus on your leads / clients doesn't work. You need to stop throwing quotes over the fence in the hopes their interest is real. You need to have a tighter process to qualify your leads / customers...

One example is confirm who the economic buyer is and refuse to send a quote without an introduction... If it's a repeat customer, you can say "Is X still the proper authority for approval on this?" and if you can't confirm interest with them directly, there is no interest.

Another example would be to introduce verbal contracts in your process... Classic one would be "If I can do X, would you do Y?" If they're hesitant to make any type of commitment, they aren't serious.

Quotes are valuable pieces of information. Stop giving it away for free.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
2
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
All of this. Good advice.
Lambda
Tycoon
2
Sales Consultant
Love this, Always get something for giving something
giving a price, get a signature
give a quote, get a meeting
give a feature, get some feedback
ChumpChange
Politicker
2
Channel Manager
Solid post. Don't chase ghosts. You'll drive yourself crazy chasing ghosts. I would urge you to shift your focus to actual people you can speak with and put shit into motion. As @CadenceCombatstated... if they hesitate then they're typically full of shit.
Jaed
Executive
1
Inside Sales Rep
Thanks for the answer. I’m starting to realize how valuable quotes are and feel that the more isn’t the merrier. But that’s what I was told in training; people with the most mock quotes closed more sales. Plus, the EOM pressure was real. I guess I can’t let those things shake me.
CadenceCombat
Tycoon
2
Account Executive
Correct. Whoever is drawing a direct link between number of quotes generated and closed deals is mistaken even if that’s what their data might suggest.

throwing quotes over the fence and hoping for deals to come through isn’t any kind of strategy.
Jaed
Executive
1
Inside Sales Rep
Welp, back to the drawing board 😅
Diablo
Politicker
1
Sr. AE
Bang on response !
ZachBlide
Opinionated
2
AE
Sounds like your company has a bit of a strange/laborious process for prospects who want quotes. Why is this account opening required?

My two cents would be the classic negotiation principle: don’t give something for nothing. If a prospect wants a quote, they have to play ball and have a conversation with you so you can qualify/establish fit.

My standard line for a prospect asking for a quote without offering anything: ‘Ok first I’d like to run through a few points with you so I can advise you on whether we’re a good fit for what you need. If we’re not a good fit, I don’t want to waste your time.’

I find framing in terms of ‘I don’t want to waste your time’ often goes down well.

Another tip based on stuff I’ve done in the past with tricky prospects: instead of sending a quote, you could ask for a call to talk them through it, and send through afterwards. That way you can get an immediate reaction and ask follow ups rather than sending a quote and hoping they come back. Alternatively, before you send the quote, ask the prospect to book in a Followup call with you to discuss the quote. Basically just asking for a little commitment from them in return for the quote.

I appreciate you seem to be working within quite a tricky/rigid structure for quoting customers but hopefully some of this is helpful :)
Jaed
Executive
0
Inside Sales Rep
I like this approach, taking a step back. A part of me is scared they’re going to flake and say forget it. In tech, asking for a meeting first is common, but I’m in a new industry. I’m in a blue collar industry vs white collar industry. I also lack confidence in the product knowledge. I was expected to take in soooooooo much information so fast! I find myself now knowing the answers to questions and think that actually lack of confidence is holding me back. I’m likeable, but need to brush up on product knowledge (which I’ve started doing).

Thank you for the feedback and encouragement!
ZachBlide
Opinionated
1
AE
I completely get that. Been there! I would say two things:

1. If a prospect flakes because they can't be bothered to have a quick chat with you, probably an indication they aren't serious buyers anyway. I appreciate there may be some nuances in your industry I'm missing, but I would stand by this as a general rule.

2. In terms of confidence with product knowledge - totally get that, I've been there. But my advice would be to throw yourself in the deep end. Take those meetings, get questions you don't know the answer to, and learn as you go. From experience, it's by far the fastest way to learn a product and will help you focus your learning around the most common questions you get asked.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
2
🦊
Ask what their buying process is from the moment they decide they need it to the moment they sign the dotted line.
Jaed
Executive
0
Inside Sales Rep
This. So simple and make so much since. Why didn’t I think of this? 🤦🏾‍♀️
Lambda
Tycoon
1
Sales Consultant
Welcome the AI response

"I understand that you may have concerns or questions about our product or service, but in order to make the most of our time together, could we focus on the specific areas that are most important to you? I want to make sure we use our time effectively and address any concerns you may have."

"I appreciate your interest in our product/service, but it seems like we may be getting off track with our conversation. Could we refocus on the key points and discuss how our product/service can meet your needs?"

"I understand that you may have a lot of questions, but in order to ensure that we are able to effectively address your concerns and make the most of our time together, could we prioritize the most important questions first? That way, we can make sure we use our time effectively."

All said, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, so is it really a waste of your time?

Jaed
Executive
0
Inside Sales Rep
Are these responses to people who talk too much? My question is pertaining to people to say they’re interested, but 1) don’t open an account for quotes or 2) ghost me after receiving a quote. I can see using variations of your responses for my cases though.
Lambda
Tycoon
1
Sales Consultant
ghosting probably means you havent adressed the main concern (Probe more, ask more questions)
or that you should work on commitments from them
Example:
Sure i will get you a quote, who will be signing off on this and would that be today or tomorrow so I can properly prep my team?
in my eyes, a quote is a buying sign so close them right there
if they say I am just looking for a price then tell them something outlandish (1,000,000) giving a price without understanding what the solution brings about is useless

for example
your product is $1,200/yr but it only saves the business 1 hr of time per month
assuming the $/hr amount is 100 for the person using your service, this is potentially a useless service

make sense?
Jaed
Executive
0
Inside Sales Rep
Yeah, it makes sense. I do ask for a commitment, but feel it needs to be a stronger ask.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
1
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
It sounds like a cumbersome process, which is probably why your customers aren't doing it and going straight to you because it's easier.

Out of curiosity, why is the process necessary?
ZachBlide
Opinionated
1
AE
Yeah I would second this. Sounds like an unusual amount prospects are expected to do
Jaed
Executive
0
Inside Sales Rep
I Guess it’s the industry standard when selling CCTV products. Our competitors do the same things. That’s because there’s different pricing levels.
GingerBarbarian
Opinionated
1
Lead Sales
I have found if you preface a statement by asking "can I be blunt with you?" You can say pretty much anything.

Can I be blunt with you, I honestly don't even know if this is right for you yet, can I ask X questions just to be sure neither of us are wasting out time?"
Jaed
Executive
0
Inside Sales Rep
I appreciate the simplicity and it makes sense. Is this to ensure less ghosting and chasing people down for account sign ups?
GingerBarbarian
Opinionated
0
Lead Sales
I use it anytime I have to ask a difficult question or say something really blunt. I is usually helps the brace for negative news and keep the inpulse higher.
Justatitle
Big Shot
1
Account Executive
Ask them about a previous time they bought software and the process they went through, if it’s vague you’re wasting time.
Jaed
Executive
0
Inside Sales Rep
Should I replace software with security cameras or access security since that’s what I’m selling?
Justatitle
Big Shot
1
Account Executive
The last time they bought anything for the company.
ThatNewAE
Big Shot
1
Account Executive - Mid enterprise
I feel setting the tone right up, from the start, is really important.

As an SDR, I used messaging that ended with "Would you be open to exploring options..." something like this. They responded a yes, and they never got converted to deals.

As an AE, if my message started with "Let me know if you'd be open to discussing how we can solve XYZ for you" - they were just doing that, discussing.

So I changed the tone and messaging. You have to be able to convey that you'd send over the quote if there's a verbal commitment around the next steps. Let them know, in a very subtle and non-victimhood tone, that quotations come with a timeline because they usually include discounts and some exemptions.
Pachacuti
Politicker
0
They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy
You’re in sales. You’re going to have accts which waste your time because you hope they will work out.
Jaed
Executive
1
Inside Sales Rep
Yeah. I’m trying to overcome it and develop a new prospective.
LightingLeader
Politicker
0
Specification Sales
Unfortunately you’re in sales, so you have to sell. If they don’t want it you need to find what would make them want it
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