Most salespeople, being competitive, expect instant gratification from their sales efforts. They regard finishing second in a bidding war for an account as merely being the first loser. But many times, being the “next choice” puts you in prime position to convert a sale. That’s because it gives you time to build a solid relationship with a prospect. And should that prospect grow dissatisfied with their current supplier, the first person they will call is you. Rick Davis, author of the book Strategic Sales in the Building Industry (buildingleaders.com), offers these effective sales conversion techniques:

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• Get active. Unless a salesperson makes prospecting an urgent task and a daily (or weekly) priority, it is easy to procrastinate for prolonged periods. Develop a prospect contact strategy that incorporates a variety of strategic communication tactics, including phone calls, emails, and text messages. But keep the next step in mind.

• Respect your prospect’s time. Today, more than ever, your prospects are extremely busy, and their time is at a premium. Recognize that an in-person sales call or phone call is an interruption of their daily schedule. Learn how they want to receive communications, and the best time to contact them.

• Make the first phone call or keystroke. The toughest phone call or email is the first one. Stop procrastinating. There is only one way to begin a relationship with a prospect and that is by talking to them. Confucius said that a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. Pick up the phone, type that email, and make contact. Strike up relationships with as many prospects as possible because even if you don’t win an account, second place is for future winners.

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