The Scariest Sales Stories and Worst-Case Scenarios or Dawn of the Unclosed8 min read

Being haunted by unclosed deals is one of the worst nightmares and scariest sales stories of every salesperson.

We’ve all been there.

If you turn and toss at night running different scripts and strategies through your head, dwelling on that “shoulda, coulda, woulda,” of your recent sales presentation or cold call, and don’t know how you ended up not hitting the quota this month, then it’s a good idea to check out this round-up of the scariest sales stories and nightmares.

We’ll try to help you avoid these worst-case scenarios in the future and get rid of the curse of the unclosed prospects.

Cold and Unresponsive Prospects  

So, you’ve spent a great deal of time polishing your email campaign or script, but all you get is a cold shoulder.

Your inbox is empty and enshrouded in cobwebs to such an extent that you start wondering whether a zombie apocalypse has wiped out the entire humankind, together with your standoffish prospects.

But, the reasons behind such underwhelming results of your campaigns, might be less spooky but equally scary.

Let’s go through them and find a solution that will wake you up from this sales nightmare and show you that your prospects are neither undead nor unresponsive.

The Lost Emails

What if your emails never reached your recipients’ inboxes?

The odds are that you used some spam words or phrases in your email campaign copy or other elements.

Given that ESPs keep on improving their spam filters which have become increasingly sophisticated, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of being marked as a spammer.

Yes, even if you’re not one.

If your subject line, copy, or signature contains innocent words such as free, chance, or 50% off, to name just a few, you’re in for a bumpy ride.  

So, who ya gonna call? Autoklose!

Our Template Analyzer will let you know if you use any of the spam words and phrases that are on the blacklist and highlight them, meaning that you’ll be able to make sure that your emails are spam-free and highly engaging.

The Evil Data

Bad or rogue data is one of the worst things that can happen to your sales email list.

Inaccurate and incomplete fields, outdated phone numbers, defunct emails, and other horrors errors can render your contact database practically unusable.

In other words, your emails, even if they reach intended recipients might miss the mark – what if your prospect left a job at their previous company or if they aren’t the right person to contact whatsoever?

That’s why your list needs a good scrub every once in a while. It’s true that the process of keeping your data clean will decimate your list, but don’t be afraid to get rid of all the stale contacts that lie mummified in your pipeline, all the incomplete contacts that you can’t complete, and generally speaking, all those who aren’t the right fit for your offer.

That way you’ll be able to interest your recipients in your content, as well as in products or services.

The trick is to slash your database into proper segments and tailor your outreach based on their different characteristics, demographics, preferences, and purchasing behavior.

Only then will you be able to conjure up your prospects and get them to respond.

The Silence of the Prospects

This is the nightmare of your own making!

The idea of a prospect who doesn’t ask any questions and is eerily silent while you go on and on about all those magnificent features of your product or service will definitely send shivers down your spine.

But, talking too much and not listening to your prospect is what will get you in this situation.

No, you won’t convince someone that they should purchase your product if you don’t sew up your lips stop rambling on. The trick is to leverage the power of active listening.

So, when you’re having a demo or a sales presentation, you shouldn’t be the one who does all the talking – provide only the essential information about your product or service and spark your prospects’ imagination.

And of course, lend them your ear!

By offering them only a teaser of what they can get if they opt for your product, you’ll get them to start asking different questions. And there you go – you’ve managed to engage them.

Besides, by being a good listener, you’ll also build trust with your prospects as they will understand that you really want to help them overcome their issues.

Suppress Your Inner Mr. Hyde

As a salesperson, you do need to be convincing and persuasive.

But these two words are by no means synonymous with pushy or aggressive.

So, if you don’t want to scare your prospects off, then you’ll have to change your attitude and approach them carefully and respect their boundaries.

This refers both to the situations when you’re calling or emailing them.

So, plan your sales cadence accordingly, in such a manner that you’re not too salesy and annoying.

Also, bear the following tips in mind:

• Be educational and consultative. Don’t try to push your agenda and enforce your perspective. Your prospects need help in solving their pain points and issues, not someone who will only try to sell them something, regardless of whether that product or service can actually be helpful.
• Don’t pressure your prospects. While it’s ok to discuss your deadlines and requirements, it’s not a good idea to overstay your welcome and only focus on your own benefit.
• Make your goals customer-oriented. Your prospects can feel when they’re perceiving them as an ATM – and when you’re only trying to close your deal. Instead of that, make sure to properly educate them about your product or service and explain to them in detail why it would be good for them to make a purchase from you. In a nutshell, show them how to make the most of your product, and offer a proper onboarding process and long-term support.  

Paranormal Computer Activity

If you haven’t automated your sales efforts, you’re wasting a lot of your time and energy.

Even worse, you might be using obsolete and sluggish software that’s behind the times.

No wonder your campaign results are on the deathbed!

It’s essential to change this practice and implement state-of-the-art tools and apps if you want to give your open, response, and click-throught rates as well as conversions a boost.

Autoklose, for example, is a great way to make sure to start and maintain your sales process on the right foot – it will help you reach out to your prospects in a personalized, efficient, and timely manner.

This way you can send cold outreach, follow up with your prospects, and nurture them throughout their buyer’s journey.

Moreover, we can help you take your prospecting and data hygiene to the next level with our huge database packed with millions of impeccably clean B2B leads from different industries.

And guess what? If you’re using other sales and marketing tools and programs such as Zapier, Pipedrive, Calendly, Salesforce – you name it, Autoklose allows you to connect them and take advantage of the synergy.

So, it’s clear that all these series of unfortunate events that have befallen on you are mere obstacles that you can easily overcome, and klose your deals with flying colors if you change your approach and update your tech!