44% of salespeople give up

“Can You Send Me Some Information?” Here Is What That Actually Means.

44% of salespeople give up after just one follow up. Yet 80% of deals require five or more contacts to close. Most directors are stuck somewhere in the middle, following up too long on the wrong prospects and giving up too quickly on the right ones. And it almost always starts with the same four words.

“Can you send me some information?”

Most directors hear this as a buying signal. The prospect is interested, they just need a little more detail before committing. So the brochure goes out, the proposal gets polished, the follow up email lands two days later. And then nothing. The prospect has gone quiet and the deal is dead. Not because your offer was wrong. Because you sent a brochure to someone who wanted to end the call.

Here is the truth. When a prospect asks for information, they are thinking one of two things. Either they genuinely want to know more before moving forward. Or they want to get off the phone and do not know how to do it without being rude. Both sound identical. And if you fire off that brochure without finding out which applies, you have handed someone a very comfortable exit while spending the next fortnight chasing a lead that was never going anywhere.

The fix is three sentences.

First, defuse the pressure. “I’d be happy to.” No pushback, no challenge, just agreement. Second, get specific. “What information would be most helpful? Would it make sense to just answer those questions now?” A genuine prospect tells you exactly what they need. Someone who wanted off the phone goes vague. Every time. Third, test for truth. “Let’s say the information answers your questions perfectly. What happens next?” A real prospect has a next step in mind. Someone who was not interested does not.

And if they ask for completely generic information, try this. “Usually when people ask for generic info, they just want to end the call, which is completely fine. Is that where we are?” It sounds bold. It removes the pressure from both sides. And it gets you to the truth in about ten seconds.

80% of deals need five or more contacts to close. Make sure every one of those contacts is with someone who actually wants to hear from you.