Buyer radio silence is when a buyer who has shown initial interest suddenly stops responding to your calls, emails or other forms of contact. It is the absence of communication after a promising start to the sales motion. The term “ghosting” has spawned as a popular term for this silence.
HOW TO APPROACH BUYER SILENCE WITH SEEK TO SERVE™
Why does this matter to the buyer? Buyer radio silence does not always mean you have lost the sales pursuit, but it is important that you as a seller understand the driver(s) behind the communication change. For the buyer, time not communicating with you may allow them to:
- Evaluate options: Space to consider other routes and make an informed decision without feeling pressured.
- Assess needs: Re-evaluate their requirements and / or how well your solution aligns with their needs, pains and desires.
- Seek internal approval: With purchases of this nature, the buyer may need to seek internal approvals or budgets, which takes time.
- Reframe objections: Helps them address internal objections or concerns, making them more prepared for the next interaction.
Why does this matter to you, the seller? Effective management and understanding of the reasons behind buyer radio silence is vital for the sales team. Doing so ensures the following:
- Maintaining momentum: Helps keep the buying journey advancing to outcomes by supporting internal buying processes with insights and information.
- Avoiding assumptions: Without communication, assumptions can lead to missed opportunities or misjudgments.
- Nurturing relationships: Provides the opportunity to build rapport and trust, which are essential for successful win-wins for buyers and sellers.
- Winning pursuits: Addressing concerns or questions during radio silence increases the chances of winning the pursuit.
How does it improve your chance of winning? When buyers go silent, the risk of the buyer not making a decision at all rises exponentially. According to research from Outreach.io, only 14% of buyers complete a purchase after two weeks of going quiet. There is a difference in allowing a buyer space (a normal course in every buying journey) and a buyer ”ghosting” a seller. When radio silence arises, sellers who respond with engagement across multiple channels using value-oriented messages that reinforce the buyer’s pains while conveying appropriate empathy elevate winning outcomes. This is a time when not being single-threaded can mater most.
LEARN THE 9 KEY PRINCIPLES FOR MANAGING BUYER SILENCE
Your salespeople must respond effectively to buyer silence — or risk losing the sale altogether. At Mereo, we have developed nine key principles for managing buyer radio silence.
Get our revenue performance accelerator how-to cheat-sheet for managing buyer radio silence today and share these leading practices with your sales force.
Managing buyer silence is just part of the greater whole. Your sales force needs the right skills and behaviors for each of the 10 critical steps in the sales process to lead your buyers to a deal.
EARLY STAGE
- Prospecting Power Moves
- Resisting the Itch to Pitch
- Driving Effective Meetings
- Performing the Quest of Discovery
MID-STAGE
LATE STAGE
- Reframing Objections
- Managing Radio Silence
- Not Being the Buyer’s “Doormat”
Download the complete Revenue Accelerator guide here. Or reach out to our experts to learn how we can help boost your sales team’s skills and accelerate your revenue performance.