The Phone Isn’t Dead—Your Approach Might Be: How to Create Intrigue in Prospecting

Rita had always been a top performer in her sales role. Her numbers were solid, her relationships with clients strong, and she had a knack for closing deals once they were in the pipeline. But lately, her prospecting efforts felt like she was spinning her wheels.

She’d make the calls, send the emails, and even craft personalized voicemails, but most of her prospects either didn’t respond or told her, “Now isn’t a good time.” Worse, some seemed interested initially but ultimately disappeared into the dreaded black hole of “no decision.”

It wasn’t that Rita wasn’t working hard—she was. But she started to doubt herself. “Maybe the phone is dead,” she thought. “Maybe people just don’t want to be sold to anymore.”

One day, after another string of unreturned calls, Rita confided in her manager, Dave. He listened patiently as she vented about the frustration of trying to break through to prospects who seemed completely apathetic.

Dave smiled and said, “Rita, you’re fighting the wrong battle. Your biggest competitor isn’t the other vendors out there—it’s your prospect’s resistance to change. They’re not saying no to you; they’re saying no to the risk of doing something different.”

That conversation was a lightbulb moment for Rita. She realized she’d been approaching her outreach the wrong way. Her messages focused too much on her product and not enough on her prospect’s challenges. She wasn’t giving them a reason to care or showing them the cost of standing still.

Dave worked with Rita to revamp her prospecting strategy. Together, they crafted voicemails and emails that opened with a question or a compelling insight about the challenges her prospects faced. Instead of overwhelming them with information, she focused on creating intrigue and giving them just enough to spark a conversation.

Within weeks, Rita noticed a change. Prospects were returning her calls. They were engaging in conversations, curious about the insights she’d shared. And while not every lead turned into a deal, Rita was finally breaking through the wall of “no decision.”

By the end of the quarter, Rita had not only hit her targets but rediscovered her confidence. She realized that the key to successful prospecting wasn’t working harder—it was working smarter, with a focus on helping prospects see why doing nothing wasn’t an option.

Sound familiar? If you’ve ever felt like Rita, stuck battling the status quo, keep reading. This article will unpack practical strategies to help you create intrigue, overcome indecision, and transform your prospecting results.

In chapter 2 of Sell Different, Lee Salz challenges the conventional notion that direct competitors are a salesperson's primary obstacle. Instead, he identifies "no decision"—the prospect's choice to maintain the status quo—as the most formidable adversary in sales.

He presents compelling statistics to underscore this point:

• Eighty-two percent of executives report agreeing to meetings with salespeople who reached out through prospecting efforts.

To effectively combat the inertia of "no decision," Salz advocates for a strategic approach to prospecting, emphasizing that it should be viewed not as a single event but as an ongoing campaign. He offers practical advice on crafting voicemail messages that achieve two critical objectives:

1. Creating Intrigue: Capturing the prospect's attention and piquing their interest.
2. Providing Context: Clearly conveying the purpose of the outreach and its relevance to the prospect's business challenges.

By shifting the focus from competing against other vendors to addressing the internal resistance prospects may have toward making any change, sales professionals can more effectively guide potential clients toward recognizing the value of their solutions. This approach not only differentiates the salesperson but also increases the likelihood of moving prospects away from indecision and toward a commitment.

Is your prospecting strategy helping you break through the wall of "no decision"? ?? Take a moment to reflect: Are your messages sparking curiosity, addressing your prospects' challenges, and showing them the true cost of doing nothing?

If you’re confident in your approach, that’s fantastic! Keep refining and building on what works. But if you’re feeling stuck or unsure about how to stand out in a sea of sameness, I’d love to help.

Shoot me a DM, and let’s explore ideas to transform your prospecting results together. ???? Let's make sure your next call doesn’t just connect—it converts. ????