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If you find yourself chasing after prospects who keep ignoring you, it might be time to consider "falling on your sword."
Imagine you’ve invested time with a qualified potential client, at least a meeting or two, then they ghost you – you probably don’t need to imagine that right, it probably happens more often that you’d prefer?
You’ve put in the effort, educated them, built rapport, showed them the path to solve their issues – you did everything your mentors and peers have taught you to do.
But instead of them being responsive to you, they continue not to return your calls.
This is where the power of falling on your sword comes into play.
It might sound counter intuitive, but the best way to handle this situation is to take a step back and use what I call my “fall on your sword” approach.
Here’s how it works: pick up the phone or send an email and start by saying something unexpected.
First, let them know you’re not calling to move the process forward.
This will immediately grab their attention and show them you’re not just making the follow-up call to reach your goal of acquiring them as a new client.
Second, apologize.
Yes, you read that right.
Apologize for any misunderstanding or miscommunication that could have occurred in your meetings, which could have caused them to not feel comfortable responding to you.
Acknowledge there might have been something you missed or you didn’t answer all of their questions or underlying concerns.
This may feel strange to you at first, because it feels like your saying it’s something on your end that caused them to stop communicating with you.
I would propose, that’s exactly it!
For some reason, they didn’t fully trust you, based on your approach with them.
This falling on your sword process does two important things.
First, it humanizes the interaction. When you admit that there might have been a misstep on your part, it opens the door for honest and authentic communication.
Second, it allows you to get to the heart of the issue.
By asking for feedback, you may uncover the real reasons behind their hesitation or unresponsiveness.
If you can’t reach them by phone, don’t worry. You can use email as well. Just make sure to wait a week or two before reaching out again to avoid coming off as pushy.
Your email should clearly state that you’re not looking to move them forward in your process (which may feel counter intuitive) but are instead seeking feedback to improve your process.
Here’s a sample email template (you can tweak it of course):
Subject: Apology…
Hi [Name], hope you are well…
I’m getting in touch with you, not to move things forward, but simply to apologize.
It's possible that somewhere along the way, I may not have made you feel completely comfortable or maybe I didn’t answer your questions the best I could have… or perhaps it was something else.
I’m just writing to you for only one reason, to ask if you’d be so kind, to share some of your feedback on how I can improve and could have done a better job, should we have a chance to work together again in the future.
We only get better in life if others are open to sharing the truth of how we can improve ourselves.
[Name], I would really appreciate any feedback that you'd be open to sharing.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Warmest regards,
[Your Name]
By adopting this trust-based approach, you’re setting your ego aside, showing that you’re willing to be vulnerable – something rare to be seen among ego-driven advisors.
It’s a powerful way to re-establish trust and potentially turn the situation around.
If you’re open to challenging everything you learned about selling, order your complimentary book and consultation below.
Related: Sell From Your Heart – Not Your Head!
Get your Free copy of Ari’s best-selling book "Trust In A Split Second!" here and you’ll also receive a Complimentary Sales and Lead Generation Consultation (value $995.00). Ari Galper is the world’s number one authority on trust-based selling and is the most sought-after high-net-worth new client acquisition expert for financial advisors. His latest book, “Trust In A Split Second!” has become an instant best-seller among financial advisors worldwide.