We all have shaken up a bit at the end of the 10’s decade. I’m glad that we are wrapping up a very stressful year with great optimism for the future. Thanks to the healthcare workers, the frontline delivery partners, scientists for inventing the vaccine, and every other person who made sure we are still breathing. I want to take this moment to thank my family, friends, newsletter community, and my internet friends. They all kept me and every one of us going.

I want to share one email tactic that gave me a 95% reply rate, helped me understand my customers better, and resurrect the deals from the grave. I learned this from the book ‘Never Split the Difference’ and the negotiations guru Chris Voss.

“Have you given up on this project?”

That’s it! This is the magical line. When I read about it from the book, I had my fair share of skepticism. But, I went through my CRM and used this on a couple of deals. To my surprise, I got a reply from unresponsive customers. Tada! These were customers who did not respond to me for at least 4 months. I started using this tactic more on other deals and, in the process, learned some nuances - why this is working, when will this work, who will respond to such email.

Why does this work?

At the psychological level, we all have a natural aversion to loss. We do not want to lose something and tend to minimize or cut our losses. Deep down, we don’t want the other person to walk away on their own terms; we want to control things. This question provokes the other person to say ‘NO’ as an instinctive response. Saying a ‘NO’ gives us all an illusion of control and the feeling of safety. I saw my customers disagreeing with me and immediately responding to this question.

When will this work?

I have tried using this at different timelines in the sales process. I have seen maximum success in two scenarios - 1) when someone isn’t responding to me on any channels for a period of 4-6 weeks and 2) when I want to break up with someone and move on from that deal.

Using this tactic during any other time in the sales process can backfire and might sound rude. Be mindful of the timing and context.

Who will respond to this email?

There is no point in sending this email to all the stakeholders involved in the sales process. The tactic will fall flat, and the magic doesn’t work. It will work with two types of personas - 1) the leader who is the key decision-maker and who interacted with you in the past and 2) the champion who has been interacting with you throughout the process.

Some examples

1) my email (Sent this after three months of follow-ups):

response:

As you could see, the real for being unresponsive is out. Once you know the reason, you can take the necessary next steps.

2) another response:

3) another response:

4) another response:

5) another response (I ended up signing this customer):

I hope this tactic would work for you, as well.

If you are looking to break into tech-sales (a very lucrative career and the best time to ride this journey), below are some opportunities.

Happy New Year! Happy 20’s decade :)