Phone First. Email Second.

Phone first, followed by an email.

It’s a mistake to send an email when you should make a phone call. Email is easily ignored. Especially a self-oriented email that supposes that your dream client wants to learn all about your company and your offering.

You may believe, mistakenly, that the email does something to warm up your lead. How are they any warmer after being spammed? If you are honest, you will admit that you are only warming up yourself to make the call you will inevitably have to make.

Email first is the wrong order. First you make the call, and then you send the email.

Voice Mail

It’s likely that your call will be answered by the merciless gatekeeper known as voicemail. If you are smart, you’ll leave a message (watch this video), and then you’ll follow that email up with the same meeting request you just left as a recording.

Calling is an indication that you are serious and that you have chops that are rare today. Most people are too afraid of the phone to call. The email says you are serious, detail-oriented, and that you won’t waste time. Well, you should say that last part in your voicemail.

They Answer and Say Yes

If your dream client answers, which is more likely now that salespeople no longer make calls (well, too many, anyway), you get to ask them for an appointment. If you get the appointment, you are off to the races. How exactly are you going to confirm that appointment? With an email and a calendar invite.

Email makes perfect sense for sending a confirmation, and maybe even an agenda.

They Answer and Say No

What if they say “no?” What if they refuse your meeting request? It just might happen, even if you have solid phone chops.

You are still going to follow-up to thank your dream client for their time, restate the value you want to create for them during a meeting, and to inform them that you are gong to follow-up with some information that will create value for them–even if they never buy from you or your company.