First Lead ... poof

[Marc Pfleger]

so I sent out my first batch of mailers and got what I thought was a motivated seller. The owners indicated that they were going to be moving out of state, so I set up an appointment for today and a couple hours before the appointment the owner cancelled. The Owner stated the house would be paid off in 6 years and want to give it to their daughter. I responded by asking them to keep my number and give me a call if they have a change of heart. Is there anything I could have done differently in this situation to keep them interested? I am disappointed to say the least but this is my business and need to not get emotionally invested. The search continues for my first deal ...
I need to keep in mind this is a numbers game and persistence will pay off. thanks for any advice.

[Jon Holdman]

In sales, which is what you're doing (you're selling your service), there is a concept called "the funnel". People outside the funnel are unaware you exist. Closed deals come out of the tip. Your job is to fill the funnel and keep it filled. When you send a letter, the recipient moves from outside to just inside the wide end of the funnel. When they call, they've moved deeper still. Meeting with them moves them even deeper. At every stage of the process, you lose some of your prospects. You may need to move 1000 people into the wide end to get one to pop out the tip. Don't be discouraged by the losses, that's just part of the process. Keep working every stage, keep that funnel full, and you will close deals.