Most merch reps know the feeling of booking a meeting only for it to get cancelled. It can really throw you off and leave you disheartened when you hear, “Sorry! Something came up.” You’ve put in the prep work to get to know them and their business, and then you’re dealing with a no-show.

A post on the Intelemak blog points out that no-shows are a fact of life. They happen for all kinds of reasons. The prospect may have double-booked their calendar. They may not feel like the meeting is a good use of their time. Or, they may have had something unexpected come up. While you can’t guarantee a prospect will show up, there are some ways you can reduce no-shows. We share some tips from Intelemark in this issue of PromoPro Daily.

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  1. Conduct rigorous qualification. You can reduce no-shows by ensuring the prospect has a real need and a budget to address that need immediately. If too many qualified leads skip calls, the post says you may want to rethink how you’re qualifying them.

  2. Be upfront. Let the prospect know what you plan for the call. You could include a short case study or testimonial in your invitation. The post says if you make the value simple and relevant, people will come.

  3. Send smart reminders. For example, you could send an email 24 hours before your call and a text an hour before your meeting. The post recommends keeping the reminders short, using their name and restating the main benefit.

  4. Stay flexible with scheduling. It’s helpful to use tools that allow prospects to choose and modify meeting times on their own. This way, if they need to adjust times, they can do it with a quick click.

  5. Use a personal touch. This could be as simple as following up after the first meeting with a quick thank-you. The post recommends saying something like, “It’s great that you shared your goals on our chat.”

  6. Follow up after a no-show. According to the post, a gracious email works best. This shows that you still want to connect and keeps the door open. Aim to provide 3 time slots to reschedule the missed call.

No-shows don’t have to leave you feeling frustrated or stall your pipeline. Take time to understand what’s behind them and then adjust your process accordingly.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: A post from the Intelemark blog.