The 7 Hour Rule: Warm Up Prospects Before the Sales Call

Long sales cycles are usually blamed on the sales team. In this short clip Josh argues the real cause is sales and marketing not working together, and introduces the idea that a cold prospect needs around seven hours of interaction with you before they are ready to buy.

Key takeaways

• Trust takes time. Around seven hours of talking with you, reading your content, watching your videos and hearing from referrals and testimonials before someone is ready to spend money.
• Marketing supplies those hours. While outbound runs, marketing should publish helpful content people can engage with.
• Answer objections before the call. Good content addresses the doubts, fears and false beliefs prospects have about your offer or industry.
• Teaching builds authority. When you are the one teaching, prospects come to you for answers, and reciprocity works in your favor.
• The sales call is the worst place to do it. A seven hour sales call is the least effective way to build trust. Content and automated nurture do it at scale.

Apply it to your business

List the questions and objections that come up on most of your sales calls, and turn each one into a short video, email or case study. Send them automatically between booking and the call, and in your nurture sequence for leads who have not booked. Prospects who arrive already warm are faster and easier to close.