Latest / Sales Leadership with Fexingo: Quota Carriers, Sales Managers, and Revenue Teams / How Top Reps Turn Send Me Info into a Discovery Call
Transcript
- Lucas: There's a moment every sales rep knows. The prospect says, 'This looks interesting, can you send me some more information?' It sounds like interest. But statistically, fewer than one in ten of those requests leads to a follow-up meeting. Luna: I've been on both sides of that. As a buyer, sometimes I genuinely want to review specs before a call. But as a seller, it often feels like a polite way to get you off the phone. Lucas: Exactly. And the data backs that up. I sat down with a rep at a mid-market cybersecurity firm who decided to track every single 'send me info' request she got for a month. Out of 47 requests, only six people ever replied to her follow-up after she sent the materials. That's a 12 percent response rate. Luna: Twelve percent? So basically almost everyone who asked for info disappeared. How did she fix that? Lucas: She stopped sending materials cold. Instead, she trained herself to respond with a question: 'I'd be happy to send that. But to make sure I'm not wasting your time with the wrong information, could you tell me what specific problem you're trying to solve?' That one question changed everything. Luna: So she's reframing the request as a mini discovery conversation. What happened next? Lucas: About 70 percent of prospects actually answered that question. And she logged their answers. Then, instead of attaching a generic PDF, she created a one-page custom summary addressing their specific pain point. Her close rate from those 'send me info' leads went from 8 percent to 22 percent in the next quarter. Luna: That's more than doubling. So the key is not to ignore the request but to treat it as a signal that the prospect is curious enough to engage — if you can pull them into dialogue. Lucas: Exactly. The worst thing you can do is fulfill the request without any next step. You become what I call a 'PDF collector' — someone who just adds to their stack of materials they'll never read. So step one is to qualify the intent behind the request. Luna: And if they say 'I'm just gathering information for a project next year'? That feels like a non-starter. Lucas: Then you can still set a timeline. 'Great, when do you expect to make a decision? Let me mark my calendar to follow up a few weeks before that.' You're not selling yet, but you're keeping the door open. The rep I mentioned would also ask, 'Would it be helpful if I walked you through the key points in a 10-minute call next week?' That turns a document into an interaction. Luna: So you're setting the expectation that information comes with a conversation. I've had clients who fight this — they think they're being helpful by just sending the deck. But you're saying that's actually a disservice to the prospect. Lucas: It is. Because if they just wanted a data sheet, they could download it from your website. When they ask you directly, they're giving you an opening. Use it. Now, there's a second layer here: the psychology of the brush-off. Most prospects say 'send me info' because they're not convinced enough to commit, but they're too polite to say no outright. Luna: Right, it's a social buffer. So what's the rep's job in that moment? Lucas: To uncover the real objection. Maybe they're worried about price. Maybe they're already locked into a contract. Maybe they just don't trust you yet. By asking that qualifying question, you surface the roadblock. The rep I mentioned discovered that most of her 'send me info' prospects actually had budget concerns. So she started including a brief ROI calculation in her tailored one-pager. That addressed the hidden objection before it became a deal-killer. Luna: So the request becomes a diagnostic moment. I love that. What about the timing? Do you send the info immediately or delay? Lucas: The rep sent it within an hour, but only after getting that discovery answer. She also scheduled a follow-up call for two days later. That call was to go over the material together, not to ask 'Did you read it?' She'd say, 'I wanted to make sure the data sheet answered your questions about.' That way, the prospect expects the call. Luna: It sounds like a lot of upfront effort for a lead that might not pan out. But the results speak for themselves. Lucas: Exactly. And we break down this whole framework in detail in our guide, but the core is: qualify the request, tailor the response, attach a next step. Do that consistently and your conversion rate from these brush-offs will climb. Luna: And that's exactly why I love this show — no fluff, just actionable stuff like this. It's rare to find a sales podcast that gets straight to the point without trying to sell you something else. Lucas: That's the goal. Look, we deliberately keep these episodes ad-free. We want busy sales pros to get a practical tip without sitting through commercials. If that matters to you as a listener, there's a simple way to support that commitment. You can find the link at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small way to help us keep this library open and focused on what works. Luna: Yeah, and every contribution goes straight to keeping the lights on. We're not building a media empire, just trying to make sales better. Now, back to that frame — let's talk about what to do when the prospect says 'I just need to compare options.' That's another twist on the same brush-off. Lucas: Great point. 'Comparing options' is often a polite way of saying 'I don't see a clear winner yet.' In that case, you want to help them define the criteria. Ask: 'What are the top three factors you'll use to compare?' Then tailor your materials to address those criteria directly. You can even offer to do a side-by-side with their current vendor — but that's another episode. Luna: So the thread is: every 'send me info' is a disguised opportunity to move the conversation forward, not a transaction you fulfill. Lucas: Exactly. And it starts with that one question. Next time you get that request, don't just hit send. Ask yourself: what is this person really after? Then give them a reason to talk to you, not a file to ignore. Luna: I'll be trying that this week. Great episode.