Prospect is on the line. You know nothing about them. Awkward silence. The next steps you take are crucial. In any situation, it is important to know what approach to take, and having a plan in advance helps you know which one is correct for your prospect. In each sales call, there is one unique and critical step to ensure the highest probability of closing the sale.
The most common misstep a salesperson makes is to be so focused on the end goal that they forget critical first steps. Every prospect we speak to is different and we must “know their past” to be most effective.
There are TWO types of prospects that we will interact with daily. Those who have never had an experience with the service we are trying to provide them, or those who have.
So you may ask what is this unique approach, well it is quite simple.
The first prospect is the one who has never had experience at all or used this service in the past. For this type, we must PAINT THE PICTURE. We must create an image to help them understand. How does the industry work, why we are better and why they no longer need to look around? Build value for ourselves so they KNOW no one else can compete. Pretend you are the Bob Ross of sales, and your prospect is watching you as you describe the service. Once we are positive they have a full understanding we can then proceed.
The second prospect is the one who has had many experiences. If this is the case we must, as I would say “take them down MEMORY LANE.” Meaning, what we are selling is something they have had experience in and we can relate it to them in that regard. By doing this we can compare and contrast. This shows that what they will be receiving will SUPERSEDE anything they have ever had before.
Why is it so important to know which approach?
Think about it like this. You are a teacher and teaching an introductory math class. Will you be able to use algebraic equations to help them understand the first day? NO. You will need to create an image so they can understand in other terms, otherwise, they will be very lost. I can guarantee you will have a class that fails if you approach it in this way.
By understanding our prospects background and what it looks like, we control our destiny. Like I always say, “Sales is a numbers game. We want to do do it as perfect as possible as many times as possible.” In doing so we create consistency and that brings in more sales.
At the end of the day, we must sit back and focus on the crucial little steps that get us to the end. Every step is a piece of the puzzle and without all the pieces, we can never really finish it.
Hope this helps you all. Give it a shot and if you like it and it works, give it a share.
Happy Selling!
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