First Impressions - Part II

It's December 2020 & the UK is bustling with life again; our roads & trains are packed with commuters (weren’t they always some will say?!) & High street retailers are welcoming foot traffic with restaurants geared up for herds of hungry pre-Christmas clientele. Together we’ve flattened the curve & after months of #social distancing, the isolation & lockdown suffering is finally in the rear-view mirror.

Everyone is relieved to be back to life as it was, but will things ever truly be the same? 

That first contact, that window of opportunity, that foot in the door is vitally important so MAKE IT COUNT…

As a result of ever-increasing competition, prospects now have zero tolerance for approaches that are not relevant or of added benefit or value. When it comes to that not so-important first ‘pitch’ experience — the make or break moment of initial contact — it's critical to have a thought provoking introduction & conversation flow that inspires trust for those that after all have heard it all before.

This is our profession; this is what we do so why not train & practice at it for EVERY different eventuality –

·        Lewis Hamilton knows how to drive but he doesn’t take every bend the same

·        Adele sings pretty well but not all her words are the same

·        Stuart Broad shouts ‘howzat’ in the Ashes but every delivery is different

·        Muhammad Ali was the greatest, but every knockout was punch perfect & right on target

We’re in the business of MAKING MEETINGS HAPPEN – whether F2F, virtually or that good old telephone call – do those unsolicited ‘one size fits all’ mass LinkedIn messages really work & do they show you really care? I know not & ‘delete message’ sends them to their rightful home, why the hell did you bother in the first place…?!

Please remember the structure & you’ll get along just fine ??

Example 1

o   The Verbal Handshake

§  Introducing self & company

o   The Hook

§  Reason for the call

o   Turn on Phrase

§  Benefit Statement to tempt your victim to want to know more

§  Solve – Improve – Save – Increase

o   Take Away Phrase

§  To entice & set the scene for probing

o   Probe & Confirm

§  Asking qualifying questions & confirming requirement/interest

o   Gaining Commitment

§  Buying signals & closing

o   Departure Drill

§  Creating the ‘warm feeling’

Example 2

o   Define

§  Define the customer’s requirements

o   Agree

§  Acceptance by the customer of requirements

o   Propose

§  Prove your product/service can fulfil requirements

o   Agree

§  Acceptance of proof by the customer

·        Both MUST follow that simple principle:

               ATTENTION

               INTEREST

               DESIRE

               ACTION

Hopefully you get my drift – DON’T drive prospects round the bend with a repetitive pitch without meaning, passion or purpose because #awfulcliché time – ‘if you always do what you’ve always done…..’ (you know the rest), now let’s look at KILLER Q’s…

Killer Questions….

Some aren’t for the faint hearted & a few of you might think I’m mad BUT, if they get you thinking or trying them out, you’ve lost nothing at all – I DARE YOU TO BE DIFFERENT…..

Firstly, a reminder of a few simple ‘back to basics’ conversation starters (only ONE can be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’ & it’s in there for an obvious reason ??)

1.    What is the most frustrating thing to you about__________? Why is that? 

2.    What makes you say that? Can you give me some background on that?  What draws you to that conclusion?

3.    What do you see as the purpose of the meeting exactly?

4.    What do you think causes__________? What’s your perspective on that?

5.    What have you done so far to address the problem?

6.    What would you do differently if__________?

7.    What is likely to happen if__________?

8.    What will not happen if__________?

9.    What are the implications for you if__________?

10.  Who benefits most from__________?

11.  What would you like in the future? In an ideal world what would you have? What would success look like for you? What would make this perfect for you?

12.  Is anyone else involved in the buying decision?

13.  What are the key drivers for the other people involved?

14.  Who else have you spoken to about this?

15.  What is the most pressing issue you are facing in the business right now?

16.  What would be easiest for you?

17.  How important is that to you?

18.  What aren’t you sure about or will that be enough for you?

19.  I agree you should think about it, often when our clients say that it’s because there is an issue they need to address – what do I need to clarify whilst I’m here? 

20.  What would we have to do to make you go ahead with this?

I’m finishing with a couple of ‘intention testers’ as a parting ??to be used when considering the ‘stages of the sale’-  with a few thrown in there that makes me different & the majority won’t have the courage to ask…!

‘TESTING’

What would you like to tell me about your business that I don’t know?

What one word would you want customers to use when describing your….?

How are you making it difficult for your customers to pay?

If you could approach your business with a fresh start, what would you do differently?

How many customers are you losing by…?

What keeps you awake at night?

What excuses are preventing you from….?

If I could do one thing to help your business, what would it be?

‘COMMITMENT’

If you could find ways of generating new business, would you be interested?

How serious are you about securing new customers?

Would you be prepared to invest to achieve that?

Bottom Line: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time & most importantly, HAVE FUN…!

#BGTips