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In Sales 101, you learn to meet your prospect where they are.

What does that mean?

Have you ever talked with a sales rep who was focused on selling you a specific product that you weren't interested in?

You felt like they were reading a script and didn't hear a word you said.

Years ago, I was negotiating to buy a new car.

The sales rep kept asking me how much I wanted to pay per month.

I kept asking for the cash price because I didn't want to finance the car.

Back and forth we went, waiting for the other person to blink.

This was back when "tag team" high-pressure sales was a thing.

His manager happened to walk by to say "hello" and immediately applied more pressure.

They were focused on getting me to finance the car so they would earn more commissions.

I wanted to pay cash.

I walked away and purchased the car from a different dealer.

How do you meet the prospect where they are?

1. Listen actively.

The first step in meeting your prospect where they are is to actively listen to their concerns and needs.

This requires empathy and understanding of their unique situation.

Listen carefully to their pain points and ask questions to get a better understanding of their perspective.

2. Customize your approach

Each prospect is different and may have different preferences for how they want to receive information.

Some may prefer visuals while others may prefer written content.

Take the time to understand their learning style and tailor your approach accordingly.

3. Address their state of mind

Prospects may be in different states of mind depending on the situation.

They may be stressed, anxious, or skeptical.

Acknowledge their emotional state and try to alleviate their concerns by highlighting the benefits of your product and addressing any potential objections.

4. Provide value

In order to capture the prospect's interest, it's important to provide value early on in the conversation.

This can be in the form of insights, statistics, or industry trends that are relevant to their business.

By demonstrating your knowledge and expertise, you can build credibility and trust.

5. Educate, don't sell

Finally, it's important to approach the conversation as an opportunity to educate the prospect, not just sell to them.

By providing valuable information and insights, you can help the prospect make an informed decision about whether your product is right for them.

This approach can lead to a more positive and productive conversation.

At this point, you've met them where they are and you are building a relationship.

They are beginning to trust you because you have taken the time to ask questions and actively listen to their answers.

Meet them where they are, understand where they're coming from, where they want to go, and if you can help them.

Ted Prodromou, America’s Leading LinkedIn Coach, is the award-winning, best-selling author of Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Business and Ultimate Guide to Twitter for Business (Entrepreneur Press).

Ted has been featured on?Entrepreneur.com ,?Forbes.com , Twitter Revolution on CNBC, The New York Times,?HuffPost.com ,?and many other popular websites.

Ted is a social selling expert and the founder of Search Marketing Simplified, LLC, a full service social media marketing agency. The SMS team creates advanced LinkedIn and social media lead-generation campaigns for small to medium-sized businesses with over $100 million in revenue generated for their clients.

Get your free LinkedIn and social selling training at www.YourLinkedInCoach.com