Why Are We Here?

I know, I know --- you’re thinking Rahiem, are you seriously about to make me read a philosophical post on our very existence in this world?

Because if you are, I’m going to keep scrolling through LinkedIn.

Nope. This is not that kind of post at all.

This post is about one of the most common challenges all sales professionals face. ??Which is how to move the needle during the initial sales call.

If you have ever read a ‘How To’ book on sales, they typically recommend that you pepper your prospect with a number of questions, to get the information you need to sell your product or solution. (Wait…I meant to infer, to fix the problem they have.) Wink.

I believe that you can never have enough information when it comes to understanding your prospects greatest business challenges. But let’s face it, showering them with question after question doesn’t answer their biggest question that they have, which is whether you can help them or not.

I offer you these three things to do when you are initially connecting with your prospects:

1.)???Ask them, “What are you hoping to get from today’s meeting?”

This immediately rotates the proverbial chessboard and allows them to make the first move by simply stating their agenda / purpose for meeting. Don’t worry about if they simply wanted to get pricing, general information, or some other guidance. The goal of this question is to get them talking about them.

After you ask this question, STAY CALM AND KEEP QUIET!

2.)???Ask them, “What do they know about your company?”

The typical ‘newbie’ salesperson thinks that they need to start every conversation with the elevator pitch. They have heard that with the perfect pitch, customers will be falling over themselves with intrigue to learn more about your company of product because of your perfectly crafted one – liner.

Remember this one truth, customers only care about your company because you offer something they want or need.

If I am not in the need of a mattress, I will drive by every mattress store I come across without their brand ever entering my thoughts. That is at least right up until I NEED / WANT one.

The purpose of asking them what they have heard about your company is to get them to offer you points of perceived value that they have about your company. There is no need for you to product pitch if that sales deck doesn’t even touch on one point of interest they have.

After you ask this question, STAY CALM AND KEEP QUIET!

3.)???Finally ask them, “Are you prepared to take action now to fix the problem you have?”

Salespeople far too often make assumptions about prospects’ interests to move forward in the sales process.

When a prospect says, “Maybe”. The salesperson hears, “Yes, I want to buy.”

When the prospect says, “Please send me a proposal.” The salesperson hears, “Yes, I want to buy.”

When the prospect says, “Call me next week.” The salesperson hears, “Yes, I want to buy.”

You get the picture. By asking them about their real intentions to make a move to fix things, this will provide you with a better picture into the immediacy and impact of this issue on their business.

After you ask this question, STAY CALM AND KEEP QUIET!

Your silence suggests that you are taking an advisory posture, not an order taking one. You are letting them know that you are not trying to peddle your product. When you go to the doctor, they don’t immediately tell you about all the medications they can prescribe. They assess. They discover. They investigate.

I encourage you to embrace the discovery process. It is your greatest stage. It allows you to make the best recommendations based on the information the prospect offers you.

If you could add one more impactful question to the earlier that I offered in this post, what would it be?