Isn’t it wonderful when you can go on a sales call and get along well with the prospect. Perhaps the bonding and rapport you have with them is off the charts. Maybe there are a ton of levels of commonality that you both have. The bottom line is: you are getting along fabulously with them in that first meeting…almost like “Excuse me everyone, I would like you all to meet ______. We a…re life-long friends andddddd…….we just met 2 hours ago!”
The meeting ends well and you both agree to follow up with one another in a timely fashion (note: this was not a one-time close opportunity.) Your sales manager asks you how the meeting went and you wax poetic about your new best friend, how amazing the meeting went and then all of a sudden…… the prospect falls off the face of the earth! They don’t return your emails, your voice mails. It’s as though they don’t even exist anymore. It’s especially annoying because you know there was a legitimate interest from them in what you do and how you can help. Plus, they had specific needs you uncovered, they had the resources to invest in a solution for those needs and a willingness to put those resources to good use with your help. So what happened?
The answer to this question is really too long to type out in this month’s tip. The reality is I could spend a whole day teaching you techniques on how to counter this. What I will share is this: you need to get into a serious conversation when you are with them. Ask them well thought out, serious questions and get them to be forthright with you. There are specific ways to earn that right for them to be forthright.
The moral to this tale is you don’t want to just gather up friends on sales calls, but rather you are seeking business opportunities. Your goal is to develop business. Here is the take away: go into your meeting with a mindset that it is all about moving the football forward, doing business with the client AND NOT just about getting along and making friends.
Would you like a sneak peek behind the curtain on how to do this effectively? Let me know and I will be happy to share.
GOLD NUGGET FOR YOU: Here’s a great line to open with in the early stages of a meeting with your prospect: “What would make this a GREAT meeting for you?
