How can you interest and listen to a prospect?
17/04/2012
Did you know it? Human beings are logical and consistent with themselves!
This is why, as the saying goes, the first impression is the right one. This is what we must keep in mind when we want to interest a prospect.
Everything is determined during the first 60 seconds.
As soon as you say "Hello ...", the clock starts and leaves you with only two choices: either you manage to catch the interest of your prospect or you talk on and on in vain, without raising the slightest interest from him.
These 60 seconds are critical: you must learn how to master this first minute. To help you, we have defined a few steps to follow:
1) Clarify your offer
(Values, objectives, strategy)
2) Slice it in different categories if necessary
(The more you have choice, the less you are able to choose.)
3) Learn how to sum up your skills
For example: you meet a friend in the elevator and he says “Hello, what’s new?”
From then, you have 10 seconds to tell him the main trends AND raise his interest.
"You never have twice the opportunity to make a first good impression."
It is indeed essential to clarify your offer, that is to say what you want to become.
Let’s consider RENAULT and ROLLS ROYCE for example. We agree that their job is to make cars and yet, because their values are different (regular cars for everyone for Renault, technical perfection for Rolls Royce), they will not have the same sales objectives and therefore the strategies of these two brands will be totally different too.
So why should we slice the offer into categories if it is consistent with what the managing director wants for his business?
Because choice leads buyers to uncertainty and the more choices they have, the less they are able to choose.
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to pick up a melon when you have 200 of them in front of you that all smell equally good?
You take one and then another and another, you weigh them, touch them, smell them and finally take a last one that you place in your shopping cart carefully before removing it to take back the first melon you had chosen... (This is a caricature but I'm sure most of us have experienced this kind of situation.)
It is therefore crucial, if you want to interest a prospect, to submit only those products / services he needs and that will meet his expectations.
Now comes the second part of my argumentation: you need to learn to listen to your client before selling your products / services!
Why is this crucial?
Because the sale of your product / service will occur only if your prospect needs it and is interested!
So how can you proceed?
Well, you already have part of the answer in the first part of this article: "you must please him." But that's not all. You also must listen to him and show that you are receptive to his message.
The technique is simple: "BE QUIET AND LISTEN!", while showing that you care.
Do not express any emotion; do not make any gesture of approval or disagreement. Put yourself in "mirroring mode", that is to say imitate his attitude and gestures without falling into caricature. Your partner should be able to express his point without feeling manipulated.
Then, when he has finished his presentation, you can offer your services, taking care first to reformulate what he has just said and make sure your comments are well in line with his ideas.
Lastly, and only at that point, you can introduce your own products / services. But beware! Only those which will meet the needs of your prospect. Do not try to sell your whole catalog or your prospect will be totally lost.
To conclude, to interest your prospect you need to learn how to be accurate and concise and offer him, before selling your products / services, to explain his needs. It is therefore not by seeking to sell your product that you will manage to develop your business: by meeting the needs of your customers, you will be able to interest them and make a lasting impression.
"You have to make a lasting impression."
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