The initial call with a prospect can be a difficult one; you know very little about the person you are engaging with and you have no idea how it will go, but there are some things you can do to get the most out of the call.
HERE ARE 3 THINGS YOU MUST DO ON ANY PROSPECT CALL:
1. BE CLEAR ABOUT THE AIM OF THE CALL AND DEFINE THE PARAMETERS
When you’re engaging with a prospect for the first time, or even the fourth, fifth or sixth time, it’s vital that you’re clear about the aim of the call. What is it that you’re hoping to achieve? As well as this, set out the parameters of the call initially- how long will the call take? Defining these points and communicating them to your prospect will help you in 2 ways:
1. IT WILL ENABLE YOU TO ACHIEVE YOUR AIM FOR THE CALL
By having your goal in mind from the get-go, it will help you to stay on track and get what you want from the call.
2. IT WILL SHOW YOUR PROSPECT THAT YOU RESPECT THEIR TIME
By informing your prospect that the call will take up to 30 minutes and checking that they are still ok to talk for that long, will show them that you respect that their time is valuable.
Being clear about the aim and the parameters of the call is one of the most important things you must do on any prospect call. Doing so will help you build an initial rapport with your prospect and will set you in good stead for future engagements.
2. USE QUESTIONS TO INVESTIGATE AND LISTEN MORE THAN YOU TALK
Listening more than you talk is one of the most essential things you must do on any prospect call. Stephen Covey said “seek first to understand and then to be understood” and this is something you should always remember when engaging with your prospects. It’s not about you, it’s about them so ask questions and get to know them and their pain points and then offer them your solution.
Aim for the 70/30 rule- 70% should be your prospect talking and 30% should be you talking. If you don’t do this and you dominate the conversation talking about yourself, you’ll struggle to build a relationship with your prospect and therefore won’t make a sale!
3. FINISH THE CALL WITH A CLEAR NEXT STEP
Always finish a call or a meeting by defining the next step and don’t put down the phone or walk out the door until you have! If you don’t define your next step and communicate this to your prospect, your sale won’t go anywhere. Whether the next step is a visit to your site or another call or a meeting at their office, decide on a definitive time and date and be clear about it. If the call has shown you that you’re not a good fit for each other, it’s ok to say that too but ensure the prospect knows where they stand.
If your prospect isn’t keen on agreeing to the next step, it’s a clear warning sign that they still have some reservations about working with you and you may have some more work to do.
So there are my 3 things you must do on any prospect call but what are your thoughts? Do you agree with these? What works for you when engaging with prospects? I’d love to hear your thoughts so leave a comment below or tweet me here!
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