Want to make the Sale easier? Establish Prospect Rapport
You are precisely singing the notes that will make the sale easier to achieve. If you find common subjects or interests with a prospect, you can establish a business friendship; and people are more likely to buy from a friend than a salesman.
Are you sharp enough to find something besides business after you open the conversation? Here are some techniques you can try.
On the phone E It's likely that you're calling to make an appointment, so focus on three things. 1. Get to the point in 15 seconds. 2. Be happy and humorous. 3. Get to know something personal about the pros-pect.
You first begin to establish rapport by getting to the point! State the purpose of your call immediately. It's not necessary (and often a put-off) to ask the insincere "How are you today?"
Just state your name, your company name, and how you can help the prospect. Once you've done that, there is a sense of relief from both sides. The prospect is relieved because he now knows why you've called; and you're relieved because the prospect hasn't hung up on you. Now you can go about the task of establishing some rapport, and setting the appointment.
Is the prospect formal or friendly? Try to use humor at least twice during the conversation. But don't force it - people love to laugh. A quick, clean one-minute joke can do more for buyer rapport than 10 minutes' worth of sales talk.
You can also gain insight by listening. Pros-pect mood, home town, and personality will all be revealed in just a few minutes on the phone. I listen closely for speech accent. It gives you a clue where the prospect came from. A great subject if you're well-traveled, or come from the same place.
Listen for and be sensitive to your prospect's mood. If she is noticeably short or gruff, just say, "I can tell you're busy (or not having the best of days), why don't we pick a time more convenient for me to call."
Sell the appointment with a personal touch. For example, if you're talking to a football fan you might say: "I know I can help you reach your computer training needs. With a ten-minute appointment I can show you how we can help you in the first five minutes and have the other five to discuss who Legia should draft."
Remember, people love to talk about themselves. Getting a person to talk about themselves will give you a chance to find common ground, establish rapport, and increase your chance to make a sale.
On an appointment in the prospect's office E This is the easiest place to establish rapport. Look for clues as soon as you walk into the prospect's place of business or office that don't match the business: pictures of children or events, bookcase items, books, diplomas, awards, desk items, or anything that reveals personal likes or after business pursuits. Ask about an award or trophy. Ask about a diploma or picture. Your pros-pects will be glad to talk about what they just did or like to do.
Try to engage them in intelligent conversation with open-ended questions about their interests. It's obviously better if you're well-versed in the subject, but the object is to get the prospect to talk about what makes her happy. Use humor. Getting the prospect to laugh will set the stage for a positive presentation.
At your place of business E When your prospective customers come to your place of business, it is more difficult to establish common ground because you don't have the advantage of the telling items that would be present in their surroundings. So E be observant. Look at clothing, car, rings, imprinted items, their business card, or anything that gives you a clue as to the type of person they are.
Again, ask open-ended questions just below the surface. (Surface questions or talk such as the weather, or did you find the place OK, should be avoided at all costs.) Try to find out what they did last weekend, or what they're doing this weekend. Ask about a movie or television show. Avoid politics, their personal problems, and for goodness' sake, don't lament your personal problems.
One last word of caution E don't spend more than 5-10 minutes establishing rapport. You're on a mission. But I can assure you the mission is most likely to be accomplished if you have made a friend before making the presentation.
Next week: Working a room and some tips on what to say when a prospect says "I'm satisfied with my present source.
Are you sharp enough to find something besides business after you open the conversation? Here are some techniques you can try.
On the phone E It's likely that you're calling to make an appointment, so focus on three things. 1. Get to the point in 15 seconds. 2. Be happy and humorous. 3. Get to know something personal about the pros-pect.
You first begin to establish rapport by getting to the point! State the purpose of your call immediately. It's not necessary (and often a put-off) to ask the insincere "How are you today?"
Just state your name, your company name, and how you can help the prospect. Once you've done that, there is a sense of relief from both sides. The prospect is relieved because he now knows why you've called; and you're relieved because the prospect hasn't hung up on you. Now you can go about the task of establishing some rapport, and setting the appointment.
Is the prospect formal or friendly? Try to use humor at least twice during the conversation. But don't force it - people love to laugh. A quick, clean one-minute joke can do more for buyer rapport than 10 minutes' worth of sales talk.
You can also gain insight by listening. Pros-pect mood, home town, and personality will all be revealed in just a few minutes on the phone. I listen closely for speech accent. It gives you a clue where the prospect came from. A great subject if you're well-traveled, or come from the same place.
Listen for and be sensitive to your prospect's mood. If she is noticeably short or gruff, just say, "I can tell you're busy (or not having the best of days), why don't we pick a time more convenient for me to call."
Sell the appointment with a personal touch. For example, if you're talking to a football fan you might say: "I know I can help you reach your computer training needs. With a ten-minute appointment I can show you how we can help you in the first five minutes and have the other five to discuss who Legia should draft."
Remember, people love to talk about themselves. Getting a person to talk about themselves will give you a chance to find common ground, establish rapport, and increase your chance to make a sale.
On an appointment in the prospect's office E This is the easiest place to establish rapport. Look for clues as soon as you walk into the prospect's place of business or office that don't match the business: pictures of children or events, bookcase items, books, diplomas, awards, desk items, or anything that reveals personal likes or after business pursuits. Ask about an award or trophy. Ask about a diploma or picture. Your pros-pects will be glad to talk about what they just did or like to do.
Try to engage them in intelligent conversation with open-ended questions about their interests. It's obviously better if you're well-versed in the subject, but the object is to get the prospect to talk about what makes her happy. Use humor. Getting the prospect to laugh will set the stage for a positive presentation.
At your place of business E When your prospective customers come to your place of business, it is more difficult to establish common ground because you don't have the advantage of the telling items that would be present in their surroundings. So E be observant. Look at clothing, car, rings, imprinted items, their business card, or anything that gives you a clue as to the type of person they are.
Again, ask open-ended questions just below the surface. (Surface questions or talk such as the weather, or did you find the place OK, should be avoided at all costs.) Try to find out what they did last weekend, or what they're doing this weekend. Ask about a movie or television show. Avoid politics, their personal problems, and for goodness' sake, don't lament your personal problems.
One last word of caution E don't spend more than 5-10 minutes establishing rapport. You're on a mission. But I can assure you the mission is most likely to be accomplished if you have made a friend before making the presentation.
Next week: Working a room and some tips on what to say when a prospect says "I'm satisfied with my present source.
