Prospects Are Also People

Jill Konrath, www.jillkonrath.com

“Treat the person you contact like a human being, not a prospect,” recommends Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling: Speed Up Sales and Win More Business with Today’s Frazzled Customers. “In calling a friend, you’d automatically ask if you were interrupting: ‘Is it a bad time?’ You would notice if they sounded distracted and address it head on: ‘Hey, if you’re swamped right now, I don’t want to interrupt. I’d rather catch you when you have a few minutes to talk.’ And you’d immediately suggest a future contact: ‘When is a good time to call you back?’” Konrath elaborates:

Prepare for the common obstacles prior to the call—and eliminate them if at all possible. For example, they say, “We already use XYZ.” You respond: “Well, I assume a company of your size would be working with another firm. (pause) And that’s why we need to meet …”

Or they say, “We’re really busy right now. We couldn’t possibly take time to look at options.” You respond: “You and I know that six months from now your workload isn’t going to be any lighter. And that’s exactly why we need to get together …”

Please note that the second sentence in these examples starts with and, not but! Because the “and” doesn’t negate your prospect’s perspective, they will be interested in learning more.

Then, reel off two to three valid business reasons that this prospect should get together with you. They need to flow out of your mouth without hesitation, so prepare them ahead of time. These are true statements, not slippery manipulations, so make sure you state them with quiet confidence.

Sounding like a sleazy, well-oiled seller will not get you an appointment in today’s market. Think of your phone calls as business-to-business conversations with peers. That may be a hard mind shift to make, but it’s where you need to be.