Earlier this year I traveled to New York City, so I could visit with several of our coaching members/clients, and various prospects – yes, we prospect as well. During one visit early in the morning to one of our members, she was in the middle of making prospecting calls and I simply sat down and observed.
I actually found myself taking notes as she adeptly orchestrated the call. I wrote down 18 things she did to turn a prospect call into a secured meeting. I thought I would share 5 strategies this particular member/client successfully implemented.
1) She listened.
At first I thought she was on hold, as she didn’t say a word for 3 minutes – but I soon realized her prospect was sharing their story. She correctly allowed the prospect to talk, so she could gather all of the information she could to show that she was listening and understood the prospect’s specific situation.
2) She took notes.
ALWAYS take notes when your prospect is talking, I prefer wearing a headset and typing so you can enter these notes directly into your CRM. Regardless of what method you use – take notes – these are the basis for your engaging questions.
3) She reiterated her understanding of what the prospect shared with her.
This is huge. Your prospect needs to know that you clearly understand their situation, and if you have any misunderstandings – this is where you can clarify.
4) She shared relevant information.
This particular prospect was looking to lease a large office building, so she casually interjected similar properties she had successfully leased. This provided the prospect with the comfort and confidence that she was the right person to speak with.
5) She asked for the meeting.
Sharing information is great, but you must ask for the business. While asking for the business, she shared exactly what was to be addressed during the meeting and the benefits this meeting would have for the prospect.
She implemented several other tactics to secure the meetings, but these 5 are critical to any prospect call. The next time you find a prospect sharing information with you, recognize they are inviting you to ask for their business – follow the steps above and turn these calls into meetings.
