Spring is in the Air – make your sales conversations bloom.

It finally feels like there are signs of Spring in the air –  seeing the daffodils and crocuses starting to bloom, blue skies and the sun shining all bring joy to my heart.  It got me thinking that finding a new business lead and getting the conversation to flow takes time, but when there are signs of interest from a new lead this can also blossom into the start of something new and exciting!

The question is though, how do you get your prospective client to blossom and open up to you when you make that first contact call?

Planning and research:  Before you call the client the old adage “fail to plan, plan to fail” comes to mind!  It is vital that you have thought about:

• Why you are calling this person and business?
• Why might they need your help?
• What is in it for them?
• What is your aim for this call?

So do your homework.  Many moons ago when I started selling, I did not have the luxury of Google at my fingertips.  Now that we have this unbelievable source of information at our disposal there is no excuse not to use it to find out about your prospective client’s business.  Make sure you know, for example:

• What new products / services they have launched
• Who their customers are
• How they sell their products and services
• What events they are attending or organising

The reason for doing this research is to Attune yourself with your prospective client.  Daniel Pink writes in his book How to Sell is Human –  it is vital that you “bring yourself into harmony with individuals, groups and contexts.”  What he means is, put yourself in the client’s shoes – think about their business and why they might need you and how your product or service could be of benefit to them.

The Hook:  Now armed with all this wonderful information you need to get that flower to bloom and make it bask in the sunshine of your charming personality.  This means not only trying to build rapport quickly but also by finding and thinking of a hook so that you get their interest right at the outset and you can do this by following these steps:

• Introduce yourself and your company
• The Hook – tell the client why you are calling and make it relevant to them. This information for the hook could come from the research you have found out about them from their website or from another source that has caused you to initiate the call – something you saw in a newspaper, twitter, heard on the radio etc.
• Ask a question that is linked to the hook – the key is to get the client talking – you will need to find out information about them and the only way to do this is by asking them questions before you start selling. For more information on the best way to go about questioning I am afraid you will have to wait until my next blog!

Good luck – remember flowers like warmth and attention as does a prospective client so make sure the attention is focused on them and not on you and with some planning, persistence and a good opening hook you will also start to see your prospective client relationship bloom!