The Secret To Never Hearing The Word No From a Prospect Again!

If you've generated leads online you know at some point you will have to talk to prospects. The lack of phone skills can kill a sign up everytime, so I wanted to give you something that should help with your conversion rates.

The hardest part about phone sales is building trust. Prospects don't know you and assume you want something from them. Think about a customer service call center. They deal with angry irate customers everyday yet most calls end in peace.

How is this done?

There are three techniques taught by top customer service companies across America. If you've ever called into a good customer service center you've been through this process. It's so simple and easy anyone can do it and if done right you will build trust and lower prospects defenses.

Let's apply this to a typical prospecting call. 

Step 1: Acknowledgement
Prospects want to know you understand how their situation is unique and applies to only them, even if you've heard the same story a thousand times. People who are good at connecting make you feel like you're the only person who matters. 

This is easy to do. All you have to do is summarize 2-3 sentences the prospect is saying every few minutes or so. 

               Something Like: "So what your saying is... "If I'm hearing you correctly..."

Then summarize 2-3 of their last points and restate them in your own words.  

Step 2: Gaining Agreement
Asking the prospect if what you acknowledged is correct. It's as simple as, "is that correct and listen to the answer. If they say yes proceed to your next open-ended-question. 

If they say no, you should as another question to clarify their points. 

 Step 3: Provide Assurance
Once you've gained agreement you can now provide assurance. This means letting the customer know you understand their unique issue.

 It's fair to say most people's issue revolve around

-avoiding something i.e failure, foreclosure, bankruptcy
-accomplishing something i.e. getting out of debt, buying a house, paying for college

This entire process can be done in a low-key manner. Here's a sample of how a conversation may sound. Assume you've already confirmed who you're speaking to and that the contact did request a call. 

                           **This is not a script. I just made this for the purpose of this article***

You: So Jim, could you tell me a little more about what you're looking for. Besides the obvious more time and money, which we all want more of, what's going on in your world that's got you to this point?

Them: I was laid off and now I'm 3 months behind on my mortgage. Summer is coming soon and I have to work a second job to afford daycare. Things are just getting tighter and I need to make money soon...

...I don't know what to do, but I gotta do something.

 You: So If I'm hearing you correctly...

...You've been a victim of a bad economy and was laid off. Now you're going to miss spending the summer vacation with your son because all of your extra time will be spent at a second job. You want to be there and right now you're just weighing your options. 

Does that pretty much sum it up?

Them: Pretty Much

You: You're right. Jim. Things are getting tough out there. I know how you feel wanting to be there with your son during the summer. That's when memories are made, yano. I can't say I have all the answers, but I have the time and resources to help you solve some of these issues if you want it? 

Them: Sure, but I'm not interested in buying anything or selling anything right now. I am broke and can't afford it right now.

You: You know Jim, at this time I have nothing to sell you because I don't know exactly what will help you the most. 

Tell me more about how you see yourself getting out of these circumstances so do have that time to spend with your son and can still afford to pay the mortgage?

**********************************

The rest of the conversation should continue in the same manner. It builds trust, shows the prospect you're listening and allows you to gather enough information for them to either qualify or disqualify themselves. 

Being pushy, cocky and over confident only pushes people away. Like the old saying goes, people don't care what you know until they know that you care.

I hope this helps with your prospecting. 

Brought to you by:

Jamaul Finley
Delivering Value Without Expectations