Top 3 Ways to Get Inside Your Prospect’s Head
It can be challenging to connect with prospects during discovery calls. You want to figure out whether or not you have a qualified buyer, but you also need to deliver a positive experience for the prospect. So, how do you make a great first impression? How do you figure out if the prospect is your ideal customer who is ready to buy? How do you position your product as an ideal solution while not talking over their heads by using technical jargon? If you’re looking to answer these questions read on for the top 3 ways to get inside your prospect’s head.
1. Understand your potential client’s position as the decision-maker
They:
- Do not have a technical background
- Do not understand the technical or industry terms you use
- See you as the expert – which is intimidating
- Do not know what questions to ask
- Are unclear on what they need
- Find it difficult to scope their needs
- Do not know how to budget – this does not mean they do not have a budget
- Need things explained – but in a non or semi-technical way
2. Empathize with what prospects may be feeling
They:
- Want to feel understood
- Are afraid of making a costly mistake
- Are intimidated by technical jargon
- Are second-guessing their ability to evaluate, compare options, and decide
- Are uncertain about your services and solutions in general
- Are unsure if your services will have an ROI or solve their problem
3. Your prospects are not just interested in your technical skills, they are interested in how they will work with you long term, as this is a big investment
Your prospects:
- Are interested in your company’s cultural fit with their organization
- Are thinking, “How am I going to work with this person or company and develop a long-term relationship?”
- Are wondering, “How will I know they can do what they say they can do?”
- Are looking for a partner they can trust
- Are interested in how you communicate with and respond to them
- Are trying to determine if working with your company is the right investment– for both their time and money
In summary, here’s what prospects are thinking:
- Am I making the right decision and the right investment?
- Does the service, solution, product solve my problem?
- Can I trust and work with this company in a long-term relationship?
Now that you have a deeper understanding of your prospects position, feelings and relationship interests, use these insights to guide your sales conversations.
Here’s how:
- Use examples and analogies to explain things versus technical language or industry jargon.
- Share how other companies use your services and what results you have helped them achieve.
- Use a customer story with a similar challenge with which the prospect can relate.
- Ask what they would like to talk about and what they want to walk away from the conversation with.
- Ask if they need help determining a budget.
- When it comes to pricing, share example price ranges using what your other customers spend on the same solutions.
- Provide an example of how you communicate with your customers. Outline the timing, method, and responsiveness they can expect from you.
- Be transparent. Share how they will know you can deliver on and meet their needs.
- Talk about technical capabilities but tie them to prospects’ challenges and goals.
- Phrase questions so that the language focuses on the prospect’s goals, not your own. Use words like “goals,” “challenges,” and “plans.”
- Help buyers compare the alternative solution paths they are pursuing.
- Don’t be afraid to address the pros and cons of competitive offerings.
Prospects are trying to picture what it’s like to do business with you and how you will fit into their business. The techniques outlined here will help you frame that picture. They will help you connect during the discovery call, and help you to sell the relationship, and sell your value.