Updated: December 8, 2023
Ask ACE
Ask ACE: How do I prepare for a first conversation with a new sales prospect?
By Tom Renehan
Q: How do I prepare for a first conversation with a new sales prospect?
ACE advises: Customers’ pain points may vary widely but most people buying a product or service are in hope of solving a problem they may have in their organization. Some examples of pain points (or needs) can be financial, process, organizational or support issues in the organization. As a seller of goods or services those who understand their customer or potential customers needs will be more successful in converting leads to sales.
When do I look for customer pain points? According to Jennifer Frye, CEO of Appreciated Asset, “I take a bit of a different approach with these conversations. When I am prospecting for my own business or for my clients, I like to find out the prospect’s worry points prior to our discovery call. Because we do almost all of our prospecting over the phone, when I reach out to set the discovery call, I will list a few of those common areas of concern and ask if any of them resonate. Doing this gives me the opportunity to respond directly to those concerns and set the discovery call with more information. It also changes the dynamic of the interaction from a classic ‘sales volley’ to an actual conversation setting the tone for the discovery call.”
In summary, it is important to understand your clients’ pain points. Asking the right questions during prospecting or discovery will help you get to their needs and improve your chances of closing the sale.
Tom Renehan, an ACE board member, is a Yarmouth-based Certified Professional Coach who works with individuals and groups to improve their leadership skills. He is certified in Leadership Effectiveness 360 and is a part time lecturer at the Roux Institute at Northeastern University. He can be reached at tom@tomrenehan.com
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