Losing a potential customer's attention in seconds
By Joan Carles Sanjurjo
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When you finally make contact with a potential client for the first time , whether by phone or in person, it's because that person has given you their attention for a very short period of time. If you don't use that very limited time to connect, they'll quickly stop paying attention to you.
Here are some examples of what you can do to lose your potential client's attention during the first few seconds of the conversation:
Starting a phone conversation with: “Hello, how are you?”
Start your conversation with an introduction of yourself, your company and what you do.
Provide an overview of your products and services.
Explain how your product or service will benefit them.
List the companies you have worked with.
There are salespeople who do not properly start sales conversations czechia business email list with potential customers. Most sales calls and meetings start with one of the above introductions. But in reality, the moment your prospect notices that you are trying to sell him something he neither wants nor needs, he automatically stops paying attention to you and starts looking for a way to end the call. He is not interested in your circumstances, he does not want to know anything about your company, or your products or services. What he wants are solutions to his problems , and we are going to try to explain here how we can give it to him.
Focus your attention on your potential client
It may sound simple, but many salespeople don't understand it. Some people still think that selling is about talking at length about their company, product or service. However, effective selling is all about asking the prospect the right questions, and showing them that you can help solve a particular problem or issue. This means focusing all your attention on the prospect's situation, and holding back when it comes to talking about your company or offering.
If you're cold calling , you can do this by changing your introduction, or your voicemail. Do your research and suggest a specific problem they're likely facing. Here's an example of a voicemail message: "Mr. Lopez, if your circumstances are similar to those of most shoe manufacturers, it's highly likely that you're concerned about (describe the problem). If so, you can call me at 93 180 9664 as I can suggest a solution. By the way, my name is Joan from Heading2Market and my number is 93 180 9664."
This applies to face-to-face meetings as well . When you first meet with a potential client, the inappropriate thing to do is start talking about your product or service. Instead, open the conversation by asking, “Mr. Lopez, many of our current clients are experiencing (insert problem here), do you share this concern?” A question like this shows that you are knowledgeable about their company, or their industry, and gives you an initial level of trust that will allow your prospect to start talking to you and share their main concerns.
Throughout my career, I have learned that most people will tell you whatever you want to know, as long as you give them a reason to do so. The key is to develop and ask high-quality questions .
At heading2market we make dozens of first contacts with potential clients every day, and dozens, not hundreds, because day to day has taught us that in B2B contexts preparation is essential . It is essential to attract the attention of the potential client, and to obtain the information that allows us to focus the product or service on solving their problems. The adoption of this tactic has allowed our clients not only to increase their closing ratios, but also to have lists of potential clients to follow up on in order to close in the medium term.
Here's the bottom line. The more time you spend talking to your prospect about your product or service, the less likely they are to continue the conversation. The more you focus your attention on their situation, their problems, and on showing how you can help improve their business, the more you'll differentiate yourself from your competitors.
You only have a few minutes to connect with your potential client, so be brief, focused, and center on them.
