Key word is: Link! (Or I should say “link it!”) After you’ve had a conversation or an email exchange with a prospect, the best way to follow up is by simply linking back to what they said or wrote in the first exchange.
Here’s a quick video where I explain the process:
It’s time for an obvious observation. Your prospect is busy. They’re not thinking about you the way you might be thinking about them. This means you need to help remind them in your follow-up conversation.
Linking does not, however, mean asking them if they’re ready to buy. No, linking means taking a comment they shared with you and making it the central part of your conversation.
Customers are quick to believe how salespeople don’t listen and only care about making a sale, but this approach of linking back to their earlier comment blows that myth up.
When you repeat back to them in a follow-up conversation something they shared with you, it immediately gets them to realize you care about what they say and you actually listened to them.
It’s amazing the number of times I’ve had prospects respond back to me after I link to something they’ve shared. They say they’ve never had a salesperson do that before. It would be easy for me to rant about how tragic that is, but let’s make it a habit from here on that we link everything, every time.
When you share with the prospect something they shared with you and then ask them a question about it, you’re now moving the conversation to a different level. You’re now putting the customer in control, and with this simple move, it’s amazing how much they will share with you.
The concept of linking is not difficult at all, and the beauty of the concept is it always gives you a reason to reach back out to the prospect. You’ve had more than a few occasions where your prospect has gone silent on you, despite your repeated attempts to get in touch with them. Boom! Here’s a great way to break through the “radio silence” by asking them a question about something they shared previously with you.
Sales is about engaging others. It’s not about information dumps, Powerpoint presentations or slick videos. It’s about having a conversation. Make the conversation about the other person and what they say, and you’ll be amazed at what you learn.
If you have not grabbed a copy of my book High-Profit Prospecting, I strongly suggest you do, as in the book are hundreds of ideas just like this. Closing sales is about opening prospects.
And don’t forget that a coach can help you excel in your sales career! Invest in yourself by checking out my coaching program today!
Copyright 2018, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results
