Right on Target Hit the mark with prospective customers by learning how to find their hot buttons.
By Barry Farber
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Wouldn't it be great if every prospective customer you hadcame right out and said "Here's what's most importantto my company--and here's what I need your product to do forme"? That would definitely increase your closing ratio.Usually, however, discovering a customer's hot buttonsisn't quite that simple.
A hot button is anything that's of major importance to aprospective buyer. To one customer, it might be timely delivery; toanother, it might be making a stronger marketing impact. If youapproached both of those prospects with the same pitch orpresentation, you'd surely miss the mark on one or the other(and maybe even both). That's why you need to seek out everycustomer's key needs and tailor your presentations accordingly.Here are a few ways to make that happen:
1. Get a conversationgoing. Ask prospects to give you a general overview of theirindustries. When they get to a point that might relate to yourproduct or service, say, "What do you mean by that?" or"Can you give me an example?" It's the old icebergtechnique: You're constantly trying to find out what'sunderneath the surface that's really causing problems for them.You do that by getting your prospects to open up so you can uncovertheir biggest challenges. You might not be able to solve all theirproblems, but there will probably be some key issues your productor service can address.
2. Be direct.It's OK to ask your prospects what concerns keep them up atnight or what's most important to their businesses right now.You might not have immediate solutions, but you can tell prospects:"Now that I know what's most important to you, let me dosome homework, make some changes and get back to you onWednesday." Most customers appreciate questions that get tothe heart of the matter and give them the opportunity to discussimportant issues.
3. Connect on apersonal level. Your goal is to build rapport that willallow the customer to relate to you on a deeper level. Be yourself,and your customers will likely feel comfortable enough to open upand reveal valuable hot buttons they haven't shared with anyoneelse.
4. Follow up inwriting. Send prospects letters or e-mails that highlighttheir major concerns, such as the three things they said were mostimportant to them when making decisions about your product orservice. This gives the prospect a chance to get back to you andsay, "What I really meant was . . . " or,"There's one more thing I should add to that list . . .." This kind of follow-up can make a huge difference,especially if you're dealing with a long sales cycle or ahigh-ticket item where it's crucial to understand all thedetails.
It all comes down to communication. You've got to askopen-ended questions that get a conversation going, hone yourlistening skills to pick up the clues your customers are givingyou, and use those hot buttons to close your sales.
