Teleprospecting and Tennis: 3 Tips For More Effective Conversations
If you are glancing at this post and have a sales call on the immediate horizon, I encourage you to read on. While this is advice that may seem simple, it has been some of the best advice I have received yet. Participating in a conversation with someone can seem pretty mundane. As a teleprospector, it can be so easy to forget the basic rules of communication. There is a motive involved, a series of answers to uncover, the right education involved, and steps to take your prospect through. A simple conversation can become complicated fast!
I thought I would draw an analogy between tennis and cold calling. If you haven’t grown up with a racket in your hand since the age of 3, you can remember how frustratingly difficult it was to hit that little yellow ball over the net into play. There are a series of steps involved to get the basic motor skills in synch: step towards the ball, keep your eye on the ball when you make contact, follow through. If you simply forget to follow through, the ball hits the net. When these basics are in place, you can start to actually play the game. Like the sport of tennis, there are the simple basics in cold calling that need to be in place to start
participating in the game.
Answer your prospect’s question: When your prospect asks a question, answer it and stop there. While that seems easy enough, you have a lot to say and it can be easy to start “rambling” and changing gears.
Don’t list off product features: While you have a lot to educate the prospect on, it’s important to only mention features as they relate to your conversation.
Stop thinking about what you are going to say next: This can be the most difficult but important thing to remember. While this mistake usually comes along with nerves, it is so important to give 100% of your attention to your prospect when they are talking. I thought I was always doing this until one day my boss pointed out that I am thinking about what to say next as opposed to listening to my prospect. And I have to admit that he was right. This has been the best advice I have received. I have found that when I am exerting energy racking my brain about what to say next, I am really only giving the prospect half of my attention. In order to follow the first steps effectively, you have to give your prospect your full attention 100% of the time.
When the basics are in place, you can actually start playing the game.