Episode 142, Hello, It’s Me!

Simplify Your Sales and Business meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She has over 35 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.

 

Episode 142, What should you say when calling a new prospect?

 

I wonder if you can relate to this situation when making a new business call and what to say when they answer.

 

Hello, it's me

I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet

To go over everything

Or

I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to buy advertising.

 

Laughing- I will stick to my day job and leave the singing to Adele.  Maybe that's not the best approach, but how many of us may feel that way when making new calls.

 

I discussed this very topic in a coaching session with a team member, reviewing their new business targets. He had chosen these accounts worth his time to call on. I asked the question, why did you decide to call on this one? He replied that we have great success in this category, and I can help the client. I like that he has confidence in a category, creating a better opportunity to call on a client. I then went on to say, what do you say when that client answers your call?

 

Most of us believe that if we get them on the phone, I can find a way to get that new meeting. It sounds simple, but it's not easy. Clients have problems that need to be solved, and the question is will it be you solving it or your competitors? There are many factors at that moment they answer. 

 

What state of mind are they in when you call? 

Will you add value to their day or steal time? 

Either way, you have one chance to earn the conversation to see if you can help.

 

One of the best in the industry at setting new meetings is Caryn Kopp – of Kopp Consulting, and she shared some advice that I believe can benefit all of us.

 

It's essential to get it right when the prospect answers the phone. When you reach someone live, you have less time to get the prospect's attention and get your point across. And, you won't get a second chance at that same conversation. So, Caryn recommends preparing two sentences and a question to engage prospects in dialogue and start a short discussion. 

 

Here is the framework which will help you. 

 

Sentence 1:

Your name and your company name. "Hi, this is Lisa Thal from 2060 Digital." 

 

 

Sentence 2:

Precisely what you do in language which is relevant and compelling to your decision-maker. "We do new business development, and we get our clients in front of the right customers."  

 

 

Question:

A follow-up question to engage the conversation. "How important is showing new customers conversions for you this year?"

If you have done a good job selecting the right prospects to call, the decision-maker will answer my question by saying, "That is important to me." Then, I would say, "Glad we connected!" And the conversation would continue.

 

The key that Caryn shares are to remember what your prospects could gain by talking with you or meeting you versus what they have now without knowing you. In other words, how can knowing you make your prospect's life better?

 

We have to keep in mind that the prospects we call are not expecting our call. Or they would be calling us! Wouldn't that be great?

 

Focus your message from the prospect's point of view. 

 

Will your two sentences and follow-up question engage your prospect in a conversation? Create two sentences that work for your industry and practice them on calls. Make adjustments along the way.

 

Keep your messages short and simple. Avoid saying sentences or phrases that make someone say, "What do you mean by that?" Avoid industry jargon which is meaningless phrases: "best in class," "great service."

 

Be prepared with your two intentional sentences and an intriguing question, and you will be ready for success.

 

If you do this, you will no longer be saying "Hello From the other side."  

 

If you think someone could benefit from this article,  I invite you to share it.

 

Learn more about Simplifying Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .