Start by changing your approach and remember that your customers are not targets to be acquired. They are people with needs, desires, and dreams and should be treated as very important.
Before you approach a potential customer, do your homework. Find out what you can about them and their needs, desires, and dreams. Try to find out what keeps them awake at night and what gets them excited to face the day. Find common connection points, common interests, and mutual acquaintances. Develop at least a couple of thinking questions that you can use with them.
When you approach them, use a conversational style and be interested in them as a person. Ask them questions and focus on listening to their answers. Understand their needs and begin to develop trust and credibility. Don’t push, but focus on being able to continue the conversation and further develop the relationship.
Let the relationship develop naturally. You are not in a sprint; you should be looking to develop a long-term customer experience with the person you are talking to. You are working to establish credibility and trust.
Every potential customer is unique and we often assume we know what they want. Most of the time we are wrong and we need to go in assuming we do not know. Ask questions that help to identify the problem or opportunity. Don’t assume that your product or service will meet their needs. Instead say, “I think we may be able to offer you something that could address that opportunity or problem.” Wait for their response and let the silence linger giving them the opportunity to respond. Let this evolve naturally and don’t push or force the interaction. If you sense hesitation, back away. It’s more important to develop the relationship and have an opportunity for further dialogue then to force the conversation and have them shut down and stop engaging.
It is a give and take and you need to be a good listener if you are to be successful. Asking them questions gets them curious and is also a way to get them to think in a new and different way.
Enter the dialogue with a willingness to walk away if you cannot make progress and cannot meet their needs. You have something valuable to offer, but those you talk to have to decide they want what you are providing.
Finally remember, this is a journey and you will not become a great salesperson overnight. I have to work at this, made many mistakes along the way, learned and adjusted, practiced with many potential customers, and still continue to work at this. It will take hard work, daily effort, and practice, practice, practice, and more practice adjusting as you go. If you do the hard work and stick with it, you will improve and ultimately develop raving fan customers.
