There is nothing worse in sales than getting ignored by a good lead. You can be left wondering where the conversation dwindled and why you’ve been left on read. Sometimes the answer is never truly understood. With this in mind here is how you can get more answers from prospects.
Don’t Ask The Wrong Questions
When I say the wrong questions what do I mean? I mean pushy questions that have no reason to be asked from the start. In some cultures, it can be rude to ask a CEO how much they earn or why a certain element of the business is failing. Pick your questions a little bit better. I was asked some purely arbitrary questions during my very first discussion with a salesman I recently connected with on LinkedIn.
Stop Scripted Conversations
No one wants to discuss with a robot on any social media platform. So, assuming you’re trying to connect and discuss business with people online, the farther thing you want to sound like is a robot. Chains of questions that have no correlations with each other look suspicious and robotic. If you want more answers from your prospects, lead with simple questions and connect what questions you want to be answered with the conversational flow. This flow should be simple for many salespeople, but it can be tough when there is a strict script they feel they need to follow. You can deviate from this script and still keep the flow of the conversation. The script can be a fallback when the conversation is getting stale, but don’t rely on every step of that document to get your questions answered.
Create Conversations
You can answer your own questions with the right conversation. For example, you can answer the question: How many employees does this company have? By simply asking what office life is like and how they’re finding managing people from home etc. You don’t have to bluntly answer questions to get the answers you are looking for. Most of the time these conversations will generate everything you need to know.
You have to lean into business discussions carefully without making any prospect feel like they are a number on your screen. If you’re just trying to tick boxes people can see through that and will disconnect with you. If you’re looking for more answers from your prospects, think about their side of the conversation. Think about how much engagement you’ve had with each other and what level the relationship is at. There is a time and place for hard questions and I’ll give you a hint it sometimes isn’t right at the very start of meeting someone. You need to make the conversation flow naturally.
Your Prospects Know What You Want
Don’t play dumb with people. Although it’s not obvious from the very start what each person can offer the other, what is obvious is the nature of the relationship. Don’t act like a long lost family member, but don’t act like a data entry robot. You can keep a partner at the right length without pushing the boundaries of the relationship. Don’t act like you’re just in it to help them and that’s it. You can let them know how they are helping you and why each sale is a partnership. If you lie or act like you’re doing them the favour too much you can look arrogant and lead to those prospects disconnecting themselves from you.
Getting more answers from your prospects is a game of personability. If you’ve been ignored you may have left that personality out of your question. You’re not developing a relationship and your prospects can see you’re just trying to land a sale. So, maybe it’s time to reassess your approach. Tear up your script and start creating natural conversations.
