A common (and frustrating) obstacle for salespeople is creating a sense of urgency with prospective customers. We are often faced with meeting no-shows, or receive push-back from prospects because of busy holiday plans or end/start of quarter distractions. So whenever you are finding that your prospects are “just too swamped”, here are a few ways that you can build trust and bring your product or service to the top of their priority list.
1) Help your prospect recognize their needs.
Your prospects can’t benefit from your product without acknowledging that they need it — so get them to see the big picture with open-ended questions that demonstrate where their needs are and how you can help solve them. When you help them recognize their needs, you will create urgency and increase the likelihood that they’ll take action. For me, working in the sales motivation software space, I try to ask uncovering questions like:
-Are you trying to keep your team focused on the right things?
– What are the key initiatives that you are working on, and how are you keeping your team focused on them?
-What are the specific selling behaviors that you would like to improve on immediately?
Key takeaway:
“Need to have” products create urgency. “Nice to have” products get the push off. Which is yours?
2) Spend less time selling, more time listening.
The less you sell/pitch, the more you’ll command their attention. Of course, you will ultimately be trying to demonstrate your value, but the key to a successful conversation is simply lending an ear. Making the conversation primarily about them, as opposed to what you’re selling, will keep your prospect engaged — and you may be surprised at the urgency you can create by allowing your prospect to come to their own conclusions, as opposed to berating them with sales speak.
Key takeaway:
You have 2 ears and 1 mouth — use them proportionately!
3) Be a problem solver.
Once you have your prospect on the phone, make this time count. This is the perfect opportunity to communicate and share ideas on how to quickly resolve problems or address concerns Be clear and articulate how you can minimize pain points and add value where there’s a need. Often, prospects respond favorably to a personalized attention to detail, which will help you have more candid, meaningful conversations that ultimately shorten your sales cycle.
Key takeaway:
Salespeople don’t create urgency. Problem solvers do.
4) Stay top-of-mind.
Continue to keep your prospect engaged by sending thoughtful notes, updates, relevant articles, case studies, eBooks and referrals. It only takes a few minutes to do, and becoming a valuable resource while staying on their radar will keep prospects thinking and focused on your offerings. Obviously, pestering isn’t the goal, but offering beneficial information that informs their decisions will be welcomed and help in maintaining communication while building rapport in the process.
Key takeaway:
You worked hard to plant the seed with your prospect, now make sure it grows. Providing value with persistence is what leads to action.
Try incorporating these simple steps into your everyday sales process, and you will not only create a stronger sense of urgency in your prospects, but help build the trust, rapport and satisfaction that will ultimately make the buying journey a success for all parties involved.
Karley Hall is a Business Development Manager at LevelEleven
