You need to build your expertise beyond your brochure and your price list. Instead of studying TV at night, you need to become an expert in the industry or categories you cover, you need to know where your prospect or customer uses your product or service to build their business and make a profit
As a result you may need to become an expert in branding, customer loyalty, use of media, customer response, delayed response, publicity, public relations, converting responses to sales, image building, and EVERY element that the customer is seeking as he or she plans THEIR sales campaign, or their business.
None of this appears in your literature. If you want to know the effectiveness of your current brochure, grab a red Sharpie and circle ALL the areas that your customer or prospect would consider valuable or save-able.
The first thing you gotta do BEFORE you ever get the appointment is get the attention and interest of the DECISION MAKER. You do this by engaging him or her and you engage with questions or statements that lead to their wanting to know more. And not necessarily more about you - rather more about what you know that could help them.
You have to know something about them. You have to be brief. You can't sell more than an appointment. Don't ask, "How are you today?" or "Have you ever heard of us?" You engage - the heart of the appointment process is the engagement.
Ask compelling and engaging questions. If you sell copiers or you're a printer, ask, "Who's in charge of image?" or, if you're an accountant or a banker, ask, "Who's in charge of profits?"
Ask the prospect what they think. And tell the prospect how he wins or could win by meeting with you. Do not save the prospect money - earn the prospect profit. Ask for a short time with an option to make longer if interested.
Start higher on the decision-making chain than you dare. If you're thinking, "Should I go to the accounting department or the office manager?" NO! - Go to the CEO.
Talk profit and productivity - not saving money -, talk ideas and opportunities. They want friendly, help, answers, productivity, and profit.
It's not a benefit statement. It's a profitability statement. It's not a benefit statement. It's a productivity statement.
THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE OR NEED TO BE EDUCATED. They want answers just like you do. THEY DO NOT WANT SOLUTIONS. They want answers. THEY DO NOT WANT TO TAKE THEIR TIME TO HEAR ABOUT YOU. If they give you time, it better be about them.
Which do you think a prospect wants, answers to their problems or your sales pitch?
Offer answers as a reason to meet, and presto! The appointment is yours.
