Turning Conversations In To Qualified Prospects in 10 Minutes
In the last post we covered: Prospecting like a Pro. Have you been practicing? Come on. You know if you have or not. You’ve either been out and about meeting new people or you haven’t.
You’ve either been networking online and creating conversations with people or you haven’t.
Which is it? You need leads every day and I don’t think it really matters how you do it. It matters THAT you do it!
You’ve either been networking online and creating conversations with people or you haven’t.
Which is it? You need leads every day and I don’t think it really matters how you do it. It matters THAT you do it!
It might matter to you because how you do things has an impact on how much you enjoy your business which in turn determines how much you do of it.
You must find a way to prospect like a pro so that you can do it naturally every day.
Let’s talk about a really whizzy way of creating conversations and turning them into qualified prospects in just 10 minutes.
You’re out and about and you meet someone you like the look of. Maybe they have a sparkle in their eye, or they give you great service at the restaurant.
Now if you’re just waiting for people to come to you you’ll let that opportunity slip by. BUT if you’re committed to prospect like a pro you’ll find a way to CREATE A CONVERSATION.
Here’s the conversation formula I use to create a conversation:
Compliment or remark on something positive about the person or
Remark on something that is happening to you both such as, ‘How long have you been waiting here? Or ‘I hope it stops raining soon, or isn’t the coffee worth queuing up for here …’ You get the picture.
No talk about illness and scurvy! No moaning and belly aching. Just nice chit chat that lifts the energy around you and creates a rapport between you. Remember to SMILE and look them in the eyes when you talk.
People are usually very happy to chat. If they’re not then they disqualify themselves as a prospect for you anyway.
Establish some common ground by following what the person says and tying in anything that is the same for you or someone you know. This creates instant RAPPORT.
If there is a time crunch (they are working and you have to go!) you need to be very quick. Remember you have nothing to lose because you probably won’t see them again.
If you have time ask them about what they do. ‘I really enjoyed the meal and the service was excellent. Thank you. How long have you worked here?’
Ask as many quick questions as you can to gather as much info about THEM as you can and within a couple of minutes you can usually see if they have any desire to improve their situation. (Don’t waste the time talking about YOU!)
If they say oh I like working here and I’m saving up to go travelling round the world for 10 years then they are probably not a qualified prospect for you right now! The timing is off. (This is how you pre-qualify your prospects and don’t waste time)
If they say they’ve been working there for 20 years and are happy as they are … maybe they’re not a prospect for you. You can ask some more questions to be sure. A person with no ambition is not a prospect for you. (Sorry but that’s the way it is)
If they say they’ve been working there for a while now but would really love to move back to …. So they can live nearer their family. Jackpot! Here you have identified a NEED and they may be a prospect for you.
Gather their info quickly like a spy in the night! I like to use my phone. If you give out hundreds of business cards and wonder why no one gets in touch there is a clue in there.
YOU need to take control of the process if you want to prospect like a pro.
You say something like this, Well Donna, it was great to meet you. I know you’re busy and I have to run too but I was really impressed with the service you gave me. You know you mentioned that … XXX whatever their hot button might be …
I partner with a company that enables me to … (work from anywhere) or (work around my kids from home) or earn an additional income so I can send my kids to Drama School or ….
I don’t know if you have the skill set they’re looking for but I could send you some information about it and perhaps it will be a match for you too. If not no worries but it might be a way for you to XXX
Gauge their response. If they are nodding and, showing interest you say, ‘Ok let me take your contacts details quickly and I’ll be in touch.’
If they don’t look interested (they usually do if you’ve followed the formula) you can qualify them again by saying, ‘Does that sound good to you, or would you like to receive some information?’
Whip out your James Bond phone ever so smoothly and add them as a contact so they can see what you’re doing. Ask for their phone number, email and repeat back their name.
Finish it up with finding out when is the best time to call them. Tell them you will call them then ie; Tuesday evening around 8pm, or a weekday evening this week. It’s not a firm appointment but ensures they expect your call, and you waste less time playing phone tag.
Bid them good bye. Big smile and leave them feeling that their day was better for having met you; whether they join your business or not.
Follow up quickly.
There are a million different ways to do this and all of them work as long as you find your flow and create positive conversations with people. You can qualify people as prospects, like a pro, easily once you practice and develop your confidence.
The only way to develop your confidence and skills is to practice A LOT. Go prospect like a pro and create as many conversations as you can this week. Then consciously qualify them and practice turning them into real prospects for your business.
It’s proactive, exciting and it works. Remember not to be attached to the outcome. Your job is to qualify them as a prospect and send them the information tool but that’s a whole other blog …
You must find a way to prospect like a pro so that you can do it naturally every day.
Let’s talk about a really whizzy way of creating conversations and turning them into qualified prospects in just 10 minutes.
You’re out and about and you meet someone you like the look of. Maybe they have a sparkle in their eye, or they give you great service at the restaurant.
Now if you’re just waiting for people to come to you you’ll let that opportunity slip by. BUT if you’re committed to prospect like a pro you’ll find a way to CREATE A CONVERSATION.
Here’s the conversation formula I use to create a conversation:
Compliment or remark on something positive about the person or
Remark on something that is happening to you both such as, ‘How long have you been waiting here? Or ‘I hope it stops raining soon, or isn’t the coffee worth queuing up for here …’ You get the picture.
No talk about illness and scurvy! No moaning and belly aching. Just nice chit chat that lifts the energy around you and creates a rapport between you. Remember to SMILE and look them in the eyes when you talk.
People are usually very happy to chat. If they’re not then they disqualify themselves as a prospect for you anyway.
Establish some common ground by following what the person says and tying in anything that is the same for you or someone you know. This creates instant RAPPORT.
If there is a time crunch (they are working and you have to go!) you need to be very quick. Remember you have nothing to lose because you probably won’t see them again.
If you have time ask them about what they do. ‘I really enjoyed the meal and the service was excellent. Thank you. How long have you worked here?’
Ask as many quick questions as you can to gather as much info about THEM as you can and within a couple of minutes you can usually see if they have any desire to improve their situation. (Don’t waste the time talking about YOU!)
If they say oh I like working here and I’m saving up to go travelling round the world for 10 years then they are probably not a qualified prospect for you right now! The timing is off. (This is how you pre-qualify your prospects and don’t waste time)
If they say they’ve been working there for 20 years and are happy as they are … maybe they’re not a prospect for you. You can ask some more questions to be sure. A person with no ambition is not a prospect for you. (Sorry but that’s the way it is)
If they say they’ve been working there for a while now but would really love to move back to …. So they can live nearer their family. Jackpot! Here you have identified a NEED and they may be a prospect for you.
Gather their info quickly like a spy in the night! I like to use my phone. If you give out hundreds of business cards and wonder why no one gets in touch there is a clue in there.
YOU need to take control of the process if you want to prospect like a pro.
You say something like this, Well Donna, it was great to meet you. I know you’re busy and I have to run too but I was really impressed with the service you gave me. You know you mentioned that … XXX whatever their hot button might be …
I partner with a company that enables me to … (work from anywhere) or (work around my kids from home) or earn an additional income so I can send my kids to Drama School or ….
I don’t know if you have the skill set they’re looking for but I could send you some information about it and perhaps it will be a match for you too. If not no worries but it might be a way for you to XXX
Gauge their response. If they are nodding and, showing interest you say, ‘Ok let me take your contacts details quickly and I’ll be in touch.’
If they don’t look interested (they usually do if you’ve followed the formula) you can qualify them again by saying, ‘Does that sound good to you, or would you like to receive some information?’
Whip out your James Bond phone ever so smoothly and add them as a contact so they can see what you’re doing. Ask for their phone number, email and repeat back their name.
Finish it up with finding out when is the best time to call them. Tell them you will call them then ie; Tuesday evening around 8pm, or a weekday evening this week. It’s not a firm appointment but ensures they expect your call, and you waste less time playing phone tag.
Bid them good bye. Big smile and leave them feeling that their day was better for having met you; whether they join your business or not.
Follow up quickly.
There are a million different ways to do this and all of them work as long as you find your flow and create positive conversations with people. You can qualify people as prospects, like a pro, easily once you practice and develop your confidence.
The only way to develop your confidence and skills is to practice A LOT. Go prospect like a pro and create as many conversations as you can this week. Then consciously qualify them and practice turning them into real prospects for your business.
It’s proactive, exciting and it works. Remember not to be attached to the outcome. Your job is to qualify them as a prospect and send them the information tool but that’s a whole other blog …
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