Problem-Centric Conversations Lead To Sales
Nobody cares about how you help them.
Sorry, was that too blunt for a starter? I guess the truth hurts sometimes.
The number one problem with most of the prospecting efforts I see, whether it's with my clients or just in my inbox, is that it's all about the seller. Ok, you've gotten away from telling people how great you are, but your reframe to "how you help" is really the same thing, and your prospects can see right through it.
If you don't speak your prospect's language immediately, you'll never get their attention.
I'm not talking about using their jargon or referring to the college they went to. I mean talking to them about the issues you know they deal with.
Nobody cares about your solution because they don't have the context for it. There's just too much noise in their headspace for them to create it on their own, and they've got other priorities. It's just too heavy of a lift.
But... there's a way around it that's sitting right in front of you, and you're ignoring it for some reason.
Ask them to talk about the problems they face and how they're attempting to solve them rather than showing them how you can help.
There are a few things working in your favor:
Every customer out there wants to complain about what's bugging them or is at least willing to bend the ear of someone who might be able to offer a little insight.
It's not actually a sales call (side note: don't tell them you don't want to sell them anything. Of course, you do. Be patient, but don't be a liar).
If you have any business acumen at all, this discussion should earn you some credibility and set the stage for potential next steps (that's right, an actual sales call).
Here's how it works if you're scoring at home...
Problem-centric Conversations --> Solutions-oriented Conversations --> Sales
You're likely trying to skip the first step. In doing so, you're getting ahead of yourself and your prospects, and you miss the whole boat. Stop.
Nobody wants to be sold to. That's what gives you call anxiety. But it's a different story when you believe you have a perspective that might help someone, isn't it?
Don't miss the math... If you can have meaningful problem-centric conversations, I believe you can easily convert half of them (or more) to real sales calls. Given that momentum, I'll bet you can close at least half of those.
Conservatively speaking, 25% of the original conversations could turn into business, and the other 75% are still worth having because you'll learn something meaningful from them.
Doesn't this seem like a better approach than what you're currently doing?
Reframe your mindset around what you're trying to do when you're reaching out to prospects. It'll change your approach and make a huge impact on your results too.
The next question is, do you actually know the problems you solve, or are you too stuck in the solutions?
