The First, Second and Third Things to Say to Prospects

What are the first, second and third things to do with or say to a qualified prospect?

Should you start by telling them about the features of the products you sell or the high-quality processes you'll be using to get the work done or about your history?

The first thing to note is that, if your primary concern is making the sale, your prospect will know it. No one likes to be sold to. You’re taking the wrong approach if you're focused on convincing your prospect of your expertise or persuading them to buy. You’re effectively short-circuiting your business.

What Not To Do

Don’t worry about spending an hour and a half talking with a prospect. Give them a detailed review of their situation and explain what could be done (not what you could so, but what could be done) to improve things. Even after several follow up calls, don’t be concerned about closing a referred prospect.

There is no set amount of time it takes to close a sale.

Having said that, unless you're selling something that costs tens of thousands of pounds, you're not going to make money if you spend hours with each prospect. In most cases, 30 minutes is all you should need to close the sale.

Here's the secret: the way to close the sale is to avoid pitching your prospect. Don't try to prove to them that you're the perfect solution. That's the wrong strategy and it is a waste of time.

The best way to ‘sell’ to prospects is to get them to do the work for you. Get them to tell you three things:

1. What they are trying to achieve

2. What they want

3. How your products or services can help them

Ask them questions to get them talking about the three points above. Then let them tell you why they should buy from you today. The perfect sales pitch is the one your prospect gives you to convince you to sell them your products and services. It's 100 times more powerful than any you could come up with yourself.