I recently came across an excellent article about the sales process on Women Entrepreneur entitled, “Stop Closing and Start Selling.”
One thing this article did not mention, however, was what I consider the most critical part of selling–research.
Once you have an idea that someone is a prospect, it’s a good idea to qualify them. What that means is to make sure that they have a need for what you offer, or think that they have a need for what you offer or that what you offer will fit the need that they think they have. I know that’s a little convoluted. But many times, for example, people aren’t looking for a business coach. What they are looking for is someone who can help them make more money, keep more money and spend less time doing it. My job is to help them understand how my services can help them do just that.
Once you find out that they have a need for your services, it’s important to see if they can afford your product or services, as well as the likelihood that they will choose to purchase from your company vs. finding doing it in house or working with firms they already have a relationship with.
Where can you find out that information? Using a search engine such as Google, you can find out a great deal of information about a company, including their financials if they are a publicly held company. Understanding how to use social media as effective research tool, will show you how Linked In, Facebook, Twitter and even You Tube can yield in-depth information about a company or prospect. (Sign up for my class on using social media for your business to learn how.)
For example, leverage Linked In to find out who you know who knows someone in the company you’re targeting. Get introduced so you can talk to them directly and find out a few key pieces of information that will help you help your prospect. Remember, building relationships over time is what matters in business. By doing your homework first, you’ll show you respect your prospect’s time. You’ll also be able to quickly demonstrate how your product or service exactly fits their need.
