A salesrep was trying to get a meeting with a CEO. When he calls for an appointment, the administrator said the CEO was not taking any appointments unless the meeting directly pertained to the company’s IPO, scheduled for two months out. Instead of moving on to another opportunity, however, this determined sales rep called his stockbroker and asked for an analysis of the pending IPO. The broker suggested that the offering was sure to rise dramatically in the first few day of trading. However, the company had not demonstrated the ability to penetrate other market segments, and analysts expected the stock price to fall by the end of the year if this issue went unresolved.
The next day the sales rep waited in the company’s lobby, hoping to catch the CEO as he headed out the door to lunch. Sure enough, the CEO came walking through the lobby. The sales rep said hello and asked for a meeting. Without breaking stride, the CEO instructed the sales rep to call his administrator to set up an appointment. Knowing where this would end, the rep blurted out “Okay, but I was wondering what will be the impact on your stock price if you don’t penetrate some other market segments?” The CEO stopped in his tracks, looked at the sales rep and asked “Is that something you can help us with?” The sales rep nodded, and asked if they could talk. The CEO agreed, and immediately sat down for a 25-minute meeting.
That’s the power of an anxiety question!
Anxiety provides a powerful tool in many selling situations. Generally, it can be applied anytime a prospect will not engage with you, whether during your prospecting attempts, trying to get a return phone call, or most importantly, trying to close the opportunity. The idea is to get the prospect to consider the impact of not taking action. In the two second it takes prospects to consider your anxiety question, they journey to a place where they recognize the personal motivation for taking action.
For example, suppose you’re trying to close a deal this month in order to make your quota. The prospect has gone through all of the motions with you, confirmed you have the best solution, and agreed you can impact both this business and personal agenda. He even had buy-in from the right people in the organization, and has seen all the proof he needs to make an informed decision. Yet he finds a reason to stall. The holidays are distracting. It make more sense to use next year’s budget. I’m going out of town. The list goes on and on, and you’ve heard it all before.
Now is the time to use a compelling anxiety question, created by what you know the prospect cares about personally. For example:
- What’s the cost of not taking action now?
- What happens if you don’t start reducing costs this year?
- What’s the impact to you if the cost management initiative is delayed?
- Are you confident you’ll be able to support management’s 35% annual growth plan without impacting costs?
- Do you feel there’s any connection between your current capability and your lower profits?
Put yourself in the prospect’s shoes. If someone were to ask you one of these questions, what would run through your mind? Maybe part of his compensation plan is tied to this initiative. Perhaps he has a presentation to make on this subject at the next executive staff meeting. Or maybe he doesn’t realize how much effort he’s put into the initiative so far, and does not want to lose it now. Ideally the prospect will review of the potential impacts in that two-second time period. Inevitably, some nagging concern will rise to the surface and cause him to reconsider the delay.
Anxiety questions are designed to rattle a person and prod him to action. But be careful not to overuse this tactic. Consider it your ace in the hole – something to use when you need it, but not in every situation.
Julie Thomas is President and CEO of ValueVision Associates and can be reached at 800-559-6419 or Julie.thomas@valueselling.com
Trash Talk & Delete Buttons: A Candid Letter from a Prospective Customer
Published May 5, 2008 candid comments from prospect Leave a Comment(I wish to post Jill’s famous and excellent letter. A certain UK search marketing firm should read it, as they are the poster child for this.)
Dear Seller,
I only have a few minutes, but I understand you’re interested in what you can do to capture my attention and entice me to want to set up a meeting with you.
Let me say this loud and clear right now – you have no idea what my day is like. You may think you do, but you’re missing the boat. Until you understand this, my advice to you makes no sense.
I got into the office early this morning so I could have some uninterrupted time to work on a major project – something I can’t seem to squeeze into the normal business day, which is filled with back-to-back meetings.
But, by 9 a.m. all my good intentions were dashed. My boss asked me to drop everything to get her some up-to-date information on a major reorganization initiative. Product development informed me that our new offering won’t be available for the upcoming tradeshow. Sales is already in an uproar because they have customers waiting for it. Then HR tells me that one of my key employees has been accused of cyber-stalking.
Starting to get the picture? Welcome to my world of everyday chaos where, hard as I try to make progress, I keep slipping behind. Right now, I have at least 59 hours of work piled on my desk, needing my attention. I have no idea when I’ll get it all done.
Did I mention my how many emails I get daily? Over 100. Everyone copies me in on everything. It drives me crazy. Then, add to that at least 30 phone calls – many from vendors who want to set up a meeting with me. And the pile of junk mail I get each day is ridiculous.
In short, I have way too much to do, ever-increasing expectations, impossible deadlines and constant interruptions from people wanting my time or attention.
Time is my most precious commodity and I protect it at all costs. I live with the status quo as long as I can – even if I’m not happy. Why? Because change creates more work and eats up my time.
Which gets us back to you. In your well-intentioned but misguided attempts turn me into a “prospect,” you fail woefully to capture my attention. I’m going to be really blunt here: I could care less about your product, service, solution or your company.
I’m not one bit interested in your unique methodologies, extraordinary differentiators or one-stop shopping. Your self-serving pablum, while designed to lure me into your clutches, has the exact opposite impact.
It’s trash talk! I quickly scan your emails or letters looking for those offensive words and phrases that glorify your offering or your firm.
The minute they jump out at me, you’re gone. Zapped from my inbox or tossed into the trashcan. When you talk like that in your voicemails, I delete you immediately. Delete, delete, delete.
That’s the most expeditious way to handle bothersome telemarketers. Use those same words on the phone with me and I’ll quickly raise an objection you can’t address.
I’m a master at sniffing out trash talk and deleting it. I have work to do and refuse to waste even one iota of my time on something that’s irrelevant or self-promotional.
You need to know though that I’m not always like this. Occasionally a savvy marketer or seller captures my attention, gets me to raise my hand asking for more information and even entices me to request a meeting.
What are they doing? They’re completely focused on my business and the impact they can have on it. That’s what’s relevant to me – not their offering.
I’m always interested in ways to shorten time to market, speed up our sales cycles and reduce our supply chain costs. Notice that this is business talk, not marketing speak!
When you get even more specific and tell me how much impact, now you’re really talking my language. I guarantee that if you mention you’ve helped organizations similar to mine increase sales conversion rates by 39% in just 3 months, I’ll be on the phone to you in no time flat.
Do you have any good information or fresh insights about the challenges my company is facing?
How about how other companies are addressing these issues? If so, I’m interested in that too.
That’s the good stuff. It stems from a focus on the difference you can make for my company, instead of how you’re different from every one else. When you emphasize that, I’m interested.
But you can’t rope me in with the good stuff, then slip back into that trash talk. If so, you’re gonzo as fast as I can hit the delete button.
I pay attention in about 5 second increments, too. I don’t have time for fluff. If it’s relevant info, you’ve got me; start meandering and I hit delete.
Get the picture? I hope so, because I’m late for a meeting and while I’ve been writing this, the phone’s been ringing off the hook.
Hope this helps!
Your Prospective Customer
****
Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies and founder of the Sales Shebang, is a frequent speaker at national sales meetings and industry events. For more articles like this, visit http://www.sellingtobigcompanies.com//. Sign up for the newsletter and get a BONUS Sales Call Planning Guide.