Be Different When Prospecting

Prospecting is one part of the sales process that makes even the most seasoned sellers uncomfortable. Who likes to call on someone they don’t know and try to sell them something they don’t think they need? Of course, we know that most every business needs to advertise, but convincing them of that sometimes is the challenge.

According to Borrell Associates, the average SMB (Small/Medium Business) is called on by upwards of 37 media reps a month. That doesn’t include all the other salespeople calling on them trying to sell them a myriad of other products and services. Today, we must not only be better, we must be different. We’ve shared recently the importance of preparation and even provided some advice on how to best prepare for your contact with prospects. That preparation will surely make you both better and different.

There’s another simple technique that I was reminded of over the weekend while driving through Door County, Wisconsin. I stopped to take a picture:

See why it caught my attention? Most businesses have their hours listed as 8a – 5pm or whatever their hours are. But this little café wanted to be different and listed their hours so that people like me would turn around just to see if they read the sign right. It was so unique that not only did I snap the picture, but my wife and I went there the next day despite there being several other restaurants to choose from. Julie’s was different enough to create a curiosity.

This little technique can work wonders with prospects. Once you’ve delivered your Valid Business Reason and it’s time to ask for the appointment, we recommend saying something like this: I’d like to talk more about this with you, how is Tuesday at 2:15?

By asking for an unusual time, like :15 or :45, it does three things:

1. The prospect assumes the meeting will be brief – 15 minutes

2. It makes you sound very busy that you have unusual availability

3. Nobody is doing it and that makes you unique

Sometimes, it’s these little things that can really make a big difference in getting through. It works for Julie’s restaurant; the wait was 45 minutes to get in.

If you’re willing to try it, we’d love to hear about your successes. Just email me at JeffSchmidt@rab.com.