By Bob Burg
No question about it—you represent an outstanding product or service and you have the ability to help anyone successfully own what you sell. However, without an ongoing and ever-increasing number of new, quality prospects, you'll eventually run out of customers. Every professional salesperson dreads the day when he must ask, "Who do I talk to next, now that my original list of names has run out?" That day doesn't have to come.
You can develop profitable, win/win relationships with practically every new person you meet, both professionally and socially. How? Ask questions—specifically, "feel-good" questions. These are questions that are designed to put your conversation partner at ease, so that you can begin to build rapport. These questions are not intrusive or invasive. They aren't the stereotypical salesperson questions. They simply make your new prospect/potential referral feel good—about themselves, about the conversation and about you. This is key, because all things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust. And asking feel-good questions is the first step to accomplishing that goal.
What are some of these "feel-good" questions?
1. "How did you get started in the 'widget' business?" I call this the "movie-of-the-week" question because most people love the opportunity to "tell their story" to someone. This is so, even in a world where most people don't care enough to want to know their story.
2. "What do you enjoy most about what you do?" Again, you are giving them something very positive to associate with you and your conversation. You are making them feel special and important.
You've begun to establish a nice rapport with your new prospect. You are focusing on him or her, as opposed to you and your business, as many salespeople tend to do. He or she is starting to feel good about you and has enjoyed answering your first two "feel-good" questions.
Now it’s time for the "one key question"
"Pat, how can I know if someone I speak with would be a good prospect for you?" Here, you've continued to establish yourself as being different from all others they meet who are in business, who only seem to want to know, "How can you help me?" Since you are asking for help in identifying the other person’s prospects, he or she will gladly supply you with an answer. And the fact is, nothing builds trust and credibility with prospects more than actually referring business to them whenever possible.
Following up
Your conversation has ended and you never even mentioned your product line. Good, since your relationship with this new prospect may not be far enough along for him or her to be receptive to it. (At other times it’s very advisable to bring up.) That’s fine. Hopefully, you've gotten your prospect’s business card. Now you are in the position to follow up correctly and systematically in order to nurture this new relationship.
Whenever meeting new people, the above questions will help you to quickly build your prospect list with high-quality people. And you can do so in a manner that is fun and without stress. You'll never again feel the discomfort in the pit of your stomach, knowing that you have to approach someone you don't want to approach, or who you sense does not want to be approached.
Know this: the typical person knows about 250 people. Every time you meet one new person and develop a relationship with him, you've actually just increased your personal prospect list by a potential 250 people. Do this often enough and before long, you'll cultivate a network of endless referrals.
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Author Bio: Bob Burg is the author of Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales and Winning Without Intimidation: How to Master the Art of Positive Persuasion. You can read his newest booklet, The Success Formula, free online at www.TheSuccessFormula.com. His free ezine is available at www.burg.com.
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