In the past, the more traditional ways to prospect would be to make 50 call connections a day, door knock for two hours and attend networking events in your community. So, what’s different in 2022?
Handheld devices are a huge part of our lives, and some people are turning to different ways of communicating, including text messages, Facebook and Instagram messenger, LinkedIn messenger and emails.
Today you need to know your client and, more importantly, their preferred method of communication. Otherwise, you may find yourself leaving an endless number of voicemails for a client that effectively ghosts you.
Instead of just cold calling or door knocking, we see an increase in leads coming through Facebook ads and other social media platforms.
However, that doesn’t mean we no longer have to door knock and cold call.
Success is not about one thing but many different tools in your prospecting toolbox.
Understanding how to connect with a prospect and your ability to do that is the key to success.
One of the biggest mistakes I see agents make when sending a nine-word email or setting up a Facebook ad for a possible market appraisal is when a potential client contacts them, and the agent typically goes into an aggressive selling style.
It can cause the prospect to go quiet and cold.
Instead of this unspoken pressure and awkwardness, you can have a natural, calm and easy conversation with no need to push.
When you take away the pressure, it’s just a simple, casual chat. Instead of working hard to impress your prospect, you become the judge – you’re Simon Cowell on the judging panel assessing your prospect’s audition.
You’re in the power position, not the begging position.
When you are well practised in this process, your prospects buy from you. You don’t have to sell to them.
There are no closing questions, there’s just a conversation.
If you can do this right, you’ll easily move 80 per cent of your prospects (or more) into your database or an appointment without pushing or manipulation.
When a lead comes in, there’s a whole lot of pressure. There’s pressure on you to perform, to close an appointment and sign up the client.
Maybe there’s pressure from your boss to come back with X amount of market appraisal appointments booked each day.
There’s pressure on the prospect too.
They could be nervously sitting there, feeling like they’re just a sales opportunity for you, so even before they start the meeting, they could be defensive.
Pressure is no way to start a working relationship.
If you get pushback, understand that at some level they feel like you have pushed them first.
It’s a great sign that you’re doing something wrong.
I want to show you how to find your communication rhythm instead.
You need to create a communication rhythm to warm the prospect up by creating a conversation.
Think pace, lead, pace, lead.
You can pace or lead using body language, breathing, posture and voice tonality to elicit the desired response and build rapport.
Especially on the phone, take note of the potential client’s voice, rhythm or speed.
Conversion is my favourite topic on how you convert from cold to sold or curious to committed.
This is where all the money is made, in the conversion.
You must draw a process out and have a system for what we call ‘sell by chat’.
Be clear on your outcome and the type of questions you will ask to engage someone.
So, make your calls, door knock and add new layers to have conversations with your prospects this year.
