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Prospecting for Sales: It’s Not About Your Offer

March 6, 2013

By Townsend Wardlaw

An associate of mine (let’s call him Bob) is making some good traction and headway in his consulting business. While talking with Bob this morning he said, “You know, I think we are really close. The only thing holding us back now is our sales process.” My response was: “Yup…that’s usually the issue.” He replied, “We really need to sit down and define our offer.” I asked what he was talking about and he said, “We need to know what to approach clients with so that we can come at it from a few different angles.” My response was rapid and direct. “Bob, we’ve had this conversation, and no you don’t.”

When prospecting for sales, articulating your offer is the last thing that you should do. As much as people tend to follow that path, defining your offer starts the conversation with ‘me.’ It’s as if you are saying to your prospect “Nice to meet you, here is what I’ve decided to sell you and I am just looking for the right angle.” This whole approach to selling rubs me the wrong way.

Certainly if you are only good at one thing or if one thing you do is dramatically better than anything else it makes sense to allow your offer to define your conversation. However, to my friend I said, “Bob, you’ve got a such a wide range of tools and resources at your disposal, there is almost nothing you can’t deliver in terms of marketing strategy.“ ”So why would you limit the conversation by approaching your prospect to present something you’ve already decided they need?“

Pitching your offer limits possibilities (and ultimately your income.) Moreover, I find it presumptuous and disrespectful to the prospect and the root of why most individuals dislike salespeople. Nobody wants to talk about you, your competencies, your product or your services.

Of course prospects ask the question “What do you do?” or “What can you do for us?” However, I take the approach that the basis of conversation when prospecting for sales needs to about your issues not what I think I can do for you.

The problem of course is that prospects are reluctant to open up about their situation. And who can blame them? They are accustomed to salespeople using information as against them. The result is an endless and useless ‘loop’ where salespeople pitch to prospects hoping they stumble upon an actual need.

What’s The Solution?

Read the complete article at townsendwardlaw.com

TOWNSEND WARDLAW IS SALES CONSULTANT WHO WORKS WITH INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES WHO ARE TRULY MOTIVATED TO CHANGE AND GROW AND ACCOMPLISH AMAZING THINGS.

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