You Can't Take Their Medicine For Them
Fitness trainers can't lift your weights or run the track for you.
Physicians can't take the medications for you when you're sick.
Golf pros can't swing the club for you or practice on the range for you between lessons.
All of the people mentioned above are in sales.
Yes, even the doctor. (How often do we hear "I'd like a second opinion"? The white lab coat and stethoscope are no longer guarantees you'll be worshipped and revered just for existing, and that's a good thing...but I digress.)
In every case above—and in any case you can give me—when a prospect has done their homework—especially homework you've assigned them—chances are high that they'll not only buy from you, but they'll stick with you and refer you and provide testimonials for years to come.
But, Wes, what the heck do you mean by 'prospects doing homework?' Have you lost your mind?"
Think about the last time you went out to eat.
While you might be adventurous enough to walk into the first restaurant you see and say "bring us a plate of your best-selling entree," most are creatures of habit when it comes to eating out.
We know who has the best pizza in town or the best steak or the best fish tacos and we go there time and time again, even though we may pass 5 or 10 or 110 other great restaurants on the way to the one we know, like, and trust.
When we are feeling a little spunky, though, we ask on Facebook or turn to Yelp to see what everyone else recommends before heading out.
We do this when looking for a new doctor, a new golf pro, or a fitness coach.
In other words, we do our homework.
So that's Part 1 of how prospects do their homework. What will your best prospects find when they research you? I've always said people don't do business with you for one of two reasons:
- They haven't heard of you, or...
- They have heard of you.
Part 2 of how prospects do their homework is when you, the salespro, actually give them something to do in order to prepare for your first meeting or consultation.
Consider attorneys and accountants...
When you meet with them for your free consultation, they make you bring a lot of paperwork with you: receipts, prior tax returns, contracts you've signed to back your claim, police reports, etc.
No paperwork? No meeting.
Your dog ate your homework? No meeting.
Or maybe they'll meet with you, end the meeting quickly, then have you pay a retainer in order to meet again to prove you're serious. (And when you're faced with thousands of dollars of lost income due to poor record keeping or a contract dispute...you'll pay it and you'll follow instructions next time.)
I do the same thing in my business.
I put out a lot of relevant content to help my ideal prospects find me when they are doing their homework.
I have free guides and PDFs and videos and tutorials to help them scratch their own itch and to compare me to other sales trainers, business coaches, and CRM providers.
I do that because I don't want to speak to tire-kickers or people just starting to consider what I offer.
I want my prospects coming to me saying "I've been doing some research and your name keeps popping up...can we talk?"
At that point I may set a time to talk or I'll send them to my Initial Process Assessment and ask them to prove they are serious by paying my fully-refundable retainer and answering several questions so we can both be prepared for our meeting.
The truly motivated prospects do it quickly and thank me for the insight and the foresight to have such an effective method of cutting through the clutter and helping them—sometimes forcing them—to get the clarity they need in their business.
I don't have all the answers.
But I have a lot of hard-fought and proven answers as well as the right questions.
Most of us suffer from the adage
If you're asking the wrong questions, it doesn't matter what the truth is."
I'm not afraid to ask the right questions of you if you're seeking the truth as it pertains to growing your sales, improving your marketing, and streamlining your business.
Remember, in any sales situation, whoever is asking the questions is in control of the conversation.
It's time you allowed yourself to give up control for a short time to the right person with the right intentions who will help you break through that which is holding you back.
May I help you give up control to gain control?
Market like you mean it.
Now go sell something.
