To really engage with your prospects you have to know all about their business. The same holds true for a copywriter.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve met with people I’ve arranged to meet, who start off with “tell me something about your business…”
Here’s the thing.
If you want to sell a prospect on anything, don’t ask them to “tell you about their business.” What it says about you is that you’ve not bothered to research their company before picking up the phone or attending the meeting. It speaks volumes, and what it says loudest is that you’re unprepared. If you’re unprepared your chances of engaging (let alone selling anything) are slim to none. On the other hand if you’re prepared, your prospect will be impressed.
Everyone else will have to follow your act.
So how do you find out about your prospects? Is it hard? Not at all. Consider these tips.
1. Use the Internet. Just think… you don’t even have to move from your seat for this one. Cool! Go to your prospects’ website. Google their company name. Google the name of those you’re meeting with. No name…? Ooops. That should tell you something. Move on.
2. Get hold of their company brochures, sales material and the like. That includes article, press releases, even whitepapers. Read them. Yes, you may think it’s all “me-too” and heavy on visions and missions… you may even think it could do with a re-write. Park that until you understand them, because what you are looking for is what they think about themselves and their product or service. Read… and listen.
3. Talk to their competition. This is simple. I usually Google their competitors, call them and ask questions. Note how they speak about your prospects’ business though. Chances are if they complain about them your prospect is pretty good and have probably been taking business away from the competition.
4. Talk to their customers. Why? Because they really are the last word on the company. At least on what counts. They can tell you about the quality of the products, the service and anything about the experience in general. They are a wealth of information. And there’s a very big chance you could spot a need that your service may be able to fulfill.
5. Talk to their salespeople. Or the Sales department. To be honest, I wonder why more people don’t use this valuable resource more often. The salesperson is the lifeblood of the company. OK, if it’s a small company the salesperson may be the owner, however larger companies will have a sales force.
Sales people are not only the lifeblood of the company, they know almost everything about the company/prospect and all you have to do is ask the right questions.
You can do more of course, industry research for example. It may sound like a lot, but someone who is well-prepared impresses their prospect. It’s impossible not to be because so many people don’t bother to prepare. Plus it helps you target your conversation and focus on your objective without asking a ton of unnecessary and irrelevant questions (read – you could have found that out on the Net).
Prospects love it when they see you’ve done your homework. It shows them that you’ve actually thought more about them than pushing your stuff. Even better, it gives you amazing confidence and begins to position you favourably.
Regardless of the service you offer – whether social media tools, copywriting, marketing, or widgets - preparation is essential. It sets both you and your prospect up to win.
Lack of preparation is the main reason many fail to engage.
Thoughts? What other resources do you use for finding out more about your prospects? How prepared are you when meeting or talking with prospects? Feel free to comment.
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