1. Make a list of the different types of prospects you will talk to. 

Note: Business owners, managers, marketing directors, assistants, representatives, public etc.

2. Adopt the viewpoint of your prospects.

a) Look through your list again and find your most common prospect type.

b) Adopt the viewpoint of this prospect type.

c) Repeat step b with the rest of your prospect types.

Note: Really look at how they think and feel. How will they perceive you initially? Will they be familiar with your product? What will make them react? etc.

d) Take up your most common prospect type again and start formulating questions based on their viewpoint.

e) Formulate questions for the rest of your prospect types.

Note: base your questions on eliciting interest and acknowledging their point of view.

3. Make the initial contact with the prospect.

a) Think with how you can benefit or solve a problem for your prospect, based on their point of view.

b) Introduce yourself and ask your initial probing question.

Note: Really cause a reaction, elicit interest, and gain some agreement with this prospect.

c) Continue asking questions and communicating until you’ve reached a good level of affinity and trust.

d) In the case of a gatekeeper, go through step a-c, use the assumptive close, and get transfered to the final decision maker.

Note: If you can’t talk to the decision maker yourself, make sure the initial contact is closed and follow the steps of the webcast “What to do if You Don’t Have Direct Access to the Decision Maker (Contact)”

4. Taking care of someone who calls in.

a) Acknowledge the prospect well and take control of the call.

b) Ask something like “before we get started, may I ask you a few questions?

c) As a part of your initial questions, ask what prompted the prospect to call.

Note: Make sure to ask detailed questions. Use this information to optimize your marketing.

d) Use great acknowledgements to continue asking probing questions and avoid moving straight into the features and benefits.

Note: Using the words “can I assume” works great to gain insight and open up communication.

5. Gathering information.

a) After the initial questions, find out what problem they are trying to solve.

b) Ask if they tried to solve the problem in the past and what happened

c) Ask if they have considered a product or service similar to yours.

d) Ask for how long they’ve been thinking about buying this product or service.

e) After the initial questions, ask something like “if I could provide a solution to this, is that something you would be interested in?”

Note: Remember, practice and continuous drilling is important. Formulate your questions and drill them with another until the probing questions stage is smooth and you don’t try to move in to features and benefits too early.

Initial Contact Questions/Probing Questions: 

How did you get into this business?

What caused (or prompted) you to call us today?

What is important to you about (insert service or product)?

How long have you been thinking about doing X or buying X? (Follow up question to this)

What made you decide to move forward now? (If they express a problem they are trying to solve ask)

How long have you been experiencing (living with or trying to handle) that problem?

Questions about past experience with a similar product or service: 

Have you ever used a similar product or service like (insert your service or product)

(If yes, ask “what did you like about that product or service? Was there anything you did not like or would change about that product or service?

Finally, how would you describe the ideal product or service from your point of view?)

Can I assume you called because of XYZ promotion? (You are probing to find out what was interesting to the prospect)

What part of the promotion caught your attention? (Being interested in prospects causes them to take action) If X were handled how would that improve the current condition or situation? (Or a variation) If X were handled can you see that improving statistics?

Good ways to preface probing questions so it doesn’t sound like the 3rd degree:

I’m curious….

Would you mind if….?

You won’t hurt my feelings….

Good luck! If you have any probing questions in mind, feel free to send them in to info@sellability.com and we will check them for you and give you our feedback.