Q: Our midsized
business does research for various pharmaceutical companies.
Recently, we made a presentation to one of these companies, and I
felt awkward and somewhat poorly organized. Needless to say, the
meeting could have gone more smoothly. I'm looking for advice
that will help me in a situation where I may be faced with closing
the sale. Do you have any suggestions or specific
recommendations?
A: Did you know
that in the most successful meetings, the prospects do most of the
talking? Your primary job is to simply ask the right questions,
listen carefully to the answers and propose reasonable
solutions.
There are two types of questions: closed and open-ended. Closed
questions are good conversation starters and can be answered with
"yes," "no" or a short answer. Open-ended
questions, such as "What do you like best about your present
research firm?" help you uncover emotions and feelings. You
establish a dialog using closed questions and draw out your
prospects using open-ended questions. In this way, you can uncover
their needs and fulfill them.
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If you encounter objections, you can use what I call "just
suppose" questions to help prospects respond affirmatively.
For example, a prospect tells you she doesn't like using
multiple research firms, one for field research and another for
online surveys. You might say: "Just suppose you could obtain
quality field services and all the online and telephone research
you need under one roof. You'd like that, wouldn't
you?" She's bound to say yes.
When you first speak with a prospect on the phone, be prepared
with a list of questions designed to uncover his or her needs. This
will give you the basic information necessary to prepare a short
presentation for your meeting. Be sure to structure it to foster
interaction throughout. Also, schedule sufficient time after your
presentation to ask more questions, gauge how your ideas were
received and use what you learn to propose additional
solutions.
Closing requires moving prospects to the next level of
commitment. Once you've helped them see the benefits of hiring
your firm, they'll be anxious to get started, and you'll
have to do very little work to close. Even if they're not ready
to make a decision, it's always vital to get a firm commitment
to move forward. State what action you plan to take, such as,
"I'll call you Tuesday to set up a meeting for the week of
the 5th to finalize our program." And be sure to follow
through.
Kim T. Gordon is a multifaceted speaker, marketing expert and
media spokesperson—and one of the country's foremost
experts on entrepreneurial success. Her newest book, Bringing Home The Business(Perigee),
identifies the 30 "truths" that can make the difference
between success and failure in a homebased business. From formulas
for positioning a business and creating an image to Internet
marketing strategies and tips for work-at-home parents, by reading
just one truth per day, in one month, readers will master a
complete course on homebased business success. To read an excerpt,
get information on media appearances and seminars, receive free
how-to articles and advice, or contact Kim, visit http://www.smallbusinessnow.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are
those of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are
intended to be general in nature, without regard to specific
geographical areas or circumstances, and should only be relied upon
after consulting an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.