Cyber Week Sale! 50% Off All Access

5 Tricks to Instantly Connect With Any Sales Prospect It's less about you and more about them.

By Marc Wayshak Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

John Wildgoose | Getty Images

Old-school sales trainers love to tell salespeople that they need to build rapport with prospects. These gurus say things like, "Your prospects need to like you. People only buy from people they like." This approach is not only shallow -- it's also completely untrue.

People buy from those they trust and respect. If you can quickly connect with your prospects on a deeper level than just making them like you, you'll start to build genuine relationships based on trust and respect. And those genuine relationships will lead to more sales.

Here are five tricks to instantly connect with any sales prospect so you can start to crush your sales goals. Check them out:

1. Ask a provocative question.

When you're trying to get someone to like you, you'll do or say anything to make the other person happy. Prospects don't trust salespeople like that, whether they like them or not. Instead, they trust salespeople who challenge them to look at their problems and objectives in a new way. The best way to do that is by asking your prospects provocative questions.

Related: You Have 3 Goals the First Time You Meet a Potential Client. Popularity Is Not One of Them.

Start your next conversation by mentioning two or three challenges you've observed in the industry, and then ask your prospect if any of those challenges resonate. If the answer is yes, the prospect will immediately view you as an expert and someone to be trusted. If the answer is no, and your prospect isn't experiencing challenges you can solve, then you know right away that it's not a good fit. This frees you up to move onto another prospect who will actually need your product or service.

2. Turn off your enthusiasm.

The typical salesperson greeting is one we're all familiar with. "Hey! How are you today? I'm so excited to meet you and tell you all about how we can help your company!" This over-eager, cheesy greeting is the kiss of death for sales, yet most salespeople don't even realize they're doing it.

To see what I mean, try recording your next few prospecting phone calls. Play them back and listen carefully. Does your voice go up a few octaves when talking to prospects? If so, you need to drop the sales voice. Prospects pick up on that immediately, and it destroys any trust or respect you might have been able to establish. Instead, focus on being genuine. There's no need to sound smooth or polished. Prospects find it refreshing to talk with a real person, and they'll be more open to truly connecting with you.

Related: 7 Tips for Getting More Sales Meetings With Prospects

3. Make it all about the prospect.

Prospects only care about themselves. But what do most salespeople focus on? Their products and services. This is a huge disconnect that prevents salespeople from establishing strong relationships with prospects.

You may be thinking, "No, not me. I'm always focused on the prospect." But there's a very good chance you're wrong. If you ever talk about your product or service, then you're not always focused on the prospect. It's as simple as that. Great salespeople gain prospects' trust by focusing on them 100 percent of the time.

4. Seek to understand key challenges.

As I said before, prospects only care about themselves. More specifically, they only care about the problems they're currently facing. When you're talking to a prospect, you're only relevant to them if you can demonstrate how you can help solve those challenges.

Ask intentional questions that focus completely on your prospect's biggest frustrations. Dig deep to understand how those frustrations are affecting the prospect. You can even try to get a dollar value for how much those challenges cost. Few salespeople are willing to dig in here, but when you do, you'll start to nurture a relationship built on trust and respect.

Related: Likeability Matters: Why First Impressions Count In Business

5. Talk less.

This is straightforward and simple. Talk less and listen more. However much you talk during a conversation with prospects now, it's safe to say you can stand to talk even less. Prospects should do the vast majority of the talking in any conversation. Keep this in mind while you're engaging with new prospects, and you'll set more meetings for successful sales.

How will you use these tips to connect with your prospects and close more sales in the future? To learn more about how to dramatically improve your sales, take this free 1-Minute Sales Strengths-Finder Quiz.

Marc Wayshak

Sales Strategist and Author

Marc Wayshak is the author of Game Plan Selling . As a sales strategist, he has created a system aimed at revolutionizing the way companies approach selling.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Growing a Business

How to Eliminate Unnecessary Tasks and Focus on What Really Matters

Hack away at the unessential and reclaim your time.

Business News

Another '30 Under 30' Recipient Was Arrested For Fraud—And She's Not the Only One. Here Are 6 Other Former Honorees Who Turned Out to Be Felons.

From promising prodigies to notorious felons, these are the most infamous former "30 Under 30" honorees who went from celebrated entrepreneurs to convicted criminals.

Business Solutions

'Please Hold' is Officially Cancelled — How to Future-Proof Your Customer Service for Gen Z and Beyond

Customers are increasingly expecting better service. Younger generations are leading the way.

Growing a Business

Who Shapes a Brand — The Leader or the Audience? Here's What Really Determines Success.

Great brands thrive at the crossroads of leadership vision and audience engagement, balancing strategic direction with real-time feedback to stay authentic, relevant and trusted.