I’m pleased to share this week’s newsletter contribution from Jeret Unger, Associate at Kison Inc. & Growth Through Learning. Jeret’s experience in strategic business development and connective branding brings a grounded perspective to what it means to sell with client curiosity, clarity, and collaboration.
I used to dread networking events, especially if I entered a room full of professional strangers without my own wing-person. I felt like an intruder amongst close friends with a fake smile and awkward attempts toward starting a conversation. That was until I learned to take on the role of “the fascinated interviewer.”
I discovered that by going up to a person and asking non-intrusive, open-ended questions, such as “what brings you to the event here today?”, put me in the position of being the one to initiate the close to almost every conversation I began. By showing genuine interest in other people, I learned about their careers, projects, interests, pets, and a host of other personal details.
I remember the networking discussion that really clinched it for me: after spending what felt like a generous chunk of time asking a prospect open-ended questions, the interaction closed with her telling me, “What a great conversation, I learned so much from you!” The thing is, I didn’t share one detail. But I did listen to her stories, formulated questions based on what she shared, and this made for her the most meaningful interaction that evening.
In our previous post, I summarized the whole of the Sales Diamond™ and described it as a natural way of arriving at a mutually beneficial contractual arrangement (i.e., people end up buying from you). The first step in the diamond is to “engage” a prospect or re-engage a former client. Another simile you might use is to “intrigue” someone to have a conversation with you. This typically comes from having a pre-meeting understanding of what makes them tick, and that takes intel.
Three Levels of Client Insight That Matter
There are three levels of intel I like to use when formulating a path to engaging someone. The first is formulating a macro persona. This is a high-level profile that identifies a group of target clients with shared characteristics and motivations.
For example, going back several years, I was targeting the principals of upscale residential architectural firms. These were typically boomer-aged males who sought recognition for their unique design signature, aimed to deliver environmentally sustainable projects, and wished they could live in the homes they designed for their wealthier clientele. I utilized this intel to intrigue these architects, sending invitations to start conversations around upgrading the energy efficiency of their current projects without detracting from the aesthetics of their design vision.
The second level of intel is the organizational profile. In the case of my architect prospects, I would review their online company content to decipher their organizational culture, vision, and mission. I sought points of alignment between my company’s values and theirs, similar goals, and other areas of cultural fit. The closer the organizational alignment, the more likely they were to entertain an introductory conversation with me to see if there was a potential match.
The third level of client intel is the personal bio. This is where we dive deeper into who our primary point of contact (POC) is as an individual, their personal interests and goals, their likely wants and desires, and their probable motivators and/or detractors with whom they choose to do business. Are they seeking a promotion, looking to go out on their own, or working toward more personal time to be with their family? The better I understood the individual, the greater the chance I had to establish rapport and make them feel like I was part of their tribe.
Better Questions Lead to Better Conversations
When we combine the macro persona, organizational profile, and personal bio, we have a collection of strong intel from which we can formulate intriguing introductions and fitting conversational questions that will resonate with prospects and feel meaningful. It’s finding their WIIFM, “what’s in it for me,” to make a conversation with you worth their time. Typically, the more they feel understood, the more likely they are to make time for an introductory connection.
Once that opportunity has been granted, you want to plan for the conversation you’re going to have with them. Based on what you know of them, what are the most likely questions to resonate with them and get them talking? What will make them feel heard, understood, and respected? What must you ask to uncover opportunities and meet your engagement objectives? And most importantly, what valuable actions or next steps (from their perspective) can you suggest, thereby creating another viable opportunity to reconnect and converse further?
Engagement Comes Before Qualification
In a nutshell, you want to know your prospects as best as you possibly can to intrigue them to converse, build an engagement plan to learn about them and establish rapport, create questions that get them to willingly share information with you about what they’re working on, and find a reason (or commitment) to connect again. You aren’t likely to sell anything in the Engage stage, but depending on the time they have, you may be able to begin the qualification process to help determine how much of a fit they may be for you as a client.
At the end of the day, the more you know your prospects better than anyone else, the more likely you are to earn the right to be considered as a potential provider moving forward. It all begins with your ability to engage them on their terms.
To gain more ideas on how to connect deeper with new and existing clients and grow meaningful business, send us your questions or set up an initial call with our team. We’d love to connect!
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