I talk a lot about being concise and honing in on the real value proposition, particularly in the context of written proposals. While it’s vital that your proposals are short, persuasive, and understandable, it’s equally important that you trim down your talking points when meeting with a prospect face to face.
Most salespeople like to talk, and this can be a real asset when building rapport with prospects; however, talking too much – particularly about things that are not going to move the conversation forward – can cloud your message and jeopardize your chances of demonstrating the value of your product or service.
So how do you ensure that you’re not “talking past the sale?” Outline your key talking points and rank them based on importance. If the items at the end of your list are not really necessary, make a mental note to leave them out of the conversation. Additionally, when you’re actually conversing with your prospect, think about where you want to move the conversation and avoid anything that will sidetrack that goal. Be sure to also monitor your prospect’s body language and facial expressions as they can tell you a lot about what is going through your prospect’s mind as you speak to them.
Love one of our blogs? Feel free to use an excerpt on your own site, newsletter, blog, etc. Just be sure to send us a copy or link, and include the following at the end of the excerpt: “By Mark Jewell, Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Selling Energy: Inspiring Ideas That Get More Projects Approved! This content is excerpted from Jewell Insights, Mark Jewell's daily blog on ideas and inspiration for advancing efficiency. Sign up at SellingEnergy.com.”
