Prospects are afraid of you.
They’re afraid you’re going to try to talk them into something.
Here’s what talking people into things sounds like:
“The reason I’m calling is to schedule an appointment.”
“What if you could 10X your conversion rates?”
“If I could save you 30% of your electric bill, would you be interested?”
The problem is the word “into.”
When you try talking people into things, they want out.
Same intent.
Same actions.
Same results.
What is the way out?
Detach from the outcome.
Let go of assumptions.
Shine a light on the cost of doing nothing.
Be curious about how prospects are currently getting the job done without having an agenda.
Here’s what that might sound like on a cold call for Dozuki:
Problem
“Many learning & development professionals we work with say operators spend a good chunk of their time accessing standard work instructions and conducting a search.”
Poke the Bear
“Just out of curiosity, how are your operators accessing work instructions and searching?”
See what I did there?
I’m not talking anyone into anything.
My intent is to understand how the prospect is currently getting the job done without assuming they need what I’m selling.
In other words, I don’t have an agenda.
Poke the bear questions are neutral.
They don’t prompt a prospect towards providing an already determined answer (leading question).
When your intent is to be curious, rather than assuming, you behave in ways that don’t feel salesy or manipulative.
Different intent.
Different actions.
Different results.
Ditch the pitch.
Poke the bear.