Over the past couple of months, I’ve created recipes that will hopefully guide SDRs to develop their sales confidence, have more productive conversations, and ultimately generate more leads.
A lot of this meal prep involved discussion around how to approach a phone conversation - with my last piece touching on how to close a call, and move a prospect into pipeline!
But, with the dish now ready to be served, you and I are left facing what many consider to be the worst part of cooking… cleaning up!
In this piece I want to talk through how to make your lead as strong as possible, leaving your kitchen/ opportunity spick and span ready to cook/ book again.
Cleaning as you go
When speaking to a prospect, occasionally you’ll gain some additional qualifying/ useful contact information. If a prospect is providing valuable information it can be helpful to jump in and ask a quick qualifying information question.
For example, if a prospect says they would like to see more information, now might be a great time to pause your conversation and ask for their email. Equally, if a prospect mentions how busy they are or some annual leave they have booked, it may be a good opportunity to ask a quick question about what days might be good for them to take some time to discuss further. I liken this to finishing one part of your dish and cleaning the pan whilst the rest cooks!
Top Tip: Try using ‘how’ or ‘do’ questions in these instances.
For example: “...ok great, how many users are there” or “do you already use this platform?”
Finding little tidbits of information in a conversation can make light work of the qualification and contact information that usually comes at the end of the call. It avoids the need to keep the prospect for an extra couple of minutes, as you will have already gained the info naturally. I’ve said on so many occasions that I won’t take up too much of your time only then to have to rattle off a ton more questions after arranging a date, just to get their email, phone number, best time, volume, metrics, contract length and so on! By cleaning as you go you make your life easier, and the prospect’s too!
Reuse your utensils
Countless times on Kitchen’s Takeaways I have pointed out that less is more when it comes to talking. If you can use the same utensil and pot or pan for multiple parts of your meal, do it! When speaking to prospects try to ask questions which will reveal the most information with the least amount of effort. Of course, a good place to start is with open questions, but it’s really more than that. Where appropriate, try to ask questions that logically will have a follow on question. For example: “How many staff do X task?” leads into “and how do they do it?” Often, upon asking the first question the prospect will answer both at once, saving you a couple of extra follow-ups. Additionally, when questions flow into each other nicely it can help move the conversation along smoothly.
Top Tip: It’s absolutely crucial when being economical with your questioning that you don’t try and ask multiple questions at once. At best you’ll only get an answer to one, and at worst you’ll draw the ire of the person on the other end of the phone.
Pack up the leftovers
So you’re cleaning the kitchen after a delicious meal and there’s still a good few servings leftover. Let’s make sure to pack these away properly and have meals ready for the next few days.
When packing away leftovers, or wrapping up with a prospect, remember now they’ve agreed to a meeting you have some power in the conversation. The prospect will no doubt want to make the meeting productive, especially as they are giving up their time to attend it, so don’t rush, portion out your servings and wrap up appropriately:
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Confirm the date and time
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Get the best number for them
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Set meeting expectations
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Send the invitation whilst you’re on the call (and ask them to accept it there and then!)
Bon Appetit
There you have it, the kitchen is clean and dinner is done. You should have some recipes for sales success to tie you over for a while. But if you’re worried about a particularly high-pressure holiday that can often require cooking for lots of family and friends, do not fear… these Kitchen Takeaways will return with a festive feast edition later in the year!
