The Secret To People When Prospecting
How good are your listening skills?
I found out that in the past, mine were poor, prior to getting the proper training.
As I’ve made mention before, my number one stumbling block was talking over people and or
finishing their sentences when they spoke too slow. I was so disrespectful and argumentative.
I’ll never forget the one woman that I was prospecting who called me a moron. I totally was not listening to her when she told me in her actions that she was not qualified to work in my business. I 3-wayed her to a 5 minute message, and after clicking back over, she asked what the company was all about. I got frustrated with her and asked her if she wanted me to 3-way her back to the message again, because it explained what the company was. She ‘felt’ my frustration and called me a moron and hung up.
I’ve would have saved so much time if I knew then what I know now. I would’ve have known the signs of a ‘time vampire.’ The lady that I was prospecting had American Idol blaring in the background and giving me short, quick answers during the interview process. She didn’t budge from the television and she asked, ‘what’s this about,’ more than twice. I should’ve said the following: “_____, do you have that pen and paper handy? Great. Here’s my name, number and website. Give me a call when you get really serious about wanting to pay off that debt and be able to stay home with your son. God Bless and I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Through trial, error and a really good coach, I found the following ‘secrets’ to be true about people:
1. People love to talk about themselves.
Think about it; if someone where to ask you a question about yourself, and you felt comfortable with them- you would flow freely. We LOVE to talk about ourselves, our children, our grandchildren, passions in life, etc.
2. Some people warm up to you immediately, and others about 30 seconds. After they warm up, they tell you exactly what they need once you ask the right questions.
3. People want to feel special and important.
4. People like smiles
A smile builds trust. A smile is a magnet. A smile makes others smile back at you. EXERCISE: Walk around your job smiling at people today. Count how many people smile back at you. My coach advised that we do that. My first week trying that gave me wild results when prospecting on the phone. Now, smiling is just part of me. Give it a whirl.
5. People want to be honored
That means, don’t butt in when they take a breath. Let them talk until they are done. You’ll be able to tell when someone is done speaking.
6. People love to hear their name
Dude, this one gets me. The reason why is this: We have friend whose name is Elisa. And it’s pronounced, E- Lis- Ah. When I first met her, I stood there and had her help me pronounce her name until I said it correctly. Hey, I have no shame in my game. So why…oh why, are people calling that child, Eliza (e-lie-za). This is the other part of honoring a person. Get their name right.. and remember it. Write it down; say over and over again in your head until you place the face with the name. Don’t use the excuse of, “Oh I’m good with faces, but bad with names.” SCREECH… wrong move! That makes that person feel like they were not important enough for you to remember their name. And guess what… they are right.
7. People like for you to see their point of view and truly understand where they are coming from.
8. People like honesty.
You and I both know that we can stand a crooked person or a fake person. We want real people with real talk. You can spot a fake 10 miles away. You can smell it on them. We’ve all seen them and know them. But instead of judging them, check yourself and make sure that you are on the up and up. (side note: We attract what we are.) These are just some of the basics to people. I highly recommend that you get the necessary training for improving your listening skills. One book to keep as your other Bible is: How To Win Friends And Influence People.
Get it, study it and start changing your prospecting results.
God Bless,
T
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