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Here is question number two (and my response) to the salesperson’s ‘would you or would you not’ quiz. Is this something you would do at a first sit-down meeting with a prospective client?
2) Ask a question about a picture on their office wall.
Too hokey? Does it seem to much like a glad-handing salesperson trying too hard to be chatty? Despite this risk…
I suggest doing this. Usually, at the informal start of a meeting..before we’ve officially started, when people are sorting computers and hanging up coats. I’ll look for a picture or a book or a plaque on the shelf that I’m naturally curious about. For me, this means a travel picture, a hiking or outdoorsy or sports book, a picture of kids, so I can ask about something in which I have an authentic interest. I won’t ask about a golf picture for example, because I don’t currently play golf, and when I did I was terrible.
My goal here is to learn something personal about what they are interested in, and to disclose something about me, personally. This in order to get to one of my objectives of a first face to face meeting with a prospective client. I’d like them to think of me as an interesting person that they’d like to know.
In addition, I can use what I’ve learned about them to gently follow up and stay in touch. If I discover they have an interest in say, impressionist artists, I can send them a note when an exhibition is coming to their city. Following up a meeting like this differentiates you from the sales person they’ll talk to next week.
In the next post, I’ll lay respond to the third thing I might do or say in a meeting with a prospective client.
3) I explain the three most common problems my product solves.
Do you?
Tags: asking questions, authentic, client meeting, connecting, first meeting, follow-up, Informal meetings, small talk, someone you'd like to know
[…] When you see something in their lobby or on their office wall, a painting, an award, a photo that makes you curious, ask about it. For more read this. […]