Reading Your Prospects Mind

Mind reading is actually easy. All you really have to learn is how to be perceptive, listen and trust your personal intuition.

It’s even easier in a selling situation, because prospects will give you easy to spot clues.

They will let you know right away, through the attention they are paying to what you’re saying and their desire to agree with your ideas.

Listening and observing are the keys. You must understand the challenge your prospect wants to solve.

What you think they need is irrelevant to the conversation. When potential buyer’s get what they want, you’ll create a sale.

The old adage that people buy what they want and not what they need applies here.

The inspiration for this article came at a sales call a couple weeks ago.

I was meeting with a new potential client. As always I asked why they wanted to meet. The prospect told me they were looking for new ideas in marketing.

Great, I thought, that’s what I do.

However, once I started listening to what the prospect had in mind, they were actually not a good fit.

Once I heard what was being said and understood what they wanted, I simply said, “It doesn’t seem like we’re a good fit.” I then made a recommendation that I thought would work better for them.

I had their best interest in mind. At the same time, I saved myself the aggravation of working on a project I would not enjoy.

The prospect seemed a bit taken back. No one had been straight forward enough in a sales call to say, "It won't work. We are not a good fit." In the end, they appreciated this direct approach.

Here’s how can you become a mind reader at your next sales call.

Begin the meeting by asking the question, “Based on what we talked about previously, what made you think it would be a good idea to meet?”

Then listen. I mean actively, take notes and hear what the other person is saying kind of listen. In fact, taking notes is a great way to ensure you stay focused on what the other person is saying.

Based on what your prospect tells you, how openly they share their challenges, their body language as they talk and listen, and your personal observation and “feeling” of how they are responding to you, you can analyze whether or not you have a fit.

Based on what the client told you they wanted, is this a project that fits your working style?

Was your recap of the challenge the prospect faces well received?

Did the prospect like your ideas?

Do you think this is a person or company you would like to work with? Can you do your best job for them?

In your close, make the case based on your observations and gut feel. When you feel great about client interactions, so will your prospects.

When your clients feel good about you, backend sales, referrals, and a strong client base is the result.

That means more sales at a lower cost all because you learned to read your prospects mind.