Who was the first salesperson in the world? Probably the one who sold stone wheels thousands of years ago. And a “yes” became his favorite word ever since. However, I think a salesperson’s second favorite word must be “how”.
Don’t worry, you have struck the right chord and sparked a curiosity if you get to hear a “how” from the customer.
In today’s hyper competitive business sphere, sparking a curiosity and getting a prospect’s attention is quite challenging.
Curiosity is a powerful emotion. It is a force that leads people to finish a 600-page thriller and do things which were unthinkable without the curiosity factor. Sales professionals too can effectively alleviate the barriers, and successfully get the prospects interested for an initial meeting. The trick is to leverage the power of curiosity to build interest around the product/service they are selling, and connect with the prospect.
Catching and maintaining a prospective client’s attention is often one of the hardest parts of the sales process. A prospect who’s eager to learn more about your offerings will quickly respond to phone calls and emails.
Following is the list of elements that can help you kindle a prospective buyer’s curiosity:
Write Compelling Subject Lines
Study reveals that one in three people take the decision to open an email based solely on the subject line. So we must invest time in crafting an intriguing and interesting subject line. They should be come up with relevant information that is not vague or misleading. Asking a question can also work as it might instantly make the prospect curious to learn more about the strategy you are proposing.
Ask Prospects Stimulating Questions
By posing unexpected and thought-provoking questions, salespeople can get their clients’ mental gears turning. It can also challenge the buyer’s preconceptions and change how they think about a specific topic.
Here are several examples of challenging questions:
- Have you considered [strategy]?
- Have you heard [piece of news]?
- What was the motivation behind [decision]?
- Would you ever use [approach]?
- Can I ask why you haven’t adopted [process]?
Teach Prospects Something about Their Business
As humans, we have an innate curiosity to know what others think of us. A great tactic for piquing someone’s curiosity is to mention that another person said something about them. Sales professionals can take advantage of this human trait by offering unique insights into the prospect’s business. For instance, a salesperson can ask a simple question to the buyer, “I’ve done some research into your organization and identified three ways you could boost your brand. Would you be interested in hearing those areas of improvement?” Not only will this instantly spark the prospect’s desire to hear more, it also gives the rep an opportunity to add value.
Working in every industry with so many different companies each week isn’t easy and the one way to bring this all together is by making customers intrigue. Curiosity is a great emotion which can be used to drive sales. It also impacts purchasing decisions and keeps prospects engaged and connected.
