I want to share the biggest mistake I see people make when having conversations with potential clients.
You have to work very hard to earn enough trust for someone to agree to have a chat or Zoom call with you. Why?
Simply because they are expecting a sales pitch. Clients aren’t dumb they know a free strategy session is a pitch.
So once you have earnt their trust to jump on call do not spend most of the call helping them.
I know this sounds counterintuitive (my big word for the day).
You see, as an expert, you can solve their problems. Since you’re also a nice person you can be tempted to jump right into doing that.
But if you do, you’ll normally lose the client. Because they already feel their problems are solved or they know how to solve them. But the fact is they don’t and won’t. They will actually buy from someone else instead.
So what you need to do is get clear on what the problems are. Empathise with them and let them know you understand the world through their eyes. Let them know that you have a proven method for solving them.
Then invite them to take the next step. You’re a professional so it’s your job to tell them what that next step is. You explain all the benefits of that step and how it will make them feel. They then decide whether to proceed or not.
The buyer always retains control over buying or not buying. Your role is as the trusted guide. After all that’s why they came to you in the first place and got on a call.