Does Your Prospecting Fit the Times?

The pandemic sharpened our thinking. With less free cash to spare, just about everyone began paying closer attention to the products/services we buy and how we got pitched. Because wasting money or making a big mistake was not allowed. And for those of us pitching our products and services, the stakes were far higher.

I want to share a sales technique that works incredibly well. While I won’t claim to be an expert, I have used this approach over the years — with relatively high results.

It is called the “I Need Help” Method

… and it is pretty straightforward. All you must do is get the prospects to seek you out. They begin their conversations with you by saying, “I need help.”

Now I can hear you loudly groan and yell at me. Yeah, lady, and how do you propose I get the prospects to seek me out? I have tried every bloody trick in the book, and my results are spotty. I know. I’ve been there too! The trick is to

Start with your key messaging

What exactly does your product/service do for the prospect’s life? Seriously, what transformation in their lives does your offering give? It is never about having a good or bad offering. Nor is it about having the most or least expensive product. It is always about your offering doing something amazing for your prospects’ lives. Define that.

After you have that crucial piece nailed down, I want you to begin every sales conversation, every part of online or offline collateral, and your website's home page with a simple premise.

Acknowledge and shine a light

…on the problem your offering solves. First. This is not the time, to begin with something about you, your company or your offering. STOP that. Begin with what is happening in the marketplace for which you have a solution. Next,

Verify or validate the problem with the prospect
Use statistics and valid third-party data that backs up the issue. Then —

Show that the problem is even worse

…for your targeted prospect. NO, this is not the time to lie. It IS the time to link the statistics to their real world. Be specific. Lastly,

Provide the light at the end of the tunnel

Shine the light by spelling out exactly how your offering transforms their lives.

Let me give you two concrete examples.

Example 1

When resolving workplace people issues, a traditional law firm is not always the best resource to use. Because charging for every block of ten minutes can be incredibly expensive when issues become emotionally charged, when people have tantrums and when the facts become obfuscated by both sides. Just as horrible is when families try to resolve estate issues — high on sentimental value and low on monetary value.

And can be particularly devastating to business owners who pay the hefty legal bills, have their voices and points of view silenced, and watch helplessly as disgruntled employees, suppliers, or partners come out on top.

A better solution for so many people issues is engaging a professional mediator. Because a professional mediator is often trained as a lawyer, highly specialized in ensuring all sides are heard and solely focused on finding the best compromise solution. All without the usual emotional toll and definitely not at exorbitant law firm prices.

Example 2

The pandemic did nasty things to the business community. When business owners saw their revenues drop by up to 95%, and when government bailouts didn’t cover all areas. When companies that have been in business for two, three or even seven decades teetered on edge, the worry and anxiety level of every business owner and senior leader dramatically increase.

Weigh that against the statistics we heard every month about how more than 50% of the businesses at the beginning of 2020 would not be standing inside of 18 months, and imagine the anxiety the owners felt. Even worse, for those businesses with less than ten years of history and those others with little to no excess cash in the bank, that 50% rate was expected to climb much higher.

I tried to help business owners keep their anxiety and worry levels to a dull roar with my Post-COVID Success Plan program. It helped them make a personalized short-term assessment of their world and reprioritize their immediate tactics and generate some short-term gains to enable them to come out standing strong inside the next two years.

Now, let me ask you. How many more leads would you generate if you modified your pitch to this format? I am betting more than you can imagine.