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Please consider this free-reprint article written by:
Michel Neray
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Article Title: Three Ways To Start A Conversation And Finish
With A Sale
Author: Michel Neray
Word Count: 1370
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=48048&ca=Marketing
Format: 64cpl
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Ditch your elevator pitch. Zap your infomercial. And whatever
you do, keep your carefully worded, painstakingly developed,
positioning statement to yourself.
They may make you sound clever, but your elevator pitch,
infomercial or positioning statement don�t exactly make for
good conversations. Which is a shame, because last I checked,
even a sales conversation is just that � a conversation.
So what can you say to a prospect sitting across the boardroom
table, or someone you meet at a networking event or the beach
bum in the next chaise longue? How can you start a conversation
in a totally natural, familiar way that doesn�t sound like a
sales pitch to the other person, doesn�t feel like a sales
pitch to you, and yet increases your chance of getting your
next referral or making your next sale?
Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a magical phrase or
headline that will make the other person want to buy your
product or services � it just doesn't exist.
What does exist, however, is an approach that will elicit
interest from the other person so that he or she will want to
engage you in a conversation. As a copywriter, I have adapted
several copywriting styles and approaches for use in verbal
conversations.
Here are three of my favorites.
#1 The Provocative Question
Chances are, you've seen this technique on websites, flyers and
direct mail. It's Copywriting for Direct Marketers 101, and it
works just as powerfully in verbal conversations. In fact, it
works so well that I'm surprised people don't use it more
often!
The best way to come up with a Provocative Question is to ask
yourself the following:
�What question can I ask, such that the response from the other
person allows me to say, 'That's what I do�'?�
The best Provocative Question pinpoints a problem or a symptom
of a problem that the other person has. However, don't get
trapped into thinking that the problem has to be a big, generic
problem that the category as a whole solves. It can be a small
but nagging problem, or even a one that people have when they
deal with your competitors.
Many people have a hard time coming up with Provocative
Questions because, ironically, the most compelling ones are
also the simplest and most obvious. Another thing that people
have trouble with is answering a question with a question --
when someone asks us a question, we're wired to answer. What I
am suggesting here is that you use that wiring to your
advantage.
Here's an example. When someone asks me what I do, I often
answer back with a Provocative Question like this:
"Well let me ask you a question. When you go to a networking
event or when you have to introduce yourself in public, how
confident are you with the way you describe your business?
Almost every time, the person acknowledges that he or she
doesn�t feel confident with the way they describe their
business. In that moment, I have engaged the other person�s
interest by presenting what I do in a way that�s personally
meaningful to him or her. Then, what generally ensues is a
conversation about the sales and marketing challenges they have
and how I can help.
If, on the other hand, the person responds by saying that
they�re totally confident with the way they describe their
business, that�s cool too. I have two choices; I can either
move on to another provocative question, (such as, �That�s
great, do you get the response you want or would you like more
people to ask for your business card, even in social
situations?�), or I can talk about how being confident about
the way you describe your business shows you have exceptional
clarity the true value you offer to your clients -- and how
that�s the absolute most fundamental plank of your sales and
marketing.
It�s all good -- it�s all about having a conversation around an
issue that�s both A) important to the other person, and B)
related to a core challenge that you help your best clients
solve.
#2 The Level-Setting Statement
If you're a financial advisor, consultant, or in any other
crowded profession where your prospects are very familiar with
-- perhaps even jaded about -- the kind of work you do, this
one�s for you.
The 'level-setting statement' is a universal statement that
gets the other person nodding in agreement and then, WHAMMO!
your point of difference hits them like a ton of bricks!
Here's why it's such a powerful technique. You can only be
different in comparison to something else. That's what the
level-setting statement does � it establishes what that
something else is.
Here�s just one example from an event planner I worked with:
"There are five specific areas of expertise that are absolutely
critical in major event planning. (Pause � and wait to see if
the other person wants to know what they are.) While there are
a lot of excellent event planners who can do a good job in one
or two of them, it's extremely unlikely that any one event
planner would be an expert in all of them. Because I've been in
the business for 15 years -- on both the corporate as well as on
the vendor side -- I've developed a detailed planning process
around each and every one. That's what enables me to track and
manage the myriad of details to guarantee a successful event."
By stating the level-setting statement up front, you educate
the other person about the industry you operate in, and
establish a frame of reference that gives meaning to the
differentiation you want to communicate.
You can use this approach to challenge an underlying assumption
that people have about the industry, to illustrate a small but
significant problem that generally annoys customers when
dealing with your competitors, or anything else that allows you
to highlight your solution.
Take a look at your own point of difference. Can you come up
with a level-setting statement that will help you stand out
even more?
#3 Address The Stereotype Head-on
You know how as soon as people discover you're a
_________________(insert your title here), they immediately
form an impression about you that's based on a stereotype?
Unfortunately, that stereotype is often negative.
For professions such as life insurance agents or used car
salespeople, where the negative stereotypes run strong and
deep, I recommend you address the stereotype head-on:
"If I tell you I'm a used car salesman, you'd probably think
'plaid jacket guy who sells lemons to unsuspecting customers',
right?"
Pausing here is important here, because you want to give the
listener time to move the image of the stereotype from the
unconscious part of their brain to the conscious part. They
might even want to chime in and give you their negative
experience about dealing with �people like you�.
Perfect � now their guard is down. Now you can continue on to
explain how your business, service or approach �fixes� the
problem that everyone else in your industry has created.
That's your most compelling differentiator!
Stop selling! And start having real conversations!
Simple as it may seem, everything truly does start with a
conversation. You're not trying to tell your entire story, nor
are you even trying to get the most important points out of
your mouth first. All you want to accomplish is elicit interest
from the other person; to have that person say, 'tell me more'.
So don�t think of these as sales techniques � think of them as
conversation starters.
The rest is up to you. If you are genuinely interested in
helping the person you�re chatting with, chances are better
than excellent you�ll finish with a referral or a sale.
Now go out and have some conversations!
About The Author: Michel Neray created the Essential Message to
give consultants, coaches, trainers and other independent
professionals a better way to differentiate, position and brand
themselves. To subscribe to his e-newsletter, 'E-ssential
Messages', and find out about his workshops, copywriting
services, keynotes and coaching, link to
http://www.EssentialMessage.com.
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