Even with the ever-increasing development of technology and digital communication, the reality is that you’re unlikely to close anything meaningful and especially a long-term business relationship, by email, without having a conversation.
To earn the right to establish solid client relationships, we need to engage with our prospects to understand their priority needs and to discuss potential solutions with them, so that we can then deliver agreed results.
That means speaking / meeting with them!
Prospecting and networking should be targeted at confirming with your potential client, why they should speak / meet with you to their benefit.
So, once you’ve earned that opportunity to engage with your prospective client.
Be prepared – do your research and be clear on your ‘Why’ as well as your objectives. Don’t however slip into ‘Analysis Paralysis’ through over-preparing. As Malcom Gladwell recommends in his book ‘Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking’, you can develop your judgement skills to achieve accurate assessments in seconds.
How should you structure this crucial contact and what are the key elements to deliver:
· Introduction / Elevator Pitch – in one sentence, confirm who you are, what the call / meeting is about and why should they listen for their benefit.
· Qualify – is this the person you should be speaking / meeting with? This needs be done well before the call / meeting, but should be reconfirmed upfront.
· Prioritise their needs – what are their major business pain points where can you deliver tailored solutions versus their current provider.
· Demonstrate your expertise and the benefit to them through discussing potential solutions based upon their needs.
· Close – agree specific actions to a timescale, even if that is to contact them at some point in the future with a purpose.
Follow-up communication after any meaningful call or meeting will include confirmation of what you proposed and agreed where relevant. This will be part of your structured BD plan to again earn the right to build these relationships.
AI is an amazing and dynamically evolving tool to assist us in our processes for developing business relationships, but the reality remains that no meaningful commercial relationship was built or maintained without human communication; virtually, on the phone or face-to-face.
On the other side, why should you take that call or accept the meeting request from a recruiter? Well, they may provide you with that key Talent that delivers you and your business the competitive advantage in an ongoing unpredictable market.
As a recruitment business owner and now NED / Advisor, I’m grateful that I accepted a number of calls / meetings from recruiters and recruitment suppliers following well-constructed and targeted prospecting. They helped me, and my clients deliver success.
How focussed and determined are you on speaking with your prospective clients?
