Prospects usually ask five core questions about a salesperson before making a buying decision.
So you should be prepared for them when you’re sales prospecting.
The answers to these questions could determine whether a sale is closed:
- Are you reliable and dependable? Prospects want to see that your performance matches your promises. They look for salespeople who follow through without continuous badgering. This shows reliability. They also want salespeople who know products and policies thoroughly.
- Are you candid? Does your prospect see you as one who tells it like it is? Do you explain the advantages of your product or services without trying to cover up any shortcomings? Do you give quick replies to requests for information, especially when problems arise?
- Are you competent? Your prospects will be making judgments about you in areas such as your technical or professional knowledge, your skill or experience, the quality of your judgment and the effectiveness of your suggestions.
- Are you credible? A prospect perceives salespeople as more credible when they genuinely understand the industry and market. Credibility increases the more you can pull together facts and data that are relevant to the prospect’s problems.
- Are you focused on them? Prospects want salespeople who are interested in them. They want salespeople who listen and learn about them, their problems and their goals. What you choose to talk about tells prospects where they stand with you.
