Q: I have this one client and although we talk all the time, I feel like we are getting nowhere. I seem to lose control of every conversation we have! Any suggestions?
A: Sales conversations should be mutual activities. It’s great that your customer wants to participate in them and help drive them. But, if you find that you are having ‘good conversations’, but aren’t progressing the sales cycle, then it could be time to structure your calls more strategically.
You should begin each sales call with a productive objective and share it with the customer/prospect as you open the call — make sure that they are on board. “Today, I would like to spend 30 minutes discussing your customer care operation so that I can assist you in building a business case for your internal stakeholders. Is there anything else you would like to address?”
If the customer begins to drive the conversation in a direction that is not helping you reach your (now mutual) objective, try working in a close-ended probe, “How many call centers do you have in North America?” This will help ensure you get the data you need within the time you’ve set aside for your sales call.
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