How to Close Prospects: Lesson #2 From Mike

Dated: May 8th, 2009

Mike Dillard sent me an email that I posted on my blog last week titled “How I Close My Prospects.” You can view the article here if you have not yet read it.

I reread the article today and decided to reiterate the most important points that we all forget to follow when trying to recruit and sponsor our prospects.

Key to Closing Prospects # 1: Focus on a voluntary decision. Not a directed decision.

Directed decisions, or rather decisions that we lead the prospect to make with one on one persuasion, are emotional decisions. These decisions ware off as soon as times get tough. These prospects quit.

Key to Closing Prospects # 2: Persuade them to make their own decision by educating them through an automatic marketing system.

Key to Closing Prospects # 3: Follow this system when prospecting.

Step 1: Lead is generated and a quick introductory phone call is made just to let them know that I’m a real person. I’ll ask them a few questions, BUT, it’s not to build up “ammo” like their finding out their “reason why” so I can bring it back up later when it’s “decision time”.

I ask questions because I want to find out if this is someone I want to personally work with. Honestly, I’m trying to find a reason NOT to work with them or sell them product because the wrong customers/partners will cost you MUCH more than you’ll ever make in the long run.

This qualification process is evident to the prospect through the verbal and non-verbal leadership ques that are expressed during the conversation. Things like energy level, voice level, tonalities, etc…

Now you’re probably wondering what all of those are, but honestly, if you truly see yourself as a leader, you’ll unconsciously start conveying these traits automatically.

Step 2: If I like the person, I’ll give them the address to the business overview via email and then instruct them verbally and in the email to contact me when they’re done.

Because they came though a capture page when they became a lead, they are already in my marketing pipeline.

At this point, the ball is completely in their court.

I NEVER chase people. I’m too busy. And so are you whether that’s true or not. Your business lives in a state of abundance. There is no neediness.

My marketing system will stay in contact with them for me. I don’t have time to make follow up calls and I lose power if I do, but I will give them continual opportunities to contact me through my marketing campaign.

Scheduling follow-up calls and all that crap on your prospect’s terms… Whatever.
They call me and I’ll contact them back when I feel like doing so.

If you’re positioning yourself correctly, they will be excited and feel privileged that you contacted them.

(This is something pretty foreign to most networkers who deal with prospects who never return their phone calls and voicemails).

Step 3: Once they do contact me, they’re going to have some questions which I will answer in a very friendly manner. I like this person and I wouldn’t mind working with them…

BUT, for the rest of the call, I’m silent.

I don’t ask them to get started and I don’t try to keep the conversation going.

Dead spots in a conversation ARE AWKWARD. You want to make them feel off-balance and then force them to fill the dead air.

My attitude is that you called me to ask me some questions which I will answer, and that’s it. Anything else that we discuss is up to you.

Because you’re unwilling to keep the conversation going or try to talk them into getting started, you are in the position of power.

In any relationship, the person who cares the least holds the power.

If you want to learn the complete system of how to prospect then start by watch thes 7 FREE Videos.