It’s inevitable that you will encounter prospects that will bait you into explaining. They will try to control the conversation. They will try to trip you up. They will try to get you to beg them to join you. They aren’t necessarily doing this consciously or purposely. If you are going to become a master at prospecting, then learn to respond instead of reacting.

When you respond, you are present. You are able to say how you feel without worrying about the outcome. You trust your feelings.

If you react to a prospect’s comment or question by validating, justifying, overselling or the dreaded umm You are telegraphing your uncomfortability. In essence, you are checking out. You are too busy thinking about the right thing to say. You are in your head.

The more you are able to be in the moment, the better you will be at prospecting. That’s why I am sharing these three advanced tactics to save you time prospecting. I’m also going to share some scripts so you can improve your ability to respond to common interruptions or objections.

Reframing With A Question

Reframing is a simple technique. You take the statement or question a prospect has made and respond with a return question. This puts you back in the driver’s seat. This skill will assist you to uncover if the person is serous or curious a prospect or a suspect.
When someone says… What is this about?

You are able to respond:

This about me looking for people who want to start a business from the comfort of their home. Is that you?

If someone says: Where did you get my number?

You would say:

I received your number from my insurance agent Tom after asking for referrals of people that where big thinkers. Are you a big thinker?

Or

I received your number from a list of people who had expressed interest in starting a business from home. Are you looking for an opportunity?

When you are not in lead poverty, you are more likely to have a relaxed demeanor when you prospect. You are detached from the outcome.

Remember…

You are not in the convincing business. You are a recruiter. You are looking for someone that is motivated, a team-player and serious about creating a 6 or 7-figure income.

The Take-Away

If a prospect interrupts you, remember to smile and not take this personally. You are about to exercise the ultimate take-away.

Remember that your prospect will disqualify himself/herself from collaborating with your team if he/she does not change his/her attitude!

You know, [Prospect’s Name], right now I am seeking people I can collaborate with to create a long-term business relationship. This conversation is not starting on the right note. If you are absolutely serious about generating income from the comfort of your home to change the quality of your life, then I have a few simple questions to ask you so I can direct you to the right information for you to determine if this is the right opportunity for you.

[Prospect’s Name], are you seriously interested in creating wealth from the comfort of your home?

When prospect says Yes…  You say Great! and continue your interview.

If prospect says No…

Before I let you go, can I ask you one last question? I can appreciate this might not be for you, but do you know any big thinkers like me you would be willing to refer me who would have an interest in creating an additional stream of income?

Silence

When a prospect attempts to bait you into selling, validating or justifying your opportunity, silence can be the magic tool. You have to be willing to allow an uncomfortable silence to see if the conversation is salvageable.
Take a look at this example of a conversation I had with a prospect.
Doug: Are we getting somewhere Jeff?

Me: We are getting somewhere. Yes, Doug we are getting somewhere.

See… then I pause. If someone is baiting me or wants to get in my face, I just stop. The first person who speaks… looses. If I have to read the sports page until the other person speaks… that’s what I do.

Doug: O.K., Jeff. You have my attention.

Now I can proceed. Because the minute I speak, I’m selling. If he freezes for 60 seconds, then I’ll hang up. I play fair with everyone.
It’s in or out!

When you ask a question, wait for a response. Don’t start talking if the prospect doesn’t respond right away. Let the silence hang. If the prospect doesn’t respond after 60 seconds let them go.

When you are prospecting, don’t feel that you have to have cookie cutter answers. There is no perfect response. The key is to trust yourself and be confident.

Consistently using reframing, silence and the take-way are the keys to sorting and saving time.

So, get out there and start prospecting!!