Everyone talks about asking the right questions on the phone and getting quality information… but what topics should you touch upon?
Having a script makes teleprospecting easier than winging it, but you can’t write out what the prospects are going to say every time. You can make educated guesses, but it is impossible to map out every direction the conversation can go. Having a few core questions in your arsenal can help fill gaps in conversations or guide prospects in a more focused direction if they do not seem to be clicking with your introduction.
Three main conversation points you’ll want to use are:
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Time Frame: This can reference timing for reviewing vendors as well as implementation timeline.
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Budget: This may not be important for all clients, but it’s good information to have. Also, it can be a sensitive subject for some organizations, but if there is a real pain/ need for a product or service, there will be a budget.
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Decision-maker: Do not try to discredit the prospect if they are not the ultimate decision-maker, but rather try to include everyone in the initial call to make it worthwhile for all parties involved. Speaking with parties of all levels in the organization is helpful because you can learn the big picture from C-level executives or information about the software or service from people who will be using it on a daily basis.
Of course, these vary depending on client and project specifications, but you can use these topics to shift the conversation and find out some details about the company’s future plans. When you are creating implementation documents for a new client, it is a good idea to come up with core questions/ bullet points about the specific product or service you are offering. Try to highlight an attribute of the product or service that they may not currently be receiving and if it’s fitting to the conversation, perhaps then try to transition into the timeline for the current vendor.
The best questions are ones that lead to a conversation and cannot be answered with a simple answer, like “yes” or “no.” There are no concrete rules to the best questions since there are many different paths a conversation can take depending on campaigns, target audience, and client requirements, but you do want to be simple and concise. The last thing people want to do is answer sales questions about their company information. If you show them how they can improve a certain aspect of their organization with a question, the conversation will flow.
What topics have you found work well when teleprospecting for clients in software and technology industry?
