Engaging Prospects: Two Vital Elements to Dropping Resistance!

We are constantly pursuing people in pitching meetings to try and help us gain their interest. However, the more we try to engage prospects, the more likely they'll resist. To be successful at sales, you will need to overcome these barriers that can produce a negative mindset that prevents them from giving you a buy-in. In this blog post, I'll explain two strategies that can help you drop resistance when it comes to prospecting: 1) Using your sense of humour 2) The "I-spoke-with-them" email.

What exactly is resistance?

Resistance is simply the act of resisting, i.e. an objection or rejection- you are attempting to get a buy-in from a prospect, but they are saying no, to your request. This can be anything from them turning you down in a meeting, to your email going into their spam folder. Resisting can happen if they don't see the value in your product or service; they are busy and just don't have time for you right now; or if you are not making it easy for them – there may be a lack of communication between the two of you (the buyer and seller).

In sales, a lot of people are trying to push down resistance, especially just before a pitch (pre-engaging) is made to the prospect. However, this is not the best idea because you may end up making them feel uncomfortable and they will then resist you even more. You need to be able to overcome resistance in a way that they will be open to what you are asking them. Here are my two suggestions:

The Sense of Humour Strategy

People love to laugh and when you can give them this positive experience before pitching, it is likely that they will feel much more open in responding favourably to your request. In fact, studies have shown that individuals who feel good usually perform better than those who do not. For example, one study found that people could solve puzzles more easily when they were in a positive mood than when they were feeling stressed or negative. Can you imagine the difference it would make if your prospect was feeling positive about you instead of having a negative mindset (as he or she may have had previously). Or even if they are neutral, you still have to take the first step in order for them to be responsive to what you are proposing.

To use this strategy, it is very important that you warm up the person before pitching in order for them to feel comfortable with your presence. In addition, you want them to like and trust who you are as a person and that may mean getting some information about who they are as well. This is called rapport and it will help build your connection with them.

The best part about humour is that it does not require perfect delivery, timing or even a specific audience. The beauty of this strategy is that you can use it anywhere, anytime. From an elevator conversation to the pre-pitch meeting, you can make a joke which will help produce laughter and hence help in dropping resistance!

This may mean creating a funny title for your next email to them – instead of calling it "RE: Follow up" call it something like "RE: I Love You!". Instead of creating a template email with the same information every time, put some "spice" into it (even if it means changing your phone number so they call you back).

The "I-Spoke-With-You" Email

Not only can you use humour to your advantage but you can also use the "I-Spoke-With-You" email strategy. This is a good one because it requires no prep work and as long as you are able to use this in the moment of your pitch, it can help produce positive results without needing to prep for it. You will want to start by saying "Hi Michael". Then state that you have spoken with him/her over the phone or via email. Then say that you are looking forward to meeting with him/her at their convenience.

This strategy takes advantage of the human brain which is always trying to predict the future. When you mention that you are going to be there, your prospect will now know what your intentions are and how long you're going to be there for – hence, making them feel more comfortable about meeting with you.

When it comes to this strategy, keep in mind that it requires no time or preparation (you can't use it in a pitch meeting). If a person says "that sounds good" or "OK", then send the email within 2-3 minutes of the conversation (unless the person specifically asks for more time). Also, if you are expecting to get a "no" response, don't start with the strategy as soon as you know that they will be a no. Wait until the meeting is just taking place and then use this strategy.

By dropping resistance and using these strategies, you can help produce a positive mindset for your prospect at the time of your pitch. By doing this, it will make their mind think differently about what you have to offer and in turn, will cause them to be more receptive. The key is really in making it easy for them to say yes!

About the author: Ben Alisa is an experienced sales professional with 18 years of professional experience in sales and eight years experience in leadership positions. He is widely known in the sales community as the author of four books, including the best-selling The 7 Secrets to Power Persuasion and The 5 Keys to Power Communication , both available on Amazon. He is also a public speaker who has presented over 200 seminars across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia on topics such as influencing skills, personal effectiveness, communication skills and persuading skills. Ben Alisa is considered by many as one of the world's leading experts in persuasive communication. To contact Ben directly or to download a free copy of his articles: www.benalisa.

Conclusion

A persuasive and persuasive communication is a crucial part of applying your personal brand and reputation to your business and career. Regardless of the skills you have in persuasion tactics, you will want to study those strategies that will yield the best results in order to effectively sell product or service. While this article presents some of the most common persuasion strategies, there are many more. By utilizing these strategies, you are sure to gain a better understanding of these important sales skills and will be able to learn new ways in which you can sell product or service that will be successful for both your company and for yourself as well.