Why the best prospecting is actually like fighting a fire

My husband and I spend a lot of the winter in Spain, and Yes it is a lot sunnier here than the UK. However, our home is nearly 900m above sea level so it does get very cold at night. We have a wonderful wood burner in the corner of our room, which heats up everywhere including my office upstairs so I’m always nice and toasty when I’m working at my desk.

Now if you already know me well, then you will know that my husband was a fire officer for 33 years and knows more than anyone I know about fire fighting. In fact, he taught fire science to his fire fighters for many years. Most of us think that a fire just burns and that’s it, but he really knows exactly how to control it, which is kind of useful if you have a wood burner like we do.

Yesterday, like every morning Mike managed to save the fire from the night before. I mentioned to him about the smoke I could see in the burner and questioned whether it was actually burning or not and should I open it up to check.

The answer that came back quickly was NO. Mike then went into great depth about the science of fire and how it only needs 3 things to burn well.

Fuel

Oxygen

Heat

Mike then went on to explain that sometimes there had been incidents (not on his watch I may add) where fire fighters had entered a building thinking that it was safe and the fire was out, only to let air in which went on to reignite the flames. He told me that if he was the first officer on scene he would go through a process of checking to establish whether the fire was out or not. The consequences of getting this checking process wrong could result in danger for any crews entering the building.

It is wonderful listening to him explain something that he knows so much about and still has passion for. This is despite having left the British Fire Service almost two years ago.

However, his comments about assessing the fire before entering the building got me thinking about how I effectively introduce myself to new prospects.

“Hold the vision. Trust the process” - Susan Marot

Making an impact for all the right reasons

You see I also have a process that helps me get the best results possible when I enter a networking situation for the first time. My sales process helps me to assess the situation before I burst over enthusiastically into the room and potentially fan the flames of impending disaster.

Here is what I do.

1. I am there for a reason and I am very clear about my objectives and what I want to achieve.
2. I know who I want to meet or speak to before I enter the room. I might not know their name, but I know the type of prospect I want to get to engage with.
3. I will have spent time practicing what I will say to make my introduction as perfect and as effective as possible.
4. I check that I have all the tools with me in order to support the introductions I will be making e.g. business cards.
5. Lastly I put a big smile on my face and get on with it. Making introductions to people you have never met before can be scary, but who wants to talk to someone who looks or sounds like a rabbit caught in the headlights! Smiling will help address this.

This little process about sales prospecting that I go through works really well for making telephone calls to prospects too. Even smiling whilst on the telephone can ensure you sound confident and just like someone your prospect wants to get to know better, and maybe even buy from!

Whether you are fighting fires, or heading into a room full of potential prospects, it is always good to have a process that works. The introduction process is like a mini version of the sales process, so getting it right is vital to your success at selling. Get it wrong and it will blow up in your face.

If you are not sure what to include in your introduction, then take a look at my FREE introduction formula. It has been working well for over 30 years and helped me to get in front of some very senior people.

Originally published at www.succeedatselling.com on January 7, 2016.