Here is the thing about meeting your prospects for the first time.
They don’t know us. To our prospects, we are strangers.
They are thinking:
Why are you here in front of me?
Why do you do what you do?
Are you an authority?
Can I respect you?
Can I trust you?
The first step is to make a connection with your potential buyer.
Connection is fundamental—if you cannot establish connection and credibility, then a sale is impossible.
You need to create a connection to build trust.
It can differ between closing a deal and losing a potential client.
If you connect with a prospect, it doesn’t matter if he has a need or wants now.
With a strong connection, your prospect has the potential to become your client—it is just a matter of time.
Without trust, there is no possibility of any sale. Ever. Trust is the cornerstone of all successful business relationships.
How do you build connections?
Think of your friends.
A prerequisite for being a friend is that you’ve shared memories and exchanged stories in an everyday context.
If you think about people who are your friends, you know their story, and they know yours.
You need to tell a connection story to connect with a new client, but this is only half the battle. We tell our story so strangers will share theirs, but the tricky part is persuading your future clients to share theirs.
So you must share first, as our client is unlikely to tell their story unprompted. And if they do, they won’t be structured in a way to develop and build rapport.
So, you have to tell your connection story first.
Step one is to make a connection with a potential buyer. This is fundamental—if you cannot establish a connection and credibility, then there is no possibility of opportunities.
Step One: Share your “connection story”
This is a crucial step as it humanises you and makes you relatable.
A well-crafted story about who you are, why you do what you do, and how you've helped similar businesses can leave a lasting impression on your potential buyer.Storytelling is one of the most effective ways to connect with a potential buyer. A story can humanise you and make you relatable.
Share a brief but impactful story about who you are, why you do what you do, and how you’ve helped similar businesses.
Establish Credibility
Sharing your experience through stories and case studies can help establish credibility without bragging or showing off. Show your prospect that you understand their industry and have successfully navigated similar challenges for other clients.
Example: Personal Journey “I started my career in sales over twenty-five years ago, not knowing the impact I would have in the Telco industry.
One of my most memorable experiences was working with a small tech startup. They were struggling to find their footing in a competitive market. Through strategic meetings and collaborative work with key stakeholders, we closed the biggest deal in NZ education history. We increased their client base by 50% within a year. This not only boosted their revenue but also solidified their market position. And eventually went public. This experience reinforced my passion for helping businesses grow through effective sales strategies.
And that’s why I truly believe there is no magic in sales. It’s having the right strategy, sales process, and sales behaviours.”
Step two: Encourage Them to Share Their Story
Encourage your prospect to share their own story.
This two-way sharing builds rapport and lays the foundation for a trusting relationship.
Your story should serve as an invitation for the prospect to share their own. Ask open-ended questions that prompt them to discuss their business challenges, goals, and experiences.
Example:
For instance, you could ask,
“How about you? I read your LinkedIn profile, and I saw your long history of leading Insurance companies globally. From NZ to UK and back again here, how? How did that happen?
This question prompts the client to share their career journey and experiences.
My client shared her passion for leading global insurance companies and how she built great teams, not just people. I asked her what made her come back to NZ.
She shared the story of how her company reached out to her to be the CEO of the NZ company and build their confidence and teams. The company had gone into a massive restructuring, demotivating the sales teams. She was hired not only to develop a better sales culture but also to uplift the standard of the salespeople.
This two-way sharing builds rapport and lays the foundation for a trusting relationship.
Step three: Listen and develop your connection
When your client shares their personal story, listen attentively and pick up shared values, challenges and opportunities.You need to link this back to business. Connect your stories and develop them into creating business opportunities.
At this point, it’s easy to jump into pitching.
Don’t pitch!
Ask what the challenges (pain points) or opportunities (results) she is looking for are.
Example: My response
That’s a fantastic career! Your journey and the impact you’ve had on leading global insurance companies are very inspiring. Given your experience building great teams and uplifting sales cultures, what challenges or opportunities do you want to address?
The next step is how to nail your qualification and discovery conversation. Remember the five steps to qualifying?
You can review it here.
If you want to know more about storytelling, check out Seven Stories by Mike Adams. It’s an excellent read.
Thanks for reading, I appreciate you!💜
Ren
PS: I just created a free mini course on “How to leverage LinkedIn and Sales Navigator to find your Ideal Clients.” It’s a free preview of the Maven course. Check it out on Maven.
PS2: I still owe you how to run successful webinars. It’s coming!
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