If I Were Your Prospective Client

If I were your prospective client, I would tell you your emails are invisible. I would tell you I am a busy person with a lot of responsibility. Nothing important in my world is handled with an email. I would tell you to call me if you have something worth my time. If you were the salesperson assigned to my company, I’d tell you to use the phone.

If I were your prospective client, I would tell you to do the reading and your research before our meeting. I’d tell you to impress me by knowing about my company and my industry. If you were my salesperson, I’d tell you you are the only one of your peers to prepare for a meeting.

If I were your prospective client, I’d tell you that a lot of your questions about my problems and the implications make me worry you don’t know enough to help me make a difficult decision. I’d tell you you’d do better by explaining why I have this problem and knowing how it harms my business. If you were my salesperson, I’d tell you to come back and try again when you have the experience that I need from you.

If you were my salesperson, I’d tell you not to waste my time. I’d tell you that as nice as you are, I don’t need a new best friend. I’d also tell you I have looked at your website and I don’t need you to recite any facts about your company. I would tell you that this attempt to establish credibility results in you losing credibility. If I were your prospective client, I would tell you to establish your expertise and your authority. If you were my salesperson, I’d tell you that to reach me, you must teach me.

If I were your prospective client, I’d tell you to share an agenda with me. I’d tell you to make the conversation about me, my company, my goals, and my outcomes. I’d tell you that when it is clear you are pursuing your goals and trying to win my business, you are harming yourself and your chances of winning my business. If you were my salesperson, I’d tell you to worry less about what you need and to focus more on what I need.

If I were your prospective client, I would tell you not to fall in love with your solution. I would tell you your competitors all have a solution, each suggesting it is the best in class. If you were my salesperson, I’d tell you not to rely on the solution to convince me to buy from you. I would tell you I need more than a pitch on your solution to decide.

If I were your prospective client, I’d tell you to help me make a decision. I would tell you this is how you create value for me. You should pretend to be a highly paid consultant and provide me the counsel, advice, and recommendations about how I should pursue this decision. If you were my salesperson, I would tell you to provide me with the information I need to make the decision you would make if you were me.

If you were my salesperson, I’d tell you that I need you to collaborate with me and my team. I would tell you that I need you to fit your solution into how we work. I would tell you we need to change, but there are some things we can’t change. If I were your prospective client, I’d tell you to be resourceful and improve my results without creating another problem.

If I were your prospective client, I would tell you to invite more people into our conversation earlier. I would tell you that by leaving them out of the conversation, you and I must eventually try to catch them up. If you were my salesperson, I would tell you to ask to bring my team into the second meeting. I would tell you that even the people on my team with no title or power need to be a part of this change.

If I were your prospective client, I would tell you I don’t know what I don’t know. I would tell you I have only made this decision one time. I would tell you I made that decision seven years ago. If you were my salesperson, I’d tell you I need you to lead me and my team. I’d tell you to facilitate our buyer’s journey, ensuring we succeed.

If you were my salesperson, I would tell you to slow down. I’d tell you I need more of your time. I would tell you it is a mistake to go faster than me and my team are able. I would also caution you that when you treat my decision as a transaction, you will have lost my trust. If I were your prospective client, I would tell you to pretend you are already part of my team. I’d tell you that more time creating value improves your chances of winning by business.

If I were your prospective client, I’d tell you I have real concerns. I’d tell you some of my team also have concerns. I’d tell you I cannot resolve these concerns myself. I would tell you I need you to resolve these concerns before we can move forward.

If you were my salesperson, I’d tell you I need certainty. If there is a risk that it may not work, you create the uncertainty that will cause me to look elsewhere for help. A failure here may cause me to lose status in my company. If I were your prospective client, I would tell you to ensure that what we do will work.

If I were your prospective client, I would tell you I am deciding based on our conversations. I am not deciding between companies or solutions, I am buying from the salesperson who provided the best counsel, advice, recommendations, insights, and the certainty that we will produce the better results we need.