Chris did a little “secret shopping” this week. Don’t worry it wasn’t your business.
She was out experiencing firsthand what happens when you walk into Store X, a company that delivers the same service as one of our customers, but operates in a different geography.
Chris went through the required testing to see if she wanted this “product.” After submitting herself to various tests, the results clearly showed that Chris was not a candidate for the product (this she told me with just a trace of superiority in her voice!).
Surprised that she would walk in his establishment and go through a test that she passed with flying colors, he asked her why she even came in.
“Well,” said Chris, “I wasn’t sure if the issue was mine or my business partner’s.” (That would be me.) “So since the issue isn’t with me, I’m sure my partner is the one who could really use your services.”
To which he replied…
“Okay. Bye.”
Whoa! Stop right there!!!
Okay. Bye???
Chris came as close to handing him a warm lead as you can get, and he didn’t recognize a lead-in-the-making.
Amazing, isn’t it?
Perhaps amazing, but, unfortunately, not rare.
This guy isn’t the only one who fails to recognize a lead when he sees it, or hears it in this case. Many of us do the same thing.
“Okay. Bye.”
How many times have you said words to that effect when someone handed you a lead, a prospect, a referral and you didn’t recognize the gift?
Our job is not only to provide our great service. Our job is to also be of service, to recognize when someone is an inch from handing us a lead, a prospect, a warm opportunity.
So here’s an assignment for you. Pay attention this week to the words your customers and prospects use with you. When are they hinting at a lead? How do they indicate they might have a prospect for you? When are they handing you a lead…almost?
Understand what a lead looks like and how it arrives. You’ll never lose another.
Go forth and do great things,
Martha and Chris