Here’s a new play for your playbook . . .
Ask for a tour when you meet with prospects!
Why?
Here are 5 reasons!
1) You Create Additional Energy! Energy is a really good thing in a meeting because it helps create emotion and emotion is pretty freakin cool too because it’s the first step towards getting someone off the fence of indifference!
2) You Break Free From The Formality Of Offices and Conference Rooms! There’s a certain formality that gets associated with offices and conference rooms. Its almost as if we have been conditioned to behave a certain way, and we take on certain roles because of that formality. There’s nothing wrong with that but I do think our results improve when we lose the formality. A tour can help you get the prospect out of that mindset. Note: Might be a cool time to ask the old budget question.
3) You Can “Borrow With Your Eyes & Ears” You can learn a ton of things during a tour. Is it a busy environment? Do things seem hectic? You can learn things about their culture, overall appearance of their facility and even how people seem to react to your prospect. You might even come across additional people who can either influence the sale or who would be heavily impacted by your solution. Now you can ask them a quick question or two to help further your understanding.
4) It Demonstrates Genuine Interest On Not Only Your Behalf . . . You can learn what areas of the business your prospect is most passionate about because they might light up when it comes to that part of the tour.
5) You Stand Out! Not many sales people do this so you get to immediately separate yourself from the pack.
So there you have it . . . 5 benefits to adding “ask for a tour” to your sales playbook!
Go get ‘em!
I help sales reps, sales leaders and business owners sell more. HERE’S how!
Paul,
This is RIGHT ON!!!
Plus, you get a feel for the CULTURE of the company (you were hinting at that anyway….) It teaches you what people care about if you’re watching carefully.
I go back to the VERY old United Airlines commercial where the CEO of the company is handing out air tickets, encouraging staff to go SEE the customer…nothing like it. This is BRILLIANT.
Sets you apart.
Oh, and send a HANDWRITTEN Thank You note with a real stamp afterwards. Forever in their hearts!
Love ’em up! Get in THEIR world.
The Irreverent Sales Girl
Great idea Paul! Changing things up a bit and doing something unexpected with propects is a smart move. I have to be honest, I am guilty of very rarely asking for a tour, but will step up my game now. Have a good one!
Let me know how this works Tim!
Thanks!
Hey Tim and Irreverent Sales Girl (love that moniker!) great comments.
It’s also cool to see how our client interacts with his/her colleagues. Whole lot of info there!
Super post Paul – as always.
LA
Agreed!
Thanks for stopping by LA!
I’m glad you mentioned culture because while I had included it in my first draft, I completely left it out (quite unintentionally) when I posted this.
Thanks 🙂
Great post Paul.
As a recruiter I always try to get a tour for many of the reasons already listed. Another one is to use my eye/ears to see/listen for any other helpful info.
Are people complaining out loud? Does it sound/feel like a great work environment. Also in my business – is parking available, is this location close to a bus route, are there lunch room facilities, are things I look for.
I don’t want to do business with someone that could be in financial trouble. If people are umhappy that could be a sign that things aren’t managed well. You do want to get paid – don’t you?
I don’t want to place one of my candidates in a terrible environment. I want to make sure that the fit is there for both parties. By getting a tour you can get a really good feel for how a company does business. In my sector many employers are surprised when I ask but impressed at the same time.
Lastly, you could also hear/see a sales opportunity that didn’t present itself locked up in a board room. Maybe you see an opportunity for a buddy in a different line of work and you can throw a warm lead to him/her.
Share the wealth and pay it forward.
Have a great weekend.
Chris
I love it Chris and your last point “hear/see a sales opportunity that didn’t present itself locked up in a board room.” happens quite often.
The process of a simple tour can help everyone see things through a different lens!
Thanks Chris!
Brilliant. The business is probably this person’s baby, the thing they are most interested in outside their personal life (possibly even more.) Everybody loves the person that tells them their baby is beautiful or smart or talented during the tour one can surely find something beautiful, brilliant or ingenious in that baby.
What a great way to look at this Elizabeth!
So to that end, it gives us yet another opportunity to build rapport in a way that we know speaks to our prospect.
Thanks Elizabeth!
Outstanding Post. Thanks for the reminder to always ask for the tour. I also do everything I do to get them to come to our plant for a private tour. It really helps in closing the client.
I use this technique all the time!
This single action yields much data about your customer! And customers love to show off their facility and work in progress…it’s a compliment to them that you’d take the time to be interested! Could you be any cooler Paul Castain? I think not.
You flatter me Ms Allbritton 🙂
Great points about showing off their facility and work in progress!
Thank you so much Cheri!
Gotta love this tease in the email, but it is so true, nice play with words Paul!
“Energy is a really good thing in a meeting because it helps create emotion and
emotion is pretty freakin cool too because it’s the first step towards getting
someone off”
When I was an inside sales rep, the one thing I kept thinking was holding me back was not only meeting people face to face, but actually going into shops to see what was going on. As soon as I got a position as an outside sales person, it proved me correct. Everything you said and what the comments said are so true, everything from showing interest in someone’s “baby”, to the company culture, to seeing their workflow and how I can help them.
Great stuff Paul!
What about the rest of the sentence you quoted me on Lisa?
The way you quoted me makes me feel cheap and dirty.
Your point about not getting to see facilities when you were in inside sales also holds true (unfortunately) for many outside reps who have grown too dependent on technology.
Couldn’t agree with you more Ms O’Connor!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks Karen!
Great point about getting them to come by for a tour. Personally, I think its an underutilized marketing weapon and couldn’t agree with you more.
Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome weekend Bob!
Great idea, Paul.
I use this technique as well. By being observant you can pick up on a lot of things. Not only the culture, but also signs of internal challenges (opportunities). If half the desks are empty, that sends a big message. If the desks are full, that says something as well. If desks are dotted with “I can turn into a #*&$^# in 29 seconds,” maybe there’s an opportunity to work on customer service and morale – whether it’s through your product/service or as value added. Either that, or meet and greet them in 28 seconds or less! 🙂
I completely agree with all the advantages and reasons to go into the customer’s (or potential customer’s) shop … but it ain’t that easy over here. You mention that people is delighted to show their plants over ther in the US … it is all the opposite here… they will not get you in, unless it is because they really want to collaborate and the level of action requires going inside to see a particular thing about the project going on. They are normally afraid of showing the jobs they are doing. It is not always like this of course, but I would say it is the general rule.
Paul I would also add to treat everyone on the tour respectfully, regardless of position, role, etc. Don’t take anyone for granted.
One of my colleagues is tremendous at building relationships with everyone he can. One of my company’s strongest relationships is with a person who moved up the ranks from one of the “lowest rungs” on the corporate ladder. He never forgot how my colleague had treated himself and others with courtesy and respect when touring their facility.