Do you know what your ideal prospect looks like? When thinking about your ideal prospect, it's important that you be able to describe their observable attributes. There are a couple reasons for this.
- We know them when we see them.
- Other people know them when they see them.
I recently had a meeting with the head of a nonprofit board. One of the things she shared with me in that meeting really struck me because I knew someone that did exactly what she was looking for.
When she mentioned it, it immediately set off an alarm. And the only reason it did was because I knew enough about the other person to keep my eyes and ears open for them.
I told her, "Hey, you mentioned that this is a frustration you have right now. If I had somebody you could meet with, would that make sense?"
She said, "Absolutely!"
I continued, "Well, then here's a little bit about that person..."
She immediately reached into her purse, pulled out her business card, and wrote her cell phone on it. "Can he call me today?"
It was enough of a problem for her, and my friend had trained me to listen for what a prospect looked like for him.
Everyone in sales and in business wants more referrals. If we can't describe our ideal prospect, how can we tell someone else what to be looking for? That's why defining your ideal prospect is such an important activity.
And you need to go deep. You really need to look at the observable and unobservable characteristics your ideal prospect has.
What are the things you can look for and listen for? What things are actually observable? And once you know those things, how can you communicate them to someone else?
Once you know how to describe your ideal prospect to others, they'll be equipped to help you find them.
