Are you having a hard time determining if your prospects are interested in your product? If so, this post is for you.
Is it so wrong to want them to buy?
We understand that it’s challenging to gauge the interest of your prospects, especially when it’s a product or service we’ve personally created as an entrepreneur. As a business owner, the overwhelming pressure and desire to succeed in your business clouds your vision and ability to gauge whether a person is authentically interested in your product. You see, the more we (humans) want something to work out, the more our perspective narrows, and thus, our ability to objectively discern decreases.
We want them to buy. It’s only natural, right?
Sure, it’s nothing wrong with selling, but there are signals that can help you focus on those with authentic interest.
A person who is genuinely interested in what you’re selling will show it, even if they do or say something to hide their true feelings.
Tips to Gauge Their Interest
Below we share a few tips to help you discern a prospect’s degree of interest:
1. A prospect who asks questions and requests more information shows a level of interest. However, if their request to send more information is presented to get off of a cold call with you, that is NOT an indication of interest. The way to see if they are really interested is to send the follow-up email, but forget the attachment. If they respond back with curiosity that you “forgot” the attachment, that indicates interest. This also gives you an indication of their sense of urgency in reviewing the information.
2. Face-to-face meetings enable you to pay attention to your prospect’s eyes. This is important because, although it may sound cliche, pupil dilation is a very effective way to gauge someone’s interest. It’s a reaction that not easily controlled when responding to one’s most inner feelings. When the pupils dilate (get bigger), they allow more light in—enabling them to see more clearly. Look for your prospect’s eyes to be wide open and receptive to “seeing” more to indicate their level of interest.
3. Fluctuations in one’s voice can be detected on the phone and during face-to-face meetings. Most people have not practiced managing their voice and therefore many clues about their level of interest can be observed in their tone, volume, rhythm, and timbre. A very monotone voice shows a level of disinterest, but pay particular attention to the emphasis on certain words. Does your prospect get louder when asking questions? Do they speak faster, showing a level of excitement in the possibilities your product provides them? You see, it’s very difficult to withhold true feelings during real-time conversations, so it’s important to take note of your prospect’s voice when given the privilege to speak with them.
A person who is genuinely interested in what you’re selling will show it, even if they do or say something to hide their true feelings. Click To Tweet
Ultimately, We’re All Human
We’re all human and despite how scripted some parts of life may seem, some aspects can’t be scripted. It requires a level of discernment and attentiveness to gauge the interest of your prospects while also putting aside your self-interest. Once you focus on giving and gauging your prospect’s interest in receiving, you’ll be better positioned to establish a basis for proceeding with the conversation. You’ll know if your prospect is interested in your product by not merely what s/he says, but by what they do—some of which is done involuntarily.