by 
By Lisa Kirschner
Have you ever heard of the cocktail rule?
It basically means that when you go to a cocktail party (remember when we used to do those?), you should spend 80-90% of the time listening to other people or asking questions about them and the remaining 10-20% talking about yourself.
Well, the same thing applies in sales and marketing…
Have you ever met with a salesperson, only to hear him or her go on and on about his product’s features and benefits without asking you exactly what you need first?
It can be maddening to feel like you’re wasting time listening to a sales pitch that someone has given to hundreds or thousands of other prospects and that clearly isn’t customized for you.
If your marketing is too general and is not based upon specific needs and pain points of your audience, prospects will catch on really quickly. It won’t feel tailored to their needs or like you “get” the challenges that they’re trying to solve.
If your sales conversations consist of you droning on and on about whatever it is that you’re trying to sell without asking lots of questions about what your prospect needs, chances are they aren’t going to be very engaged…and your close rate is going to suffer.
Make it a point to ask questions, get to know your audience and spend most of your time and energy focusing on their needs. Instead of preparing a rehearsed speech so you can rattle off the latest features, listen to what they’re saying and determine which of your product’s features are going to help them with their specific needs. I guarantee your marketing and sales will be more effective—with higher conversions, more qualified leads and more sales.
Need help defining a better, more integrated sales and marketing strategy? Contact us today and we can help!
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