The Interview

This is your first face-to-face meeting. It's also your only opportunity for a first impression. We recommend keeping this interaction short, sweet, and to the point; no more than 30 minutes. You want to leave them wanting more. Use your time to ask as many questions about them as you can. Remember, you are interviewing them, not the other way around. Ask great open-ended questions and actively listen! If they ask you questions, that's great, but don't answer them! Your goal is to make them curious. When they start asking you questions, use that as an opportunity to schedule another meeting. 

Your objective: Find pain points ... and set up a follow-up appointment to solve them.

Before, During, and After: 5 Steps (In Person)

Before: 

1. Text them an hour before as a reminder. Ask them what their favorite coffee is so you can have it waiting for them when they arrive. 

2. Show up 5 minutes early, order their drink, and find a place to sit. 

3. Bring a notepad and pen.

4. Put your phone AWAY.

5. Wear a watch or face a clock so you don’t let the meeting go over 30 minutes. 

During: 

1. Greet them with a smile! You have 7 seconds to build the first impression. 

2. Ask open-ended questions (not yes/no), and actively listen to what they say.

3. Discover their pain points.

4. Honor them. 

5. Set up a follow up appointment if you are interested in pursuing them.

After:

1. Email confirmation for their next appointment with you. 

2. Mail them a handwritten card. 

3. Update notes in your CRM.

4. Set a next touch date for the day prior to your meeting. 

5. If you haven’t already, add them on social media. Comment and like their most recent FB/IG post

 More About the Interview: 

Your Cadre represents an extension of your team. When you refer a professional to your clients, you are placing your reputation on the line. You want to be known as a connector of GOOD people. As you look to grow your business, it’s important to take your time and be specific about what you want. 

When you are hiring for your team, you probably put together a job description, scheduled interviews, and made a list of questions to help you decide whether or not they are a good fit for your team. The same best practices apply during the interview phase.

Questions to Consider: 

What are their pain points? What kind of person are you dealing with? What are their business goals? What do they love most about their job? Do they have a team? What’s their why? How do they make decisions (Knower, Thinker, Feeler)? 

You have to know how to fulfill their wants and needs. What do they want? And how will getting what they want to affect them, their team, and their company? If you know all these things, you'll have a really great idea whether someone is a qualified prospect or not. 

Create a simple, one-page document that lists all the crucial questions you want to ask or the information you want to elicit. Click here to download our “All About Your Form”.

Our Favorite Question to Ask:

 “If you had my job for a day, what three things would you do differently?” 

Their answer to this question will tell you any frustrations they have with people in your profession. It will also tell you what you need to overcome to build their trust. 

How NOT to Qualify:

While the most common problem is without a doubt that sales professionals don't qualify their leads well enough, there are also some people who take qualifying too far, and simply do it badly. You can't just rapidly fire questions at your leads. Qualifying is not interrogating. Be smooth about it. Weave the qualifying into a natural conversation, and approach them with an open sense of curiosity.

Identify Red Flags:

During the qualifying stage, there are several red flags you want to watch out for.

• Do they talk poorly about their team, current referral sources, or clients?

• ·Do they have unrealistic expectations?

• Are they unclear about their goals? 

• Are they being honest, or telling you what they think you want to hear?

• Do they get all of their leads from advertised sources?

• Do they want you to pay for their leads?

• Do they treat their business like a hobby or a real profession?

What if they don't qualify?

At times it may seem that the vast majority of people you talk to simply aren't a good match for your business. If this is the case, you're probably casting your net too wide and should consider a more targeted approach to generating leads. There's no point in spending most of your time with leads who will never work with you.