Can You Keep a Prospect Talking for 10 Minutes?

Here’s a challenge for your next prospecting conversation:

Can you keep the prospect talking for 10 minutes?

Not by pitching.

Not by telling them about your company.

Not by explaining why you’re different.

By asking questions they’re comfortable answering.

That last part matters.

Salespeople often ask high-resistance questions too early.

“Are you happy with your current supplier?”

“Would you consider changing?”

“Are you looking for another vendor?”

“Can I quote your next project?”

Think about what those questions ask the prospect to do.

Make a decision.

Take a position.

Potentially commit to something.

And they barely know you.

So they retreat.

“We’re all set.”

“We’re happy with who we use.”

“Send me some information.”

Try lowering the resistance.

Ask questions that are easy to answer.

“How long have you been working with them?”

“What kind of work are you doing at the moment?”

“What’s keeping you busiest?”

“How does that process work today?”

“What do you like about the way you’re currently doing it?”

Then listen.

Ask another question based on their answer.

You’re not trying to trick them into a sale.

You’re trying to create a conversation.

And conversations create opportunities to learn.

Maybe there’s a problem.

Maybe there isn’t.

Maybe they’re completely happy with their current supplier.

That’s okay.

Your first job isn’t to uncover pain in the first 60 seconds.

Your first job is to keep the conversation alive.

Get them talking.

Get curious.

Learn something.

Earn another few minutes.

Because it’s difficult to discover an opportunity if the prospect has already ended the conversation.