There was a LinkedIn Question today that I answered. It is such a valuable tip, I thought I would cross post it here.
Question: If the goal of a call is lead generation and appointment setting for my sales engineer, how should I handle a prospect when they ask a tough technical question I can't answer?
Answer: First, don't let the question drag you into a black hole or throw you off your game. Use the question as an opportunity to get what you are looking for -- a meeting.
A prospect challenging you with a technical question is a perfect segue to asking for the meeting. I'll give you an over-simplified example:
- Know it's the right prospect (by title, by some basic questions, by what they say)
- Once you know they are the right prospect, and you've given them a very high level pitch, then focus on the appointment, not the sales pitch
- The prospect then asks some technical question you can't answer. "Does your solution support XYZ (technical buzzwords here)?"
- Reply: "I'm somewhat sure we do, but I would rather you get a solid answer. The right person to talk to is Mike. He can address all your technical issues. Are you available for a short call to talk with him?"
Don't let the prospect drive you into a place you can't recover from. Maintain control of the call, and stay on target. It's an opportunity, not an obstacle. As Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor, says about lead generation: "Stop complaining, take action now."
What other appointment setting tips do you have? Do you have something that unlocks an executive's door? Want me to write on a specific topic? Leave a comment
