Hey {{first_name|team}},
Your customer says, “Everything costs too damn much.”
You nod. You knew he'd say that. Then you spend the meeting defending your price.
Congratulations. You drove an hour to have the same conversation as every other rep who pulled into his yard.
He gave you one answer. Why did you decide it was the whole answer?
The Playbook
Last week: open discovery. Ask what two or three things they'd like to do better.
This week: let them finish.
They mention cost. You recognize something you sell, and off you go.
Sometimes you're so worried about looking uninformed that you rush to prove what you know. Catch that urge. Stay curious long enough to hear the rest.
Here's what I say:
“Okay. Thank you for sharing that. What else?”
Listen. Write it down. Give them a moment. Ask again when the conversation allows.
The first answer may matter a great deal. There may also be something they haven't thought to mention, or haven't gotten comfortable enough to say.
A livestock producer might start with feed costs, then mention trouble keeping people. Let them tell you.
Read the room. When you've got the list, go back toward the bottom:
“You mentioned that earlier. Tell me more about that.”
Run It This Week
On your next three calls, notice when you want to start presenting. Ask “What else?” Then write down one thing you would have missed.
Brought to you by Jericho. Practice discovery before your next call.
Hit reply with what you asked and where you got stuck. I'll address reader challenges in a future issue.
Grow your momentum,
Mark Jewell
P.S. Know a rep who needs this? Send them the free signup link.