You may think this is a silly question but read on to find out why it’s important to know!

As many of you know, I have been in and around sales my entire life. There have been millions of books written about what makes a successful salesperson, what to do in a sales call, how to overcome objections etc. The list goes on and on and more books written by experts or “experts” are published every day. That being said, sometimes there are little nuggets to be shared that sometimes are lost in the plethora of sales stuff so I will start with this one. More to follow down the road.

Does your prospect have a pet? We live in an age of information, too much to process and too little time to respond when an instant (and sometimes not well-thought out) response is requested. For sales people however, having all that information at your fingertips is a huge asset and yet I am amazed that so few people take advantage of it.

I phone interviewed someone a while back and called him at the agreed to time. When he picked up the phone, he had no idea why I was calling or who I worked for despite us previously exchanging a few e mails. Needless to say it was a short conversation. Also I was amazed to find out that there are thousands of students who prepare to leave college, go for interviews and make the same mistake…..no research. It’s remarkable that this is the generation that uses the technology more than most, and yet ignores it when they should be using it to their advantage.   

So imagine then that you are going to meet a prospect for the first time or going for a job interview. Try to find out what the dress code is, insurance and finance probably more likely to be formal than web designers or a company run by millennials. I guess that’s easy right? But the research should go further. Go to their website and find out as much as you can about the people, their business philosophy, any philanthropic endeavors etc. LinkedIn is a great asset to find out more about the people with whom you are meeting, their company, their background, affiliations, colleges they attended, groups they belong to. Also, check to see if they have a Facebook presence, their likes and dislikes, political leanings, where they live etc. It’s not stalking it’s called doing your homework! When you meet, you’ll know what to talk about to warm up the conversation, you’ll be more relaxed, you’ll know the subjects to be avoided (unless you agree with them on the subject) and yes find out if they have a pet? They will probably talk more about them than bombarding you with tricky questions. Oh and don’t forget, prepare for the tricky questions too! The meeting will go a lot better if you can find that common bond.