Mastering the Relationship Element of Prospecting

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If you don’t have a warm introduction opportunity, aka referral, prospect through what we call left-side, right-side outreach. You do that by appealing to both the emotional and logical sides of the prospect’s brain.

Remember: Your ultimate goal is to connect…which is why you were seeking a warm introduction. But if you can’t find a way to connect on the emotional side—the right side of the brain—prospects often won’t hear you out.

Quickly appealing to the emotional side entices prospects to continue reading your message or listening to your logical insight. You first lower the prospect’s guard through the emotional appeal, and then raise your credibility by sharing a relevant insight.

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illustration of a person sitting at a desktop computer.

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Tailor your approach with executives

While you can apply this approach to engage any prospect, keep in mind a few rules when trying to engage a high-level executive. Namely, be brief, be good, and be gone. Recognize this person’s time is incredibly valuable. Quickly mention a commonality and move directly into high-level insights that are in line with the person’s core business priorities. Showing alignment with their priorities indicates you’ve done your research, you’re credible, and gives the buyer a strategic reason to connect with you.

Understand the Psychology of Sales

When a referral isn’t an option, call upon your next best option: left-side, right-side outreach.

Opportunities for an emotional connection include a shared school or alma mater, and shared personal interests, like bike racing or mountain climbing or whatever you notice from the prospect’s LinkedIn profile.