You have probably encountered prospects who were in “pain”* at the end of your first appointment but they gave you all the reasons why they didn’t want or couldn’t use your product, service or expertise.
(*Pain = A deep-seated emotional reason to do business with you that your prospect admits to.)
Before someone will invest their time, much less their money with you, they must want to make a change. We have all heard about people who were “caught in their comfort zone.” So, what “zone” is someone in when they want to change? How many “zones” are there? How do you recognize what “zone” a prospect is in?
The first is the Dead Zone. The motto for people in the Dead Zone is, “Status Quo Forever.” These people have no interest in changing. They yearn for the “good old days.” They are resigned to things being the way they are. . . actually, the way they have always been. They seek validation for their present existence; not things that make them change. They have no motivation or initiative to make things happen. Things happen to them. People in the dead zone are exactly where they want to be. They lack interest in the future. They have stopped trying. The inscription on their tombstone will read, “Died at 35, Buried at 85.”
What can you do with a prospect that is in the dead zone? Get out as soon as possible!
Next, the all too popular Comfort Zone. The comfort zone is filled with people who have earned some degree of success and want to continue to be successful. So, they continue to do what they have always done. It seems logical--if it has worked before, it will work again.
People in the comfort zone aren’t lazy. They want to be effective. What they have failed to realize is that the marketplace, like the world around them, is dynamic. It is constantly changing. They have not realized that in work or life one cannot progress just by doing what he or she is currently doing.
People in the comfort zone aren’t stuck like people in the dead zone. They do make some adjustments. While they usually make no lasting changes, they do respond or react to change. Continually finding themselves in that reactive mode is what keeps them busy.
So, what do you do with someone who is in his or her comfort zone? Help them take off their blinders and really look at what is going on around them. Until they do so, they will not buy what you have. Get them to tell you what and how things have changed in their organization, their marketplace and their industry, and how they plan to respond.
Getting “comfort zone” people to recognize and maybe even acknowledge that things have changed doesn’t mean they will automatically become good prospects. They still must want to change and be willing to change. You can’t control those elements. Don’t invest a lot of time with people who are stuck in their comfort zone. When they are ready to step outside their zone, they will find you.
People who spend too much time in the comfort zone often end up in the Panic Zone. After spending so much time reacting to one thing or another, they finally realize that the old systems aren’t working, but they don’t know what to do.
Panic Zone prospects turn into customers. If it’s not too late.
“In what zone will I find good prospects?” you may be wondering. The answer is the Growth Zone.
People in the Growth Zone are actively involved in and committed to their personal and professional growth. They seek new challenges and way to do things differently. They recognize that even though they are successful, they must do things differently just to keep up with the changes around them. They don’t feel threatened by change. They see it as opportunity. They seek to control their own destiny and remain part of their own plan. They recognize that they don’t know it all. They are open to feedback and help.
People in the growth zone have concrete goals--long-term and short-term. They have a plan of action, a timetable and they track their results. Because they are not trying to hide or protect anything, they are willing to share that information with you. They tend to be more direct. They want to know if you can help, how you can help, how soon you can help, and what they have to do to get your help. “Leave me some information and I’ll get back to you” is not the strategy of someone in the growth zone.
The next time you meet with a prospect, listen carefully to their language, descriptions and metaphors:
- Are they only “open” to new ideas, or ready to take action?
- Are they quick to tell you about all the seminars they have attended and the tape programs they bought?
- Are they looking for the quick fix, the magic answer?
- Are they willing to invest their time, energy and of course, money to reach a higher level of success?
Determine in which zone your prospect resides. Then, you can decide how much of your time and energy to invest with them. The tactic you use to determine the “zone” is to ask questions & then listen effectively.
