«Hello! Do you have time to meet for half an hour tomorrow? »
Too direct, right? How many prospects do you think would access the meeting if you used this question? Maybe one in a hundred. If you want to increase that average, you must first prepare the prospects, for which we recommend using these two psychological strategies with proven effectiveness.
The Two Psychological Techniques
1.) Use the Foot-on-the-Door Technique
The psychological «foot-in-the-door technique» phenomenon states that someone is more likely to agree to a larger request if they have previously accepted a smaller one. In a study conducted by Jonathan Freedman and Scott Fraser at Stanford University, participants were first asked to speak in a phone call about the cleaning products they used. The researchers then asked if they could visit their homes to conduct an in-person analysis of the cleaning products.
The results were evident:
«When compared to the control group (who had only been asked to carry out the product analysis at home), the subjects who responded positively to the first request were 135% more likely to respond positively. the second time, «said Neil Patel about the experiment at Forbes.
Conclusion for sales reps: Preparing prospects with a smaller request increases the likelihood that they will accept a larger one.
So before requesting a meeting, first consider asking for information, a recommendation, or an opinion. Here are some questions that might help you:
- What do you think about trend X?
- Could you explain to me how you currently approach X?
- Who is responsible for making decisions about X?
- Where can I find more information about initiative X?
- Once the prospect has responded to the first request, ask them about the meeting. Now that you’ve got your foot in the door, the prospect is more likely to want to schedule an interview with you.
2.) Explain the Reason
As obvious as the reason is, explaining to the prospect why you want to have a meeting with him will increase your chance of success. Psychologist Ellen Langer of Harvard University found that there was a 34% greater chance that someone would give up their place in a row to a stranger if they explained why they were in a hurry; for example: «Excuse me, I have five pages. Could I use the photocopier since I’m in a hurry? »
Then I change the question to: Excuse me, I have five pages. Could I use the photocopier since I have to make photocopies? «.
The same number of positive responses was obtained, even though the second reason was much weaker (and illogical) than the first.
Bottom Line: When you ask a buyer to schedule a meeting with you, offer them a reason. For example, you might say something like, «Do you have 15 minutes tomorrow for us to talk about the strategy for the next quarter?» or «Is it available on Tuesday at 11:30 so I can offer you more information about the product?»
With these strategies in your possession, you can request meetings in a much more effective way. Start using them today and you will notice the changes in your calendar.
