A younger associate accompanied a partner to several prospect meetings just to observe and learn. After several such meetings, he noticed that the partner would follow up with the prospects using various points of emphasis that seemed to really resonate with them. How did the partner know what was so important to each prospect?

After all, the associate was in the meetings as well, and the meetings seemed to go the same. Yet the partner “knew” what was specifically important to each prospect. So the associate asked the partner how he knew what each prospect would respond to.

The partner explained that the prospect almost always tips their hand to reveal what is really important to them. In the universe of possible questions, prospects ask certain ones. True, some are the same. But underneath each question, there is a reason to ask the question. And often, the question has a bad experience behind it; probably because of the last provider.

• Does the prospect really want to know your process or are have they experienced chaos and confusion?
• Does the prospect really want to know who exactly will be involved in their work or have they experienced quality breaks?
• Does the prospect really want a detailed timeline or have they experienced missed deadlines in the past?
• Are they really that interested in how accessible you are or have they had difficulty reaching their previous provider?

This explanation gave the associate an entirely different perspective of what was happening in those meetings. He began to listen to the concerns beneath the questions and speak to the concern, rather than just answer the question.

On your next prospect call, whether you are leading the meeting or attending for your own development, listen to the questions: when they come up, how they are stated, and the intensity they are asked. All of these clues let you know that they want more than just information.