Several years ago, we provided a “prospecting offer editing and critique service.” It turned out to be unsatisfying for our clients, and very unprofitable for us. There are many other variables, besides the prospecting offer, that determine the productivity of High Probability Prospecting (HPP). Those variables include:

What you are selling
Your target market.
The mind-set of HPP.
The appropriateness of your prospecting list.
The quality of your prospecting list.
The design of your prospecting offer.
How you present your offers.
How you handle prospects’ responses.
How you prospect to existing clients and prospects.
How to set HPP appointments.
How to get mutual commitments before you visit prospects.
How much time per prospecting session.
How many dials you do per hour.
How many offers you present per hour.
How many prospecting sessions you do per week.

We know what works for each of those variables, and what does not work. That is what we teach in the HPP courses. Teaching it to small groups of students makes it economical.

Teaching HPP as one-to-one “brief consultation sessions” is expensive.

Jacques

Feel free to call me to discuss whether you should be using High Probability Prospecting, or not.

Jacques

I’m glad you’re sharing your thoughts. Please continue.

And I enjoy dealing with prospects and customers as two equals pursuing a mutually beneficial relationship and goals.

Of course the edited original could just incorporate lessons AND stories (and index).

For some reason (I haven’t identified yet) I find reading the “book,” soothing. My one contact with Jacques was “majorly” helpful because he edited my “offer,” however, I was left wanting more — more, strangely more info, contact, answers – all the above type of thing. In fact, I know he/you are more than capable of running your business, and it’s none of mine; however, I think there’s a need for brief consultation sessions on line, by phone. Not all of us can get into a training session (due to time and/or money) but we could afford a “session” for specific needs and purposes.
For example, after my offer was edited, it fell to me to be the “expert” and edit two of my friend’s offers. (I knew how ludicrous that was on the face, but what other choice did they have?) I passed along the info/advice as judiciously as I could. One of my friends (my cousin as well) said he’d be willing to pay Jacques if he would edit his 42 word offer.

So, I’m just passing on feedback about a possible untapped market need.

(By the way, I’m convinced that one element of why I enjoy reading the book intermittently and often is because it inherently “cures” ANY tendency toward codependency. Does ANYONE OUT THERE know how hard it is for “us” NOT to say “Thank you” or to be the conciliatory, facilitator twisting ourselves into a pretzel trying to please? It’s so empowering NOT to do that on lots of levels and in other-than-prospecting situations. I think sometimes I get rather giddy with the sense of empowerment. Note: Last comment is only somewhat fatuous.)

By the way, I rarely contribute to blogs; but can’t seem to read this one without weighing it.

Have a nice day all!

Deb

You got so many of these great and inspiring stories that are more than just entertaining. I’ve found that the High Probability concepts I can remember and learn the quickest are the ones I’ve heard you tell a story about where in the story you are implementing the concept. You do this a lot in your training sessions, but It would be great if there was a way to get all these stories and organize them into a book somehow.

You have a High Probability Selling book. This one could be High Probability Selling Applied or something like that. It could explain the High Probability Selling concept, and then use one of your story’s to illustrate the application of that concept. I think it could be very powerful in helping more salesman catch on and apply High Probability concepts, especially after they have gone through a training course.

I’ll admit, this idea could be coming from the fact that I have a selfish desire of to get more of Jacques stories .

We have found that High Probability Selling works well with the team and product that I’m selling at Business.com. In fact, it has helped us to increase our revenue per account because we do a lot more disqualifying of the prospect BEFORE we do a demonstration and, of course, a proposal. Our final DQ question goes like this “If I show you something that you like, would you be willing to move forward with a $2k monthly campaign in the next week?” It allows the prospect to DQ themself ala HPS.

Yes, Deb is right.

He said, “Go into the warehouse and take a look at our two forklifts. Then, give me a price on two replacements, less the value of the trade-ins.”

I checked them out and called my boss. He gave me the pricing. Then, I went back to the prospect and told him the price and the trade-in value.

He said the price is too high.

I said it’s non-negotiable; that the only way I could go any lower is to give him my commission. And, I would not do that.

He said, “You have to, if you want to make this sale.

I said, “Okay, $10.”

He said, “Make it $20,” and I agreed.

He said, “I never pay the first price. I always get a discount. And, you caught me on a good day.”

A few months latter, he bought a bigger, more expensive forklift to use in the unpaved yard where they stored their raw materials.

Jacques