Get to Know Your Prospective Clients
You might want to start with a pencil and pad of paper.
It is impossible to get too much information – let the buyer approve the information such as numbers, dates, locations, etc. Follow up with copies of all correspondence to the buyer.
This search for accurate and detailed information is one of the main reasons for us to always have our pad and pencil available when we are talking with the prospect. The real secret is knowing that which is important to you and the prospect and writing it down. No doubt you will talk about a lot of things that have little relevance to the buyer’s wants and needs, but sometimes the personal information you acquire tells you a lot about the thinking process of the buyer. Thus, having a special area to reference their kid’s hobbies or their favorite color, or where they went on vacation last year might be useful in knowing more about our buying public. In our business, knowing this information can lead to additional business.
-Stephen L. Capper, A-1 Awards