How can you make a sales prospecting interview more engaging?

2 Ask open-ended questions

Open-ended questions require more than a yes or no answer and are a great way to make a sales prospecting interview more engaging. Asking open-ended questions demonstrates your interest, curiosity, and respect for the prospect's perspective. It also helps you uncover their pain points, goals, and desires, which are essential for qualifying them and creating value propositions. Some examples of open-ended questions include: what are the main challenges you are facing in your role or industry? How do you measure success and performance? What are your short-term and long-term goals and priorities? How do you make decisions about buying new products or services? What are the benefits and drawbacks of your current solution or provider?

3 Listen actively

Active listening is an essential skill for making a sales prospecting interview more engaging. It involves paying attention, showing empathy, and providing feedback to the speaker. Doing so demonstrates your care, understanding, and sincerity, while helping you avoid misunderstandings and confirm information. To listen actively, use verbal and non-verbal cues such as nodding or smiling to show your attention and encouragement. Summarize or paraphrase what the prospect said to check your comprehension and acknowledge their points. Ask follow-up questions to probe deeper and explore their needs and motivations. Lastly, reflect or mirror their emotions to express your empathy and rapport.

4 Share stories

Stories can be powerful tools for making a sales prospecting interview more engaging, as they appeal to the prospect's emotions, imagination, and memory. You can share stories about how you or your company helped a similar customer solve a problem, overcame a challenge, faced a difficulty, innovated a new solution, or discovered a new opportunity. Make sure your stories are relevant, concise, and authentic; use vivid details, emotions, and outcomes to make them memorable and impactful. Additionally, avoid bragging, exaggerating, or making false claims.

5 Involve the prospect

The sales prospecting interview should not be a one-way monologue, but a two-way dialogue. To involve the prospect in the conversation, ask for their feedback, opinions, or suggestions; stories, experiences, or examples; preferences, expectations, or objections; and commitment, action, or next steps. This will help make the interview more engaging by showing respect, appreciation, and collaboration. Additionally, involving the prospect will help you gauge their interest, readiness, and fit for your solution.