10 mistakes to avoid when talking business (and don’t forget your VKARD!)

When you meet a prospect, it’s important to know how to talk subtly about your business! It’s all about promoting your values and your products, without annoying the person you’re talking to. Here’s a closer look at the mistakes to avoid when talking to professionals about your business!

1. Don’t give out your digital business card!

If there’s one mistake to avoid, this is it! Why should you avoid it? Simply because your digital business card is a reflection of your business! What better way to tell people about you, without overdoing it or boring them, than to offer them all the information they need?

The digital business card, equipped with an NFC chip (and a QR code), stores data that’s easy to consult anywhere, anytime: a considerable time-saver for your prospect, who’s undoubtedly very busy! What’s more, they’ll feel that you understand and appreciate their lack of time, but also that you’re giving them a choice: they’ll take the initiative to find out more about you! Having a digital business card also shows your prospect that you trust him or her to go and check out the information linked to your career path for themselves.

Finally, if your prospect is sensitive to environmental issues, offering him a digital tool could well reinforce his interest in the values your business advocates! In effect, you’re giving them your information digitally, but you also have the possibility of retrieving theirs, without exchanging business cards.

2. Not knowing your audience

Before taking any steps to talk about your business, it’s vital to target the audience you’re dealing with. In fact, you need to have your prospect’s needs or objectives in mind before you start talking about your business. Why should you do this? Because this will enable you to develop a personalized approach, which will show your prospect that you’ve done your homework. The aim of this approach is to reinforce the credibility your future customer will place in you.

3. Don’t talk about concrete things

Do you want to highlight your products or the values that drive your business? That’s all very well, but be careful not to overemphasize the qualities of your products or the “theoretical” effects they can have. If you do, you run the risk of annoying your interlocutor or losing him altogether.

Your prospect needs concrete elements that will enable him to project himself around your brand. To interest your prospect, always try to highlight your products, and what they could offer him as a solution. To do this, it’s important to target your prospect’s needs beforehand.

4. Ignoring your prospect’s signals

This is the basis of successful communication ! Our advice is to be attentive to the signals your prospect sends you. Does he seem interested in your product and your business, or on the contrary, is he showing signs of boredom and disinterest?

It’s vital to detect whether your prospect seems curious, expresses concerns or doesn’t seem to understand what you’re promoting. Understanding your interlocutor’s signals will enable you to rectify the situation and steer your speech in a different direction if you sense any tension, for example.

5. Using inaccessible vocabulary

Bear in mind that you may be an expert in your field, but your interlocutor may not be! As far as possible, avoid using complex technical vocabulary that your prospect might not understand (or misunderstand!). This can be confusing and even uncomfortable. Instead, choose simple, explicit words to talk about your business!

6. Not listening to your prospect

In any exchange, professional or otherwise, it’s essential to listen to the other person! To capture your prospect’s attention, you need to show that you’re interested. To do this, use active listening and ask questions about your prospect’s objectives, ambitions and so on.

Don’t hesitate to respond to their concerns or desires, so that communication remains an exchange!

7. Not being transparent with your prospect

Transparency and credibility go hand in hand! If you can’t keep certain commitments within the desired timeframe, don’t promise your prospect the opposite! Never promise something you can’t deliver! You may miss out on a project, but this will reinforce the positive idea your prospect will have of you as someone reliable and dependable.

8. Not admitting your limitations!

In the same vein as the previous mistake, you absolutely must admit your limitations. Keep in mind that a prospect needs to be reassured! Never suggest to a prospect that you launch into a service that you don’t actually master!

If you do, you run the risk of failing to deliver work that lives up to your customer’s expectations, and of provoking disappointment and frustration, which could lead to a loss of trust and hope in your services.

9. Failing to prepare your interview

It’s important to take care when talking to a prospect. To fully defend your project, you need to be able to talk easily about your products or prices, for example.

Preparing your meeting with a prospect in advance will also enable you to practice anticipating different types of reaction.

This will boost your self-confidence and help you prepare some possible responses and objections, in case you have to deal with someone aggressive, for example.

10. Only talk about your business!

The risk, when you start talking to your prospect, is to monopolize the conversation and not give them a chance to talk! Keep in mind that your first contact is an exchange!

Are you enthusiastic about talking about your products and your business? That’s a very good thing, because your prospect will sense the positive energy you exude, and this will boost his or her confidence in you! Just make sure you don’t give away too much, or you’ll irritate the person you’re talking to. On the contrary, encourage him to talk about himself, his experiences and what he’s looking for in a professional collaboration, for example. By inviting your prospect to talk, he’ll feel involved in your exchange and be less likely to be bored by your speech!

At the outset, it’s important to establish a dynamic that puts your prospect at ease and makes them want to get back to you! By avoiding these mistakes, you may well be able to build a healthy and lasting professional relationship with your prospect!