6 Powerful Strategies to Pique Your Prospect‘s Curiosity and Boost Engagement

Curiosity is an incredibly powerful force. It compels us to click on enticing headlines, stay up late engrossed in a page-turner novel, and go down rabbit holes researching topics that fascinate us. In fact, studies have found that curiosity activates the reward-seeking circuits in our brains, releasing feel-good chemicals like dopamine.

As a salesperson, wielding the power of curiosity allows you to capture and maintain your prospects‘ attention more effectively. Sparking a genuine sense of intrigue will motivate buyers to open your emails, return your calls, and hear what you have to say.

Here are six proven strategies to pique your prospects‘ curiosity and make them eager to learn more:

1. Craft Compelling Email Subject Lines

Did you know that 47% of email recipients decide whether to open an email based on the subject line alone? An attention-grabbing subject line is critical for cutting through the noise of a crowded inbox.

The key is to strike a balance between creating intrigue and setting accurate expectations for what‘s inside. Vague, clickbait-y phrases like "You won‘t believe this…" or "Here‘s the thing…" might get the open, but your prospect will likely feel misled and annoyed when the email content doesn‘t deliver.

Instead, try piquing curiosity with a thought-provoking question or statement that relates to the prospect‘s business, like:

  • "[Name], have you tried [relevant strategy] to boost [metric] at [company]?"
  • "Hi [Name], I noticed something interesting about [company name]‘s [process/product]…"
  • "3 unconventional ways [company name] could cut costs next quarter"

2. End Emails with a Tantalizing Cliffhanger

You know that "aaahh" feeling when your favorite TV show ends an episode on a suspenseful cliffhanger? You can leverage that same psychological effect in your sales emails to ensure prospects are left thinking "I need to know what happens next!"

HubSpot sales director Michael Pici recommends ending emails with an enticing preview of what‘s to come in your next message. For example:

"P.S. Keep an eye out for my next email — I‘ll be sharing the exact strategy we used to double our sales appointments in 6 months."

Or:

"More to come. I‘m putting together a custom analysis on how [company] could improve [process]. It‘ll be hitting your inbox soon!"

The curiosity you spark will prime prospects to eagerly open your next email, while the extra value you promise to deliver gives them a compelling reason to do so.

3. Ask Unexpected, Thought-Provoking Questions

Surprise is a powerful curiosity trigger. You can jolt prospects out of autopilot by asking questions that challenge their assumptions or reframe how they think about an issue.

For example, instead of a generic question like "Are you happy with your current software solution?", try:

"Did you know that companies using [software] report saving an average of 10 hours per week on [task]? That‘s 520 hours a year. If your team saved that much time, what would you do with it?"

This takes a conventional pain point — wasted time on inefficient tasks — and builds curiosity by translating it into a provocative, emotionally resonant question. The prospect can‘t help but imagine what their life would be like with those extra hours.

Other curiosity-inducing questions to experiment with:

  • "Have you considered applying [strategy] to solve [pain point]?"
  • "I‘m curious, why did [company] decide to [make X decision/change]?"
  • "Can I ask what motivated [recent announcement/development] at [company]?"

4. Teach Prospects Something New About Their Business

We humans are deeply curious about ourselves. Salespeople can leverage this by offering prospects valuable insights into their own companies, customers or industries.

Some ideas:

  • Conduct an informal survey of the prospect‘s customers, then share the results
  • Analyze public data about the prospect‘s company (job postings, press releases, website traffic, etc.) to uncover areas of opportunity they may be overlooking
  • Have an internal subject matter expert evaluate the prospect‘s strategy in X area and provide recommendations
  • Interview leaders at similar companies and share their top tips or biggest lessons learned

The key is to provide information that is novel, useful and a bit unexpected. You want the prospect to think, "Wow, I never knew/considered that before…"

"When you teach people something new about their business, their interest in you and what you‘re saying goes through the roof. You‘ve established credibility and piqued their curiosity to learn more."
— John Barrows, sales trainer and author

5. Use the "Curiosity Gap"

In his book Fascinate, branding expert Sally Hogshead writes about a concept called the "curiosity gap" — the space between what people know and what they want to know.

You can use this psychological phenomenon in your prospecting by sharing a piece of information that simultaneously teases and withholds. It sparks an "information gap" that the mind seeks to close.

Some examples:

  • "Hi [Name], I discovered something interesting while researching [company]‘s [strategy/process]. It could be a major competitive advantage — or a ticking time bomb. Can we discuss this week?"

  • "[Name], I noticed a handful of red flags that [company] needs to address ASAP. Let‘s schedule 15 min so I can fill you in."

  • "Exciting news: My team has identified 3 untapped opportunities for [increasing metric] at [company]. I‘d like to share the specifics with you — how does next Tues look on your calendar?"

The key is to provide enough context to demonstrate relevance and value, while holding back the details that will make the prospect think, "tell me more!"

6. Don‘t be Afraid to Get Creative

If you really want to stand out and pique a prospect‘s interest, you may need to venture outside the typical email/phone/social media channels. Some unconventional ideas:

  • Send a lumpy mail package with a clever tie-in to your product/service and a personalized message. For example, Uberflip once sent prospects a box with a light bulb and the message "Looking for a bright idea to enhance your content marketing? Let me enlighten you…"

  • Record and send a personalized video message. Free tools like Vidyard GoVideo allow you to quickly record, share and track videos from your computer or phone. A 30-60 second clip that includes a whiteboard with the prospect‘s name shows extra effort and is sure to spark curiosity.

  • Engage the prospect‘s other senses. Scent marketing company Scent Australia mailed prospects a scratch-and-sniff patch that smelled like freshly cut grass, along with an invitation to learn how scent can grow their business. The multisensory tactic resulted in a 40% appointment rate. While scent may not make sense for your business, you get the idea — an unexpected sensory element can amplify interest and recall.

"Curiosity is the most powerful driver of sales conversations, bar none. If you can trigger someone‘s genuine curiosity, you create an opening to show them the value of what you offer in a way that feels helpful, not salesy."
— Ago Cluytens, RAIN Group

In a world of competing priorities and diminishing attention spans, curiosity can be your secret weapon for engaging prospects more effectively. By implementing these six strategies consistently, you‘ll increase the likelihood that buyers will not only pay attention to your outreach, but actively look forward to hearing from you.

So go ahead, put these techniques into practice and discover just how powerful piqued curiosity can be for filling your pipeline!

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