Top 5 Ways To Go From "I'll Think About It" to "How Do We Get Started?"

Posted on November 2, 2011

Good sales technique is not about selling, rather it is about helping people to buy from you. This may be a subtle distinction but it is very important. 80% of sales are made based on emotion while only 20% are made based on logic. Ask yourself; the last time you bought a new car, did you absolutely need it or did you want it? Chances are you wanted it to fulfill an emotional need. Sure, you probably justified your purchase based on logic: My old car as shot; I was spending more on repair bills than on the new car payment; My old car was not safe; I will save more on gas than I will spend; etc. People buy on emotion and justify with logic. So the real question is: “How can you tap into the emotion of the buyer and competently help them to make their decision?”

Lead conversion is simply the percentage of prospects who buy from you. To help understand this better, let’s start at the beginning. Suspects or targets are the individuals or businesses that fit the profile that you want to attract. Prospects are those individuals that put their hand up and ask for more information. These days, prospects can visit or call your business, reach you via an email from your website or connect to you via a social network. You need to have a process to welcome prospects no matter how they contact you. Often, prospect emails are sent to someone either too busy or not properly trained to handle the inquiry. By the time someone gets back to them, the prospect has moved on. Below are my top five lead conversion strategies:

1. USP– Clearly communicate what makes you different from other alternatives to your prospects (Unique Selling Proposition) so that they will be predisposed to buy from you.
2. Guarantee– Reduce the risk of buying from you with a well defined guarantee. A good guarantee should answer the question, “What is the number one reason my prospects are afraid to buy from me?” 95% of people will never use the guarantee, but will make the purchase because it gives them peace of mind.
3. Targeted Better Prospects – Marketing to people who truly appreciate your offering will generate motivated prospects, eager to buy from you.
4. Sales Scripts – Observe your best sales people (even if it is you) and capture their approach, then train the rest of your team to follow the same approach allowing for individual personalities to show through.
5. Train Your Team in Sales Techniques – Investing in your sales force will pay significant dividends for years to come. Despite common myth, sales ability is a skill that can be learned, not a God-given talent. Sure, some people are more at ease with the process, but anybody can learn how to sell.

One of my greatest joys is helping business owners who thought they couldn’t sell turn into sales animals. If you would like to explore how you get more of your sales calls to end with “How Do We Get Started?” give me a call @ 585-781-0384 or follow the steps below.

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