Getting lots of telephone sales inquiries is great – provided you have the right mindset and understanding in place that allows you to turn your share of these inquiries into sales.
Sadly, many business owners and salespeople don’t.
If you aren’t happy with the number of telephone inquiries you’re converting into clients and customers, read on.
Today’s post is going to help you increase your close rate when that telephone rings with a potential prospect on the other end.
And it starts with understand the following three sales “truths”:
1. When you get a sales inquiry, some of the heavy lifting is done.
Now before you start celebrating…notice I said SOME. I’m not suggesting your work is over by any means but attracting potential prospects for your product or service MUST happen before anything else matters.
Here’s why I’m telling you this: Many business owners mistakenly think that the inability to convert more prospects into paying customers can be improved by changing their website design or rewriting their copy or lowering their prices. If that’s you, STOP.
It’s important to accurately identify the issue. Marketing is all about attracting qualified prospects to your offering. Selling revolves around converting those prospects who were attracted by your marketing. So, you don’t have a marketing problem…
”You’ve got a SALES issue.”
And that’s where you need to focus to turn things around.
The good news is that the scales are tipped in your favour when a prospect calls you.
2. You need to get good at “selling” VALUE.
Learning how to sell your product or service is much less important than learning how to sell VALUE. That’s where the rubber hits the road. Do it well and you’ll thrive. Otherwise, closing sales will continue to be an unnecessary struggle.
It’s important to remember that the internet has dramatically changed how your prospects buy. Today, when a prospect hits your website, chances are she has already visited at least 5 of your competitors. They have a good understanding of what the product or service is.
Here’s the question you need to answer:
”Why should your prospect buy from YOU?”
Many business owners make a critical mistake here. They don’t understand how to see the VALUE of what they offer.
Instead, they list off the features – which the prospect already knows about – leaving the prospect to focus on the only differentiator that they understand.
And that’s PRICE.
Many business owners I speak to lament the fact that so many prospect focus on price failing to realize they were the ones who forced them to.
Learn to sell the VALUE of what you offer.
3. See ‘closing the sale’ for what it is
Ok, you have attracted a qualified prospect. You’ve explained to her how your product or service will make her life better. She’s interested.
Now what?
You need to convert that interested prospect into a profitable client or customer. For that, you need to learn how to close a sale.
This post is too short to cover this vast subject but simply having an accurate understanding of what closing a sale is will help you boost your closing rate.
Now, before we continue, let me explain what I mean when I say ‘close the sale.’
Some people see closing the sale as a manipulative strategy where there’s a winner and loser. Nothing could be further than the truth. Not saying it doesn’t happen but selling is an honourable profession.
Closing a sale is all about having both parties arrive at a mutually beneficial outcome.
Your prospect trades you her money in exchange for you solving a problem or fulfilling a need or want.
And that’s how you should look at every selling opportunity. It’s a two way street where it’s a win-win outcome.
If you incorporate the 3 tips outlined above into your telephone sales inquiries handling strategy, your close rate will go up. And so will your confidence!
