December Workshop:
Let's assume marketing has gone to the trouble of generating a hot lead for you. Now it's your job to treat that lead with the respect it deserves, by maximizing the possibility of turning it into a sale.
How exactly do you do that?
Here are three time-tested steps you can follow.
Step 1. Do a little homework before you follow up.
Before you reach out to this person, make sure you understand why the prospect requested information, gave you their name, clicked on a link, or did whatever else he or she did to get themself on this list. If you don't understand why a prospect raised their hand, you can't possibly expect to craft a message that relates to this prospective buyer’s circumstances. If it's possible for you to do so, you should experience first-hand the process by which people become leads. How did they get to your site or inbox? If you have time to prepare before interacting with your prospect, research them and (if appropriate) their company. Use tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to learn as much as you can about your prospect.
Step 2. Understand the likely challenges of your prospect.
Now that you know a little about this person's/company’s circumstances, think about why your product or service is likely to be valuable to the people on your lead list. What problem(s) are they trying to solve? What goal(s) are they trying to achieve? What outcomes are they trying to produce or avoid? What happens if they are not able to resolve those issues? Once you have clear answers to those questions, move on to…
Step 3. Make sure there's a message-to-market match.
Now it’s time to hone your message until it matches the market’s dominant concerns. When you finally do connect one-to-one with the lead, you should be prepared to engage prospects with a question that’s relevant to the reason they identified themselves as a prospect in the first place.
For instance, if you do a lot of work with homeowners who reach out to you because they are unhappy with their high monthly mortgage payments and are looking for a way to lower them, you might ask “What is your current mortgage rate?” “Have you refinanced in the past?”
Typically, I find that the challenges your prospects experience can fall into two different categories.
The first category is that they are not currently working with another provider, and they now have a need for your product or service. What questions will you ask if someone has those circumstances? What will be relevant for your prospect and is there any way to determine if there is urgency for your prospect to make a decision.
The second category of challenges is that someone might be working with a provider, but they are not happy with the results that they are receiving from that provider. What questions can you ask to professionally probe the challenges of a prospect who is not happy with their current provider? What would you need to hear from your prospect to get them to act and change providers?
Getting a lead is no guarantee that your new prospect will become a client. It is your job as a professional to do your homework. You need to qualify your opportunities and show your value to new prospects. The best way to do that is to be prepared to provide value when you engage with your prospects. It is your responsibility to understand what it will take for a lead to convert into a new client. If you are not sure if you are currently converting prospects into clients at a high enough rate, or if you are hearing the words “let me think it over” on a regular basis, it might make sense for us to speak.
Polin Performance Group provides real-world sales solutions through sales coaching, sales training, business development workshops and speaking engagements. We give you and your team the sales skills needed to maximize sales performance and increase revenue. Let's talk about your sales challenges and together we'll figure out the best solution for your business growth goals. Contact us today.
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