For sales professionals, leads are your livelihood. People who work on commission are especially dependent on them. However, a lead is not a guarantee. Any person who shows interest in your product or service still needs to be persuaded without feeling “sold.” Savvy sales people can say all the right things, but is that enough? Here are three ways to get better conversions on your leads.
- First to contact. Consumers feel a loyalty to the first person who contacts them. Not only does that first person appear to care the most, he or she gets the best opportunity to build trust and rapport. Consumers know the least about a product or service before speaking with their first sales person. Therefore, whoever reaches them fastest will be the leading expert on the matter. Take the time to educate your potential customer/client. Treat every question as a relationship-builder. Teach the client how to evaluate the information that your competition will provide. If you know ABC Company is going to highlight low prices, explain how you provide great value. Tell the prospect how to compare the two advantages so that when ABC comes knocking, the consumer will automatically think about your value when discussing price.
Even if you don’t get in touch with the prospect on your first attempt, being the first one to show up will still go a long way. If someone else spoke with the lead before you do, follow the advice in the next point. - If not first, reach the lead as soon as possible. You are most likely to reach a lead within the first 60 minutes of receiving his or her details. Evaluate how quickly you were able to reach out to leads you contacted in the past – you’ll see proof that this is true. If you can’t score the first contact, get in touch as soon as possible.
If you don’t have the advantage of being the first to contact your lead, you can still win him or her over. The first sales person may have answered most of the consumer’s initial questions, so you need to find a way to showcase your expertise. Ask questions that go more into detail about what the consumer needs. If you’re a commercial real estate broker, and you ask about HVAC needs when your competition didn’t, you’re making yourself more credible. Questions are a great way to showcase your credibility in a show-versus-tell way.
- Be persistent. Three or four attempts to contact a prospect is not the time to give up. Your contact rates will be highest if you try six times. Keep track of more than call attempts, too. Note the time of day and day of the week when you called. As you document this kind of information, check to see what the patterns are.
Look back over your files to see if you’ve been fast or persistent enough when contacting prospects. Once you’re able to get in front of them, put your best foot forward. Make sure all of your promotional gifts and presentation materials are crisp and clean. If you need sheet protectors, adhesive pouches, tag holders, business or insurance card holders, or any other flexible pocket, see what Vinyl Art has to offer. We make the most professional, custom, and eco-friendly products on the market. Contact us today at 800-569-1304 or sales@vinylart.wpengine.com.
