Archive for August, 2009

A research firm made 2,000 calls to businesses asking: “How much is your (product) or (service)?” just to see what type of response they received…

• 79% never asked for the callers’ name
• 86% never asked for the phone number or address
• 44% gave the price and other information, but made no effort to arrange an appointment
• 38% gave out some prices and hung up after the caller said thank you
• 52% took more than 8 rings to answer the phone, and a full 28% put the caller on hold for more than two minutes

WOW. I truly hope you do better…those are disappointing numbers! Let this serve as a reminder: You need a systematic approach when it comes to answering incoming phone calls… Are you asking the right questions? How are you converting the call into an appointment or “next step”? What if you were able to convert another 10% of these calls into solid appointments? Document your current approach. If you need help, reach out to us and we’ll provide you with some best practices that work for our members and that they have had great success with. For some additional thoughts and tips, see my partner Tim’s post from a few days back: When a Customer Calls Are You Prepared?

It is easier to close a sale when a prospect has sought YOU out, rather than when you approach them. One of the reasons for this is that when a prospect approaches you, the business relationship starts out on a more equal footing. Contrast the situation where a prospect approaches YOU with the built in resistance and or skepticism you encounter when the first contact is made via a cold call or unsolicited mailing. When people feel that they’ve discovered YOU, you don’t encounter the resistance that can occur when YOU approach them. Defenses are down, the buyer feels more in control of the communication. Instead of YOU saying, ‘Here’s how I think I can help you’ and then having to prove your claim with lots of convincing and persuading, the prospect is saying, ‘I think YOU’RE the person who can help me. Tell me how this works.’ They are much more motivated to listen to your answers! So usually in these articles I share ideas on what you can do to make the telephone ring, but once they’ve called you, how you handle that all important first phone call can make the difference between you landing a client – or losing them forever. When a person seeks your service, before the phone rings, are you prepared? Prepare to handle the conversations and practice them in your mind. They will come in handy! The first thing you have to ask yourself is what is the reason someone would call you? What is it that you can do to help? Also, just as important…..Can you reel them in? I have found that the first phone conversation played a critical part in the overall sales process. Handled correctly, the prospect was ‘pre-sold’ even before our first meeting, the progression from initial inquiry to signed contract was smooth and in some cases the phone conversation went so well that the caller made the decision to buy without us having to meet. So the first phone conversation is a crucial moment in the overall sales process and sadly many opportunities are lost forever by mishandling this critical stage. It’s not your job to ‘convert’ every caller. The purpose of this first phone conversation is to find out more about each other, and if appropriate, progress to the next step. But that doesn’t mean that every phone conversation will or should result in a sale. For a multitude of reasons, you may not be a good match for each other. I’ve witnessed many sellers put themselves – and their prospects – under unnecessary pressure because they were ‘going for the order’ before it had been established whether that was the appropriate next step. Shift your goal for the call to ‘let’s find out more about whether we’re right for each other’ instead of ‘must get the sale at any cost’. You’ll be more relaxed, and when the prospect doesn’t feel pressured, they are more likely to lower their defenses and tell you what they really want and need. Result? When appropriate the sales will flow naturally, without you having to push. And, if it’s not appropriate to progress to the next stage right now, you have left the door open for future business and/or referrals. It’s true what they say about first impressions. Because they have called YOU, they already know something about you and what you’re offering. The fact that the prospect has bothered to pick up the phone to call you and find out more is a huge sign that they’re interested in buying. The downside is that you may not be the only company they’re calling. So what do you need to do in this phone conversation to help things progress easily to the next step? The secret is to gauge what the caller really wants, and then give it to them. But you can’t do that unless you first get them to open up and tell you what they really want. The most important thing to do in the first few seconds is establish rapport with the enquirer, and then…. …Get permission to ask questions. When you build trust and ask the right questions, your prospects will give you all the information you need to solve their problems, give them what they really want and ultimately win their business. At the same time, some callers may be reluctant to open up on the telephone and discuss their real needs.If callers are reluctant to give you information it’s either because they don’t trust you, or because you aren’t asking the right questions. You can earn their trust by demonstrating in your attitude and manner that your primary aim is to help them make an informed decision. You can’t fake this. Customers are smart and they can sense who’s genuinely interested and trying to help, and who’s just after a quick sale. Knowing who your client is !Ask about the prospect’s needs and what results they hope to achieve . It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling coaching, financial services or training, there are key questions that you can formulate to find out what they want to achieve, what they want to avoid, and how they plan to use the product or service that you can supply.

It doesn’t always take a fancy party or money to say thank you. I was always a firm believer in the personal touch. Each Holiday season, I would personally call,visit and talk to everyone that was part of our team in any fashion…..to thank them for being a part of our business. I did my best during the year to keep a good relationship and communicate my appreciation, but during the Holidays I wanted to make sure that I made an effort to give a “personal” touch. I would and still do, hand write a note, put it in a card and deliver it in person to as many people I can. The ones that I couldn’t, I mailed and called & even spoke to their family to thank them and wish them the best. Isn’t it the time of year that you should do something uncommon, and give your business and personal relationships the attention they deserve? A caring gesture is priceless.

When I coach remodelers and home improvement companies – often times, I find out that a good portion of their business comes from Repeat Clients. However, the majority of the marketing dollars they are spending are going towards looking for new clients… While there is a part of your plan that should be devoted to new client acquisition….don’t forget about those Previous Clients of yours. Remember, your previous clients:

• Buy quicker than non-customers (they already “know, like and trust” you)
• They refer more
• They cost you much less to reach and sell
• They spend more
• They have higher closing rates

Your existing client base is your most valuable marketing asset! Be proactive in reaching out to them… Don’t neglect them… Educate them and continue to build “know, like and trust”… Our member’s have success when they are take a proactive approach to reaching their Previous Clients. Don’t reinvent the wheel – let us help you with our proven strategies that will keep your Previous Clients coming back for more.