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Make the Switch From Selling to Educating to Increase Sales Conversion Rate

Written by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Article Overview: Are you selling your products or services? How is that working for you? Would you like to increase sales conversion rate? Then you may need to switch your sales skills from selling to educating.

Make the Switch From Selling to Educating to Increase Sales Conversion Rate

Are you selling your products or services? How is that working for you? Would you like to increase sales conversion rate? Then you may need to switch your sales skills from selling to educating.

Possibly you may be thinking I am always educating the customer. I tell him or her how great my product or service is or how my product or service can outperform the competition. As an old mentor of mine once said: If you are telling, you ain't selling.

The problem here is that you are doing all the telling with a very high ego. Now what would happen if you truly listened to the customer and helped him or her through an educational non-self serving approach?

For example, you have 5 targeted qualified potential customers in you sight. Why not send each of them a handwritten note, briefly introducing yourself and letting them know that the following week you will send them an article that they may find of interest. Of course the article would reflect your research about the issues that each company is facing. Then the next week you send the article with another note about a new article that you will send the following week. After repeating this education based marketing behavior for 2 additional weeks, you then send a word processed letter with a little more detail about yourself and letting the decision maker know that you will be calling the following week for an appointment. Sales Coaching Tip: If you wrote the article all the better. Even better, print it from a directory site such as EvanCarmichael.com.

Another example is how you end your first telephone call with that potential qualified customer. Do you say something like If I can be of further assistance, please let me know. Again, what would happen if you embraced the role of educator and said something like, With your permission, I would like to send you a white paper or article that you may find of interest specific to this current problem or issue. Sales Coaching Tip: The article or white paper must provided exceptional value and not be a sales based marketing strategy in disguise.

Auto-responders are another way to educate the customer. You provide a free report, a white paper, an assessment or even a free coaching program just for the exchange of leaving contact and industry information. The challenge is not to overburden those who signed up for excessive emails that do not provide value.

Speaking of value, it has been said that people buy from people they trust. This is true, yet trust takes time. Many individuals simply do not have the time. So what would happen if you provided greater value by offering a product or service for free. Sales Coaching Tip: Make sure that make those offerings to only qualified potential customers or centers of influence.

By using an on line assessment, I have increased my sales conversions from 40% to 80%. Since I do provide a free coaching or business strategy session, this assessment quickly demonstrates value, educates the potential qualified customer and establishes trust almost immediately. Yes, there is a minimal added cost on my end for the assessment. However, the increase in conversions offsets this cost and has also shortened the sales cycle allowing me to earn even more sales.

TAKE ACTION SALES COACHING TIP: Research those top 5 companies that you wish to have as loyal customers. Find articles or write articles that address current or future needs. If possible cite outside sources to demonstrate that you truly understand the marketplace. Then freely share them with qualified potential customers. Use a proven online assessment if one is available that brings value to your qualified lead. Your goal to increase sales should be achieved while helping you to become that trusted advisor.

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Article Tags: appointment, briefly, conversion rate, decision maker, education, educator, ego, first telephone, handwritten note, marketing, mentor, new article, telephone call



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Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: How do you earn trust with an online business? - Add VALUE to your target market. How? Well depends. If your business can start by Educating the target market about how your product or Service can add value to their lives. This can be done via Video (hot right now), basic text, audio etc. I've had a lot of success with Video and am using it primarily as a lead generation tool. If done right your Content can add Value and add to your bottom line at the same time while building Trust.
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
Re: Quote of the Day - "The only people witho - Thanks for sharing this Evan, there are some very powerful quotes in there, I particularly like this one:- You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really are now? Don't think about who you have been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully. regards, Mal.
enRoute ads - 10 days with my new salesmen - Hi Guys, As some of you may know I hired a sales person for my business. I picked him amongst 50+ interviews, so I did do my due diligence. For any of you who have had experience with outbound sales reps in your company could you please shed some light on these statistics and let me know what you think: Days Employed: 11 Calls Made: 200 Average length of call: 3 minutes Sales: 0 Closing Rate: 0 Previous closing rate at Astral Media: 5% He is selling billboards instead of radio, for an unestablished company vs. an established one There seems to be large gaps in calling made in his daily log, on average he is making 20 calls a day. I am going to try to increase this by providing him with calling lists versus him creating his own. (I will keep you posted on this). I am just wondering, in your experience, what kind of regiment do you have your cold callers work on, 6 hours? 4 hours? 7 hours? And did you notice a curve occur with closing rates as time progressed and experience increased? If so when did you notice this begin to occur, I have him on a 1,500.00 NON-RECOVERABLE sales draw salary which ends in 6 weeks (approx).


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