From Prospect to Client in Thirty Seconds

The process of converting a prospect to a client can seem like it takes forever. You meet a prospective client, follow up with him or her over time, and hopefully have a chance to make a sales presentation or schedule an initial consultation at no charge. Then you follow up some more, trying to close the sale. Months can pass, or even years, between your first encounter and getting the prospect to sign on the bottom line.

How do you keep following up for all that time without being a pest? Is asking prospects over and over, "Are you ready to buy yet?" the best way to go about it? How can you build the trust of your prospects enough that they become willing to take the risk of hiring you?

The answer to these bothersome questions just might be found in this simple idea. Treat those prospects as if they were already your clients -- they just haven't paid you yet.

Imagine what it would be like to treat every prospective client you encounter as if you were already working together. Every time you contact your prospects, you offer an article they might be interested in, an introduction to someone who might help them with a goal, or an invitation to an upcoming event in their field.

When you meet with them, you listen to their problems and recommend solutions. When you contact them after a meeting, you suggest resources for helping them address the issues you discussed. The solutions and resources you recommend may include your products and services, of course, but you don't stop there. You also offer answers that don't involve hiring you.

The impact of this kind of generosity on your prospective clients can be dramatic. Instead of considering your calls or e-mails an interruption, they will welcome hearing from you. They will no longer count you as a salesperson or vendor, but rather as a valuable resource and important person to know.

I'm not talking about giving away the store. I don't recommend providing the client with free training, spending hours addressing their issues at no charge, or otherwise practicing your profession without pay. It is completely appropriate to ask for and expect payment for doing your professional work.

But what I am suggesting is a shift in your attitude, to being of service instead of selling a service. Give your prospects a taste of just how valuable you could be to them if they were to hire you. Be generous with the information and contacts you already have at your disposal. It only takes a few minutes to pass along a phone number, clipping, or helpful web site, but the impact can be unforgettable.

The effect of this shift on you can be just as significant as the effect on prospective clients. You will eliminate those dreaded sales calls from your agenda and focus instead on what you do best -- helping people. You will no longer fear or resist making contact with prospects, but will begin looking forward to it. Instead of selling, you will be serving.

The fastest way to turn a prospect into a client may be simply to change how you think about them.

C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients Now! Thousands of business owners and salespeople have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at http://www.getclientsnow.com


From Prospect to Client in Thirty Seconds - To learn more about this author, visit C.J. Hayden's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | More

Related Articles
Strike a Profile for Profit and Dress to Conquer the World Every Day!
	After a lifetime of being bombarded with ten to thirty-second commercials in which messages are clearly and persuasively conveyed through imagery, we are programmed to make judgments about people and situations in a...
A Most Telling Sign
	Body language is a hot topic these days with everyone wondering what a prospect means by every little gesture he makes. Yet many people turn off prospects with one little gesture in the first 30 seconds of the meeti...
Asking For the Money
	Until you get the money you don't have a sale. Your prospect may agree with everything you say, but until he puts up the money to confirm his agreement, you don't have a sale.
Power Words
	Some words are better than others. Some words are stronger and more evocative than others. When you are on the phone with a prospect, you have about 10 seconds to grab and hold your prospect’s attention. If you do n...
Ten Quick Marketing Actions
	It is often difficult to manage to do marketing tasks when you have a busy business or professional practice. Here are 10 ideas each of which take 5 or 10 minutes and can be done between appointments or when you tak...

---

Related Forum Posts
	Simple way to avoid Cold Calling
	Tennis needs meal breaks too..
	Modern Inventions
	Re: How Do You Fight Spam?
	Don't forget about multi-day races
	Why pay a Consultant?
	Re: Hiring introverts vs. extroverts
	is it bait-and-switch or Referral?