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Sales Leads to Sales

Guest post by: Bob Richards

Article Overview: Why sales people would buy "leads," which are basically names on a list, or subscribe to on-line directories from which to call, is a mystery. Calling people that have not expressed interest is a poor use of valuable time. Why not just contact those that have interest?

Sales Leads to Sales

Too many sales people believe that a "sales lead" is simply a name from a directory. That’s not right. A name from a directory listing is just not a sales lead--it’s a suspect, a total stranger and it does not make any difference if he or she meets some criteria (e.g. age, employment status, income level). A true sales lead meets your criteria AND has expressed interest in what you supply. Specifically, the lead has responded to an email, a print ad, a piece of direct mail, etc. A real marketer and sales specialist only contacts prospects that have first expressed interest. If the only way to ascertain whioch prospects have interest and are bona fide leads, then get someone for $12 an hour to do that.

Once you have a qualified lead, how do you turn it into a sale? Here is what we teach the financial professional who use ProspectMatch.

You really don't phone the lead and say, “I’m following up…..” Every salesperson says this and the phrase has now developed into being synonymous with “get prepared for my sales pitch.” Your prospect instantly gets defensive (no one likes to be sold) and your chance of a sale is close to zero. Rather, call the lead and say “Bob, you sent back a card showing your interest in possessing more…..better…(fill in the blank); what motivated you to do that?” The only words that really should come out of your mouth would be the payoffs your lead desires. Your initial activity should be centered on engaging your sales lead, not to talk about your product.

Next, you really do not want to say “we have” or “my organization offers” as these words are equivalent to “get ready for my pitch.” Once more, these words can make your lead defensive. Note that words have taken on certain connotations in our culture. Their usage immediately conjures up specific reactions in most buyers. As a business owner, when I pick up the phone and hear "I'm following up," I immediately know that the caller is calling about something I have no interest in and I think to myself "why did I pick up the phone?"

You do say, “I really don't know if I will help you…may I ask you a few questions about your (investments, machinery service, fuel purchases, fill in the blank)?” You mitigate the defensiveness with the potential customer by stating you do not know if you can help. How many sales pros do this? None, and that's why it's effective

Next, you ask intelligent questions about what’s essential to your sales lead, your prospect. A good thing you can do here is forget about features and benefits of your product since your lead doesn't care. He cares only about what’s important to him. So to really attend to your prospect, you have to forget your pitch. To the degree your attention is on anything other than your prospect and his desires, you sacrifice making the sale. It's another Zen paradox: to the extent you focus on making the sale, you won't make it.

As your prospect reveals answers to your issues, you ask deeper questions to reveal their emotional needs.

Questions like:

Why is that critical to you?

Should you obtain that, how would it affect you?

In case you do not solve that, what’s the value for you?

How does that make you feel? Are you happy with that?

Due to the fact people make purchase decisions with their emotions, you have to get them to reveal what motivates them emotionally. Until you do, do not proceed to your next action (to set an appointment, ask for that credit card, close the deal) as you will fail. Also, quite a few sellers request that the prospect buy too early and they get objections. To avoid objections, get your prospect to reveal what motivates him emotionally then you ask if he would like some solutions to that issue or circumstance. Only when he says sure, do you proceed to the next step in your sales process.

“Bob, if there were a solution to that dilemma, what would that be worth to you monetarily? Assuming you could possess the solution for only 10% of that amount you just mentioned, you'd like to learn about it? Great, then (set a visit, ask for the credit card, close the deal).”

Sellers tell me they are client focused or customer focused but it’s not true. They are product focused intent on their own agenda. If your personal aim or company goal is to really help someone, then it becomes easy to turn sales leads into income. Simply because your goal take a turn from “getting” potential customers to acquire your merchandise to “finding” potential customers who want what your product provides. The only way to figure out which prospects are the buyers is by asking inquiries. And once you encounter someone that does not have an interest in the benefits of your product or service, you move on.

The important thing to turning a sales lead into a sale should be to depart from your aim of closing a sale and get your lead to disclose his emotional goals. Then you will have the somewhat simple approach of illustrating for your potential customer how your merchandise fits his agenda (rather than convincing the prospect why they should have interest in your goal).

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Article Tags: closing the sale, prospectmatch, qualifed prospect, sales lead



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