Many people in sales believe that a sales lead can be a name from a list. That’s not right. A name from a list or directory will not be a sales lead--it’s a suspect, a total stranger and it does not matter if he or she meets some criteria (e.g. age, employment status, income level). A genuine sales lead meets your criteria AS WELL as expresses interest in what you offer. Specifically, the lead has responded to an e-mail, a print ad, a piece of direct mail, completed a web form, etc. A real marketer and sales professional only contacts potential customers that have first expressed interest.
Now that you've got a qualified lead, (someone who has responded to an initial offer), how can you turn it into a sale? Here's what we teach the financial professionals who use the Brokerville lead generation service.
Don't get in touch with the prospect and say, “I’m following up…..” Each salesperson says this and the phrase has now come to mean “get prepared for my sales pitch.” Your prospect instantly gets defensive (no one likes to be sold or get a pitch) and your chance of a sale quickly fading. Rather, phone the lead and say “Bob, you returned a card expressing your interest in having more…..better…(fill in the blank); what motivated you to complete that item?” The only words that really should come out of your mouth are the advantages your lead needs. Your initial task would be to engage your lead, not to discuss features of your product.
"Next, you please do not say “we have” or “my organization offers” as these words are synonymous with “get ready for my pitch.” Again, these will make your lead defensive. You do say, “I do not know if I can help you…may I ask you a couple of questions about your (investments, insurance, retirement plan, fill in the blank)?” You disarm the prospect by proclaiming you don’t know if you can help.
Next, you ask intelligent questions about what’s essential to your potential client. 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 essential to him. So to really listen, you have to neglect your product spiel. As your prospect reveals answers to your inquiries, you ask deeper questions to reveal their emotional desires. Here are sample questions to ask:
Why is that essential for you?
Should you have that, how would it effect you?
In the event you really do not resolve that issue, what’s the long term cost for you?
How does that make you feel? Are you currently content with that?
Since people purchase emotionally, you will need to get them to reveal what motivates them emotionally. Until you do, do not to proceed to your next phase (to set an appointment, ask for the credit card, close the deal) as you will fail. Too few sellers inquire sufficiently about the prospect, go for the purchase too early and they get objections. Firstly, get your prospect to reveal what motivates him emotionally and then you inquire if he is open to a solution to that problem/opportunity. Only when he says sure, do you proceed to your next stage.
“Bob, if there were a solution to that dilemma, what would that be worth for you? So if you could have the resolution for only 10% of that amount, would you want to know about it? Great, then (set an appointment, inquire for that credit card, finalize the deal).”
Sellers tell me they are client focused or customer focused but it’s not true. They are product focused and my-agenda focused. If your personal mission or company mission is to really help someone, then it becomes easy to turn leads into income. Simply because your goal morphs from “getting” potential customers to buy your merchandise to “finding” prospects who want what your products provide. You'll be able to ascertain the right buyers by asking questions. And as you encounter an individual that does not have an interest in your products, you move on.
The true secret to turning a lead into a sale is to depart from your agenda to make a sale and instead, pursue a conversation and get your lead to disclose his primary emotional goals. You then possess and easy method of illustrating to your potential customer how your item fits his agenda (rather than convincing the prospect why they should have interest in your goal).