Wendy wrote "I hate making marketing calls.
I don’t know what to say and how to say it. I don’t have any
sales training and I’ve been assigned to find new clients. In the
past 4 weeks I brought in zero new clients."
Do you ever feel this way?
Are you tired of being turned down?
Are you frustrated by your limited success selling on the
phone?
Making any of the mistakes below takes the fun out of your
job and can kill your sales.
1. Using Push Versus Pull Marketing
Most of us don’t like pushy people who talk about themselves all the time.
Think about your marketing. Are you constantly pushing information out about
yourself, your products and services? This may be pushing prospects away when
what you want to do is pull them in.
Focus your small business marketing on prospects' concerns and offer them something
they want. You'll help them, convert them to clients and increase your revenue.
2. Not Generating Enough Qualified Leads
Marketing is about starting conversations with prospects so you can learn what
they need and help them understand the solution you provide. To bring in more
business, help more people understand what you do and prompt prospects to contact
you.
Does your marketing help you generate enough leads and start a conversation with
prospects?
With the right small business marketing message, advertising copy and online
and offline strategy you can generate a steady stream of qualified leads.
3. Responding To Inquiries With an Email or a Letter
Nine times out of ten, when you send a prospect a written response to a query,
it won't result in a sale. Pick up the phone and you can use their questions
to start a conversation. With just a couple of additional questions you can learn
what their objectives are and then you can sell them the solution.
4. Quoting Price Too Soon
When prospects call, one of the first questions they ask is about pricing. Tell
them right away and you risk ending the conversation and losing the sale. Dollar
figures by themselves are meaningless.
When a prospect asks what you charge, don't tell them until you've had a chance
to learn what they want. Then put the price in the context of the value and quality
solutions you provide.
5. Wasting Time With People Who Aren't Buyers
Not matter how good your system is for qualifying leads, you’ll
end up on the phone with people who can't afford your services or won't
benefit from your products. Conversations like these can take up way
too much of your time.
Use your qualifying questions and their responses to determine within the first
3 minutes of a conversation whether or not the person you're talking with is
a promising prospect. If not, thank them for their inquiry and move on to your
next call.
6. Doing Too Much Talking
You know your services and products inside out; you could talk for hours, if
not days, about your processes, product features or benefits. Don't. You'll lose
your prospects attention, especially if you're marketing over the phone.
Whenever you call a prospect or they call you, use the call to learn what they
want and need. Ask questions Let them do the talking so that you get the information
you need.
7. Not Clarifying Value From the Client’s Perspective
You have a crystal clear idea of the benefits of your products and services;
you want prospects to understand these benefits from their point of view.
To help prospects understand the value you provide, get them to define what they
are looking for and what it's worth to them.
8. Not Getting To "Yes"
Your primary objective is to get the prospect to say, "yes" when you
ask them whether they want to place their order or sign up for your services.
Set up a pattern of "yes" answers and you'll increase the chances they
will say "yes" when you ask them to buy.
Review their objectives and ask them if that is what they are looking for. Review
the solution you provide and ask them if that is what they are looking for.
9. Neglecting To Ask For The Sale.
If you want people to buy your products and services, you need to ask for the
sale. This sounds obvious, but the tendency is to wait for the prospect to say
they are ready to buy.
Why do we do this?
Until you gain confidence in your phone selling technique, you're afraid of getting
turned down when you ask for the sale. It's common to compensate by talking endlessly
about the features and benefits of your products and services. If you're working
with qualified leads, many of the people you are talking with want to buy your
products and services. Help them clarify the value and then help them make the
purchase.
10. Forgetting To Follow Up On Sales
When you make a sale. it may seem like the end of your marketing
effort. Think of your first sale. not as closing a sale. but opening
the door to a long-term relationship and you’ll increase
future sales
When a prospect becomes a client or customer, they've provided tangible evidence
of their trust in you and your products and services. Follow up with a phone
call to find out how the product or service is working and there is a good chance
you'll uncover a need for more of your products and services.
You don't have to hate marketing on the phone. Learn what to say and how to structure
the conversation and you'll have more fun and make more sales.
Email Charlie Cook Helping you attract more clients
and be more successful
