6 Steps to Help You Close Your Own Sales
Sales Training October 6th. 2008, 9:46pmIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
There are many Internet marketers out there who are experts at using Google AdWords, Video marketing, Article writing and SEO. It is possible that they may have hundreds, if not thousands of leads in their lists. They may well be using a good Autoresponder like Aweber, and have a great sales letter campaign going. However, are they making many sales?
For those who are promoting a business opportunity, it is crucial that they convert their prospects into customers, and one of the best ways to do this, is by phoning them. Granted, you can make sales without doing anything and just letting your sales letters do all the work, however, by calling your prospects, you will increase the conversion rate and it could make the difference between someone “sitting on the fence”, and someone in your downline.
Unfortunately, this is where many Internet marketers fall flat on their face, as most have no idea how to go about it, or they perhaps feel that they just don’t have the confidence to speak to people on the phone and ask them the right questions.
As an Internet marketer myself, one thing I have come to appreciate, is that people like the personal touch, and that is true in many aspects in life, but especially in business. People like to know who they are dealing with, before they will part with their money and buy your products, services, whatever.
Many people get tired of receiving one email after another and never actually speak to the person sending them. They can become frustrated and even annoyed. At the same time they might be seriously interested in what you have to offer, but because they have not had any contact with you other than by email, to them, you may well be just another sales person stuck away in the back of some office churning out impersonal emails. This can cause many to unsubscribe from your mailing list.
Now that you have come to appreciate the importance of phoning your prospects, how can you accomplish this goal successfully?
Here are some tips that you might find helpful.
1. Relax!
If you sound nervous on the phone, then that may demonstrate to you prospect a lack of confidence, and it may well put them off, so try to relax before you make the call. Try sitting down with a cup of coffee, and your list of prospects placed on a table. Focus on just one prospect at a time.
2. Have clearly in mind want you want to say.
Some may recommend using a phone script to make things easier, however this can cause you to sound mechanical an unnatural, especially if you read it word-for-word. You can use a script, but try to put it in your own words so that you sound natural.
On the initial call, make sure you start speaking straight away when the person says “hello”. A lengthy pause at this point will probably make them feel awkward and hang-up. When greeting them, say your full name and the name of your business. Tell them that the reason you are calling is because they recently visited your website and requested more information regarding your business. Hopefully they will recall visiting your site, and you can then ask them questions regarding it.
3. Avoid asking the wrong questions.
Nothing will end the conversation quicker than saying something like; “I was just wondering if you are interested in this business opportunity”, or “Are you interested in joining this…..ect”. People don’t want to hear a sales pitch, they want to hear how you can help them with your products or services, and if it is a home business opportunity, then they will want to know how they can earn money online. However, there is a certain way to go about it, so you need to ask the right questions, and give them the opportunity to respond.
4. Have a clear goal in mind.
Ultimately, your goal should be to close the sale with your prospect, but you may need to take a few necessary steps to get there. First of all, some business opportunity websites have a tour of the business explaining how it works, and how an individual can earn money with it. Those who opt-in are then directed to the tour. That being the case, you could ask them what they enjoyed about the tour, and if they have not yet seen it, or they cannot remember it, then encourage them to go through it carefully, writing down any questions they may have. You should also try to ascertain how serious they are about starting their own business from home, and how much income they are looking to make.
5. Know your subject.
If your prospect has a lot of questions to ask you, then it is very important that you know your subject. In this case, we are talking about your business, so you really need to know it inside out in order to answer their questions effectively. If you feel a little unsure, then perhaps you need to do some research and find out as many different aspects of your business as you can. If you already feel confident in this area, then that will have a positive effect when implementing step 6.
6. Schedule a follow-up appointment.
Once you have directed them back to the tour, then it is crucial that you schedule a follow-up appointment. It is during this appointment that you will answer any questions they have, and if they are serious about joining, then you shouldn’t have any trouble closing the sale. If at this point you lack the confidence to close the sale yourself, then ask your sponsor to do it for you. However, it is not that difficult, and if you never try, you will always have to rely on others to close your sales, so pluck up the courage, and give it a go. You could ask them something like, “Do you have any more questions, or are you ready to get started today?”. As long as you are well prepared and you know where you are going with the conversation, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Thats it. I haven’t crossed every T, or dotted every I, but by following these 6 steps, you should find it relatively easy to talk to your own prospects and close those sales.
Steven Chappell is an expert author and Internet marketer. You are welcome to visit his website for more helpful tips.
