One of the most common benefits salespeople use to promote their products is the 'saves time' benefit, because everybody is really busy these days. So it might surprise you to learn that giving your prospects a homework assignment can actually improve your closing ratio.
Cognitive psychology teaches us that the more time and effort people invest in something, the more they value that thing once they actually get it. If you send your prospects a link to a ten-page document that contains information about your company and products and ask them to read it before your appointment, and they do so, now they've invested some time in you and in this purchase. They don't want to have wasted that time, so they're more inclined to think seriously about buying from you. It also takes the pressure off you to spend precious appointment time explaining product features – the prospect now knows all the basic details, and you can focus on asking qualifying questions and presenting the appropriate benefits.
Of course, it's possible that your prospects simply won't bother to read your literature. But the prospects who refuse to invest a few minutes learning about your products are almost always the ones who are fixated on price as the only critical component of the purchase. In other words, these are not sales that it will be painful to lose, because even if you manage to close such prospects you'll probably have to give them a substantial discount just to get them on board.
Such material is also a way to redirect prospects who ask for a quote right up front. You can explain that your sales process works by giving prospects all the information they need to decide exactly which product and product options are right for them, which enables you to provide the most accurate possible quote. Then direct these prospects to your online material, and suggest they give you a call (or send an email) when they've determined which product is the best fit for their specific needs. You empower your prospects by helping them to understand their own needs better, and also give them a foundation from which to understand your quote once you provide it.
Another benefit to preparing and posting such content for prospects is that once they get started reading your material, they're likely to browse other parts of your website as well. And the more time they spend reading through your website, the better chance you have to close the sale. This will only work if you have plenty of quality content posted, so if your company website is lacking in material, it's time to make a push with your sales manager to get some better information posted. If you can't get your company to improve the site, try setting up a blog or website of your own and send prospects there instead. You can even set up a Facebook or other social media page and put your content there.
Whether you post such content yourself or get your company to do it, this process will only yield good results if the material itself is good. The content you post for your prospects should be of value to them. It should be written with your ideal prospects in mind, and should address features and issues that are important to that ideal prospect. In addition to describing your products and how they work, valuable content might include comparisons between your product and your competitors', a review of commonly perceived problems with your product and how you've solved them, ways to get the most use and benefit from your product, and an explanation of your pricing model and why you use it.
While setting up such material is a significant investment of your time, once it's posted you'll only need to spend a few minutes occasionally posting updates. The return you'll get on your time investment is a significant improvement in sales and a resulting improvement in your commissions checks – well worth spending a few hours sourcing and posting good material.
By Wendy Connick
http://sales.about.com/
Cognitive psychology teaches us that the more time and effort people invest in something, the more they value that thing once they actually get it. If you send your prospects a link to a ten-page document that contains information about your company and products and ask them to read it before your appointment, and they do so, now they've invested some time in you and in this purchase. They don't want to have wasted that time, so they're more inclined to think seriously about buying from you. It also takes the pressure off you to spend precious appointment time explaining product features – the prospect now knows all the basic details, and you can focus on asking qualifying questions and presenting the appropriate benefits.
Of course, it's possible that your prospects simply won't bother to read your literature. But the prospects who refuse to invest a few minutes learning about your products are almost always the ones who are fixated on price as the only critical component of the purchase. In other words, these are not sales that it will be painful to lose, because even if you manage to close such prospects you'll probably have to give them a substantial discount just to get them on board.
Such material is also a way to redirect prospects who ask for a quote right up front. You can explain that your sales process works by giving prospects all the information they need to decide exactly which product and product options are right for them, which enables you to provide the most accurate possible quote. Then direct these prospects to your online material, and suggest they give you a call (or send an email) when they've determined which product is the best fit for their specific needs. You empower your prospects by helping them to understand their own needs better, and also give them a foundation from which to understand your quote once you provide it.
Another benefit to preparing and posting such content for prospects is that once they get started reading your material, they're likely to browse other parts of your website as well. And the more time they spend reading through your website, the better chance you have to close the sale. This will only work if you have plenty of quality content posted, so if your company website is lacking in material, it's time to make a push with your sales manager to get some better information posted. If you can't get your company to improve the site, try setting up a blog or website of your own and send prospects there instead. You can even set up a Facebook or other social media page and put your content there.
Whether you post such content yourself or get your company to do it, this process will only yield good results if the material itself is good. The content you post for your prospects should be of value to them. It should be written with your ideal prospects in mind, and should address features and issues that are important to that ideal prospect. In addition to describing your products and how they work, valuable content might include comparisons between your product and your competitors', a review of commonly perceived problems with your product and how you've solved them, ways to get the most use and benefit from your product, and an explanation of your pricing model and why you use it.
While setting up such material is a significant investment of your time, once it's posted you'll only need to spend a few minutes occasionally posting updates. The return you'll get on your time investment is a significant improvement in sales and a resulting improvement in your commissions checks – well worth spending a few hours sourcing and posting good material.
By Wendy Connick
http://sales.about.com/
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου