Finding customers and closing the sale is a matter of organization, common sense and rational use of the right tools. Here are the 5 golden rules for successful prospecting that you need to know to get closer!
CREATE A DATABASE OF QUALIFIED CONTACTS TO IDENTIFY TARGETS
If you don’t already have one, create a centralized contact database, gathering all the people you have established relationships with: business cards, LinkedIn contacts, people or organizations who commented on one of your blog posts or “liked” a post of your company on Facebook. The people you met at trade shows, those who made requests for information or documentation are therefore potential customers!
IDENTIFY THE RIGHT MEANS TO REACH THESE OBJECTIVES
Once you have identified your contacts, you must find the best way to get in touch with them. To do this, telephone prospecting, correspondence or field visits still have their followers, but the trend has evolved in favor of digital tools and business intelligence solutions, which have become essential: according to a study published by LinkedIn, 98% of salespeople use sales support tools. This is mainly because these solutions offer a refined knowledge of objectives and needs.
These tools also enable a new form of relationship: according to the study, most decision-makers are unresponsive to sales calls that have not been preceded by a digital connection, via a social network, an InMail or a letter, for example. If a prior connection has been established, 75% of decision-makers answer the calls. This shows the importance of a prior connection, which these tools enable.
WORK ON YOUR SALES PITCH AND SALES PRESENTATION, ADAPT IT AND PREPARE FOR OBJECTIONS
Have you identified your targets and how to contact them? You need to think about what you are going to say to them! Your job is to convince a customer to buy your product or service, but in order to do that, you need to make a pitch. This means knowing your offering inside and out, but also presenting each of its features as a concrete benefit to your prospect, who can visualize themselves enjoying it rather than listening to a litany of empty features. This is the CVB method, for Features, Advantages and Benefits, which you will apply here.
To personalize your approach and save time, rely on Business Intelligence tools that allow you to better understand your potential client’s ecosystem through news, key figures, job offers published, communication on social media….
Knowing your sales pitch is essential, but not enough! You should not recite it, but adapt it. This is when you will anticipate your potential client’s possible objections. The detailed study of their needs will allow you to structure your presentation and to focus your speech on the identified expectations.
KNOW WHEN AND HOW TO “CLOSE”!
A salesperson who is shy or in a hurry to close usually fails. Because there is no right or wrong time to “close”, but a time when the deal is ready to be closed! You must therefore bring your potential client to the sale, respecting the steps and planning alternatives to maximize your chances.
A good salesperson will know how to detect signs of fatigue or warning from his interlocutor and take advantage of the positive signs! He will also have to master complementary sales techniques (Upsell / Cross Sell) to increase his turnover and allow his client to benefit from an additional purchase thanks to the relevance of the salesperson’s advice.
PREPARE THE POTENTIAL CUSTOMER’S LOYALTY
Customer loyalty is a lever of commercial efficiency, because it is much more expensive to gain a new customer than to keep one: recruiting a new customer costs between 5 and 10 times more than keeping one. Moreover, an existing and satisfied customer is at a level of commitment that facilitates the purchase.
Of course, your reactivity will be one of the keys to this success, but you can also be proactive and anticipate their needs. You can also surprise your customer by offering them more than what they actually bought. There are no hard and fast rules, it’s all about talent and circumstances.
LET’S END WITH ONE OF THE GREAT QUALITIES OF A SALESPERSON
Perseverance
It is essential to be persistent in your follow-up and in your sales reminders.
The proof
80% of sales are made between the 2nd and 5th call, while 80% of salespeople give up after the 2nd call (source Dartnell Corp).
So be rigorous, your work will always be rewarded.
And it’s not because we didn’t want your product to be bad, or that your sales pitch needs to be revised: it just didn’t work! While the salesperson should be able to question themselves and their methods, they should not give up after a failure. These failures should be considered as additional training: there will come a time when you will win the medal!
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