Converting conversations into sales

Closing more sales is always a hot topic

In my corporate sales days, I trained and coached many sales advisors in my teams locally and internationally, I'd often find a lack of confidence showed up around sealing the deal, after conversations with prospects around their budget and how they were ‘’ going to afford the purchase (company pricing) or have sufficient budget (to buy from us and not go somewhere cheaper )’’

One particular day one of the team was talking with a prospective purchaser, sharing key information on a certain product we were selling that the prospect had enquired about?and was interested in. This was a telephone sales call.

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As part of the qualifying process the prospective client was being taken through conversationally some of the key questions that were essential for both parties.

?I was listening in to the call so obviously heard let's call her Anne on the phone discussing her side and explaining the features, the benefits eloquently.

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We then got onto the product and options available that the customer was interested most in, then we got to the specific pricing for those options, as Anne went into this bit of the call, there was a slight shift on voice tone and posture. Not that the prospect could have seen it, but he could have felt it.

Often when people sell over the phone they misunderstand the impact of any shift in voice tone or energy, it's always picked up!

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The call ended and I asked Anne how she thought it went, how was she going to sign up the client?

?Well, given she handled the call very well (I knew the product she was being asked about and she had all the key information and had given it all. And more.

It was a great natural but professional structured conversation.?

?BUT then I heard the words " well he can't afford it"?

How do you know that I asked. Well, he said he " only had" x amount to invest ...and our prices are too high anyway! ( she could not envisage how he could afford it as she has put herself too firmly in her own shoes) I thought not and thought our prospect was trying it on

?(Limiting beliefs can really come back to bite you, she had gone onto the call believing product prices were too high)

So how did you leave it with him I asked

?Well, I said I'd ask for the discount for him at the budget he said he has?( this was a massive differentiation not a small amount!)

I then said ‘’and what if he was bluffing and trying it on’’ ...in fact he is bluffing and trying it on?and there is no possible way he is going to get an incentivised discount at that level

We then discussed what we knew about this prospect and who they were and several other criteria.

I said, ‘’He can afford it he just wants to pay less!?‘’

Why Strategy Matters

We then discussed the strategy & tactics required to go back to the prospect confidently in a professional way and outline the options to him if he wanted this product.?

?He did, there was of course some toing and froing to gain mutual agreement

?And Anne closed the sale with a small negotiation margin we had built into the strategy to secure the sale and ensure a win win?

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WIN WIN IS really important.

?The new client was happy he got the product he wanted with an incentive we created and offered.?And Anne saw her confidence soar and nailed another sale the next day.?

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I call this sales momentum?– it happens all the time when one sale comes in confidence builds and the flow starts

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The knock-on effect of confidence that starts with believing in what you sell.

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5 top tips to sell more confidently and close more sales that you can use today.

?NEGOTIATE

1)???Use the power of negotiation to do this you must know your prospects budget

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Being able to negotiate too is also a critical strength that many don’t use.?Never underestimate the power of some negotiation to create a deeper level of trust and make the customer feel they are heard. The key with negotiation is always to have an amount that is acceptable to you or your business/ company without significantly impacting profit. ( 5-10%) You must also know your figures here ahead of any call. Have them written down! (Discounts always use them with an incentive to take action in other words I offer this if you can do that )

?BE CONFIDENT KNOW THE VALUE

2)???Be confident about what you are offering / selling to your prospect let’s say it’s a corporate training programme, do you believe this is a fabulous great product / programme that will deliver exceptional results and value if there is a proven need for it?

Understanding the value & the price point yourself where your service, product or programme being able to demonstrate the value. This is essential. If you don’t know enough, you might not be able to convince your prospect. Do you know the details well enough to explain what is included? Do you believe this is the right price, is this great value for the results that can be achieved? Make sure you do or have notes.

?PREPARE

3)???Know who your prospect is / are.?If you prepare before the call and know who you are dealing with then this makes it easier to gauge their interest/budget for certain products there is no excuse not to know who someone / a company is in the virtual world

Understanding the value to the prospect and knowing how to negotiate, being able to hold your nerve with your pricing, ?you have to believe it deep down or it will be communicated through your voice tone shifts, intake of breath or something very slight that people energetically pick up

?STRUCTURE THE PROCESS

4)???Follow a structure on your calls to ensure you have asked the relevant fact-finding information gathering and requirements thoroughly. Without a structure you can forget key criteria or questions that pave the way to successful closing of the sale

Being able to ask for the sale confidently knowing that you’ve done a good job asked the right questions and got the yeses and interest, and gauged the prospects requirements is how to generate and close sales well.

?Note a structure is NOT a script you being you and authentic is the key with structure around what you do

FIRST IMPRESSIONS CONVERSATION FIRST

5)???Remember first impressions count. Always build rapport on your calls, don’t rush into any sales ‘ pitch’ infact it isn’t a sales pitch it’s finding out what the prospect, needs, wants or requires, and establishing yourself as the solution provider, Be the real you and it’s always about that first and foremost. People will not buy from someone they don’t like.

For example I have always dealt with international buyers by researching cultural behaviours and expectations ahead of any meetings or calls. Coffee conversations pave the way to securing deals the world over ( even on zoom!)

This is also often communicated by the overall impression of your company / brand and you the experiences that the prospect has had with you / the company to date ( customer journey)

JUST ASK

Finally always remember to ask for the sale, you’d be surprised that getting a yes may be easier than you think. And if it's a no it may not be a never!

Sheree Owen - The leading sales strategist for solopreneurs and small business owners

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