Sales Article: 6 Time-Proven Tips to Attract New Customers by John Boe
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6 Time-Proven Tips to Attract New Customers by John Boe
There is no easy button in the profession of selling. Prospecting for referrals is hard work and emotionally draining, but it is the price you must pay to earn a high income. Why is it that some salespeople consistently earn a large annual income while others, putting in the same hours, selling the same products and trained by the same sales manager struggle each month financially to make ends meet? The answer to this question is painfully simple; the salespeople who make more money have disciplined themselves to spend more time prospecting for new business. Sadly, 91% of customers say that they would gladly give referrals, but only 27% of salespeople ask for them.
Top producers don’t need to be told to ask for referrals or follow-up on hot leads, because they understand that prospecting is a necessity and not just an activity. The good news is that prospecting for new business, like any other skill, can be trained and developed into a habit. Just because a prospect is difficult to get in touch with doesn't mean that he or she isn't interested. A recent survey on new business development revealed many shocking statics such as...
How you can make contact with prospects:
Tip 1: Ask for Referrals at Every Opportunity.?When it comes to asking for referrals, timing is everything. Research indicates that the most effective time to ask for referrals is right after you’ve made the sale or provided a valuable service for your customer. Asking for referrals prior to closing the sale is a big mistake and may even jeopardize the sale itself. Once the sale has been completed, your client will be on an “emotional high” and therefore far more receptive to the idea of providing you with referrals.
Tip 2: Train, Motivate and Reward Your Advocates to Bring You Referrals.?An advocate is a person who’s willing to go out of his or her way to recommend you to a friend or associate. Most customers are initially reluctant to provide referrals without some basic training and motivation. Once you’re given a prospect, it’s a good idea to take the time to roleplay with your advocate to demonstrate how to approach and talk to his or her referral. A brief role-playing exercise will build your advocate’s confidence and dramatically increase his or her desire to contact the prospect. During your roleplay session, be sure to prepare your advocate to expect some initial resistance. This training will pay big dividends by making your advocate more effective and less likely to become discouraged when faced with rejection.
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To keep the referrals coming, you need to do more than just give that person a reward for the recommendation. Be sure to follow-up with those who pass your name on to let them know how it’s working out. When they see you actively taking advantage of each referral they pass on, they are more likely to keep feeding prospects to you.
Tip 3: Strike While the Iron is Hot.?Prospects, like food in your refrigerator, are perishable and therefore need to be contacted quickly. Each day you let slip by without making initial contact with your referral, significantly reduces the probability of you making an appointment. Develop the habit of contacting your referrals within two business days or sooner. Have a system to keep track of your referrals so they don’t end up falling through the cracks. It’s critical to have a computerized contact management system to record your remarks and track future contacts and appointments.
Tip 4: Schedule a Minimum of Two-Hours a Day for Phone Calling.?Make your phone calls in the morning while you and your referrals are both fresh and alert. Avoid the temptation to try to sell your product or service over the phone. Your objectives for every phone call are to create interest, gather information and make an appointment. If your prospect asks you a question, get in the habit of going for an appointment rather than giving a quick response. It’s important to use a phone script when you contact your prospects, so you don’t leave out any key information. It’s a good idea to roleplay your script over the phone with your sale manager until he or she feels you sound confident and professional.
Tip 5: Qualify Your Prospect Quickly.?Unfortunately, not every prospect you get will be interested or qualified financially to purchase your product or service. Successful salespeople are somewhat selfish with their time and understand the importance of qualifying a prospect early on in the sales process. Here are three time-proven questions to help you qualify your prospect.
Tip 6: Don’t Take Rejection Personally... Sales is a Numbers Game.?Selling, like baseball, is a numbers game. Rejection is to be anticipated as a natural aspect of the qualification process, so don’t take it personally. Learn from rejection by using it as a valuable feedback mechanism. Treat every rejection as a "learning opportunity" to improve your prospecting skills. In reality, a salesperson gets paid by the amount of rejection that he or she can deal with during the selling process.
If you use cold calling as part of your prospecting strategy, be prepared to spend a lot of time on it, including investing more resources into each contact for listening to the individual and keeping the prospect interested. Also, don’t take it personally if you get a negative reaction; just move on to the next contact on the list.
For the majority of salespeople, prospecting for new business is without a doubt the most challenging and stressful aspect of the selling process. Selling is a contact sport and daily prospecting for new business is the key to every salesperson's long-term financial success. By integrating these six powerful prospecting tips into your daily business routine, you’ll be able to keep your appointment calendar packed.