What’s the single best way to turn a lead into a paying customer? Connecting. At the end of the day, we’re all human, and a good sales call will respect that fact. Sometimes in sales, the need to make the sale can cause us to act in different ways or forget that we’re still interacting with people and not numbers. Whether you make a personal call or email or host a conference call, here are five easy ways to personalize sales calls and turn leads into paying customers.
This seems like a no-brainer, right? Using the company’s name as well as your lead’s name should be the standard of communication, but unfortunately, many salespeople overlook this tiny detail, to the detriment of the sales call.
Using names is a great way to connect with a lead. People tend to be more engaged when they hear their own name or the company name. It provides a mutual recognition point between you and the lead, personalizing the experience for your lead and thus encouraging them to listen to what you have to say.
If you find that your leads are disengaging rather quickly, try this simple tip to keep them focused. Use their name or the name of their company, but don’t overuse it either, as it can become distracting or even irritating.
Saying things like “how are you today, Mr. (name here)” is much more personal than just asking how their day is going. Keep it professional, but insert a small amount of casual speaking to keep things light and friendly.
Nothing is more exhausting than listening to someone read from a script with little to no enthusiasm. Not to mention, this approach does very little to help you connect with your lead and turn them into a paying customer.
If you’re given a script, it’s fine to repeat a lot of it during the call. In fact, it’s likely a requirement for whichever company you work for. However, you can easily personalize your script to make it sound less “cookie-cutter” when chasing leads.
Try to keep your sales call focused on the content you’re discussing, but include some details such as news about the company or even a personal detail that may help you relate to the lead. The less generic you sound, the more human you’ll feel to the lead, and the more likely it will be that you can turn that lead into a customer.
Knowing the lead is part of turning them into a customer. Research the company they work for, what their position is, etc. Linkedin or Facebook are great tools for obtaining such information and are free to use.
You’d be amazed how much a little knowledge of the company you’re calling will make a difference in the tone of the sales call. A potential customer will respect a salesperson that knows their stuff and has researched the company they intend to sell to.
Lead qualification is another way to become familiar with your leads. They’ll answer screening questions to see if they qualify for a sales call, making it easier to connect with them once the call is made. You’ll already know what they’re looking for and you can work that angle to maximum effectiveness.
Asking questions is the single most effective way to generate information from a new lead. You’ll likely know only a small amount of information about the company or individual you’re speaking with (if you did your research!) and a few well-placed questions will help fill that gap quickly.
Even simple courtesy questions such as “how has your week been going, Mr. Brown?” can go a long way in helping you connect. Ask about their business and their role in it. Most of the time, a potential lead will be proud to talk about what they do, and this creates familiarity between both of you.
Talk about any services they’re looking for, and be sure to ask specific questions about features they want in a service or product. This can help you narrow down their wants and even help guide them to the product or service you’re selling.
One of the biggest mistakes that salespeople make is not maintaining records of both failed leads and productive ones. You should keep names, numbers, and other contact info in a file to be revisited later.
Even if you failed to connect with a lead, their needs may change in the future, or your company may offer a product in the future that it didn’t offer at the time of the call. Not only does this help increase your potential customer base, but it increases makes the relationship more personal when you’ve kept them in mind.
A follow-up phone call or email puts you at the forefront of your lead’s mind. You’re the one who followed up to see how they were doing, the one who kept them in mind and made a personal phone call to see if their needs had changed. That kind of dedication can go a long way.
Personalization can go a long way when it comes to turning leads into paying customers. By familiarizing yourself with the persona on the other end of the line, you’ll develop a relationship based on more than just your products or services. The lead will feel human, which makes them feel valued and therefore more likely to buy from you over the competition.
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