It’s all very well to grow your business by generating new leads but if you can’t convert enough of them into customers then you’ll waste a lot of money on marketing. The higher your sales conversion rate, the higher your return on your investment in marketing.
Here are 5 simple ways to increase the rate at which you take on new business:
Know your ‘why.’ Your core purpose; why your business exists for your customers is one of the most compelling ways to attract and convert new customers. You need to show how your products and services solve problems for your customers. Perhaps the most famous core purpose statement is that of Disney - ‘to make people happy.’ I’m sure many people go to Disneyland for that purpose alone. Your core purpose should be 5 – 7 words long. What is yours?
Being able to articulate 3 or 4 ‘points of value’ for each of your products / services. What problems they solve, how they help your customers either improve their lives or avoid adverse consequences.
Train yourself and your team on sales processes. Selling is not a dirty word; it’s a skill that can be learned. How much sales training have you had / given to your team?
Use a system. Often a simple checklist can help to ensure that all aspects of the sales process have been followed. Your system should enable you to get paperless quotes to future clients efficiently and with high quality.
Follow up. Don’t give up after the first offer – it can take up to 6 ‘touchpoints’ before someone will feel comfortable enough to buy from you. Touchpoints include people seeing your brand (perhaps on your vehicle or at your premises), hearing about you from a friend (do you encourage referrals?), seeing you on social media (even if this is purely social i.e. not salesy which, of course, is a ‘no-no’), attending one of your events or seeing you at a networking event. Your follow up might just be that 6th touch point that’s needed.
Most business people have had no formal training in sales. So, get on the front foot and talk to us about how you can improve your sales processes using these 5 steps.