Receiving an inquiry whether, in person, online, or over the phone simply shows an interest in what you’re offering.
It does not show intent to purchase and how you respond to these leads will determine your success rate.
Following a lead is your chance to show how you differ from the rest. You have the power and the influence to win a good relationship.
Usually, connections are built using a softer more human approach and what many salespeople struggle with is a softer tactic.
Get it right, and the relationship you build could be really special.
8 Simple Steps To Success
There are 8 steps, that if followed, will turn those leads into successful outcomes.
Step 1
Gain Permission For The Conversation
Even though they’ve expressed an interest, perhaps by filling out a contact form or by emailing you, remember that you’re simply following a lead.
This means that your contact is unexpected. You’re interrupting their time without complete permission.
So long as you respect these facts your call will go a lot smoother. Start the call confidently using OFQ.
- Opening – A polite introduction sharing your name and company.
- Fact – A mutually agreeable fact – for example you showed an interest in our product/left your contact details etc.
- Question – An easy to answer question
‘Hi, I’m (insert name) from (insert company name), you’ve expressed an interest in hearing more about our services. Are you still looking or have you found what you were looking for?’
Asking a question like this gives you the facts and you’ll get the permission to be on the call.
Step 2
Explore Their Current Situation
Try to avoid discussing their goals or desires too early. Demonstrate curiosity, and show an interest in them and their current circumstances.
These questions should be very easy to answer and should provide you with a lot of context for the conversation before inserting any content.
Step 3
Ask Power Questions
This leads directly from step 2. You should have a lot of knowledge already but there’s always more information to gather. Remember to always stay curious.
- How long have you been looking for a solution to this problem?
- What is prompting the purchase?
- When are you looking to get started?
These provide you with additional information and can lead you to make some recommendations.
Step 4
Move To Conceptual Pre-Close
All this means is that you’re looking to create a ‘big picture close’ that has them feeling that you’re completely on the same page as them.
They want to feel listened to and understood.
A really simple way of achieving this is to use pre-framing words like:
“So, it seems like the best next step would be…”
or
“Based on what you’re saying, it sounds like we should…’
The idea here is to get an agreement about what should happen next, for example, scheduling an appointment or sharing further information about your product or service.
Step 5
Establish 'Next-Level' Fact Check
Spend time recapping what you’ve learned.
You can then ask more direct and probing questions that will help to explore any potential points of friction. It will also identify potential areas to compromise.
Questions like:
- Just out of curiosity, what’s stopping you from switching from your current provider right now?
- Who else is involved in the decision-making process on your side?
- Would it help if I sent over some testimonials from some of our clients who were in a similar position to you when they began working with us?
Step 6
Agree The Next Action
This is the moment to list the precise things that you’re going to get to work on for them, on their behalf.
Step 7
Confirm Next Action
You’ve agreed on the next action, but now is the time to confirm what you’re doing in writing. This kind of informal contract builds a trusted relationship.
Step 8
Maintain Permission For Ongoing Dialogue
Agree on the next point of contact by making a date and keeping the conversation open. Reserve a time for when it’s right in their world.
What Can Go Wrong?
This all sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it?
And it is, but, it’s also easy to make mistakes so here’s what to avoid.
- Don’t sound desperate - Be helpful without offering help. Avoid saying things like ‘checking in’, ‘following up’, and ‘touching base.’
- Don’t make it about the product/service - The focus should be all about them and their needs. Whatever you’re offering it has to solve their problem.
- Don’t leave voicemails - Leaving a voicemail should be the very last resort as it gives total control of the conversation to them. Try calling at least 5 times on different days and different times of day before leaving that message.
- Don’t waste the opportunity - The value in the conversation is the moment to start building a relationship. They aren’t a piece of data, speak with them like they’re your friend with real circumstances that they’re looking to change.
To Summarize
The best approach is to be professional but relaxed. Take time to build a relationship and don’t get so tied up with making a sale.
If you do that then you make this time about you, when really it’s all about them. This is their time to feel heard and understood.
Start using these steps when following a lead and you’ll be sure to build those lasting relationships.
