How to Turn Callers Into Paying Clients

One of the main principles of the Client Magnets approach is that it's easier to close a sale when a prospect has sought YOU out, rather than when you approach them. One of the reasons for this is that when a prospect approaches you, the business relationship starts out on a more equal footing. Contrast the situation where a prospect approaches YOU with the built in resistance and or skepticism you encounter when the first contact is made via a cold call or unsolicited mailing.

When people feel that they've discovered YOU, you don't encounter the resistance that can occur when YOU approach them.

Defenses are down, the buyer feels more in control of the communication. Instead of YOU saying, 'Here's how I think I can help you' and then having to prove your claim with lots of convincing and persuading, the prospect is saying, 'I think YOU'RE the person who can help me. Tell me how this works.' They are much more motivated to listen to your answers!

So usually in these articles I share ideas on what you can do to make the telephone ring, but once they've called you, how you handle that all important first phone call can make the difference between you landing a client - or losing them forever.

When I was selling training to corporations, I found that the first phone conversation played a critical part in the overall sales process. Handled correctly, the prospect was 'pre-sold' even before our first meeting, the progression from initial enquiry to signed contract was smooth and in some cases the phone conversation went so well that the caller made the decision to buy without us having to meet.

So the first phone conversation is a crucial moment in the overall sales process and sadly many opportunities are lost forever by mishandling this critical stage.

It's not your job to 'convert' every caller.  The purpose of this first phone conversation is to find out more about each other, and if appropriate, progress to the next step. But that doesn't mean that every phone conversation will or should result in a sale.

For a multitude of reasons, you may not be a good match for each other. I've witnessed many sellers put themselves - and their prospects - under unnecessary pressure because they were 'going for the order' before it had been established whether that was the appropriate next step.

Shift your goal for the call to 'let's find out more about whether we're right for each other' instead of 'must get the sale at any cost'. You'll be more relaxed, and when the prospect doesn't feel pressured, they are more likely to lower their defenses and tell you what they really want and need.

Result? When appropriate the sales will flow naturally, without you having to push. And, if it's not appropriate to progress to the next stage right now, you have left the door open for future business and/or referrals.

(c) Bernadette Doyle, 2008.

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