From time to time you may run into that one lead that just refuses to budge. No matter what you say, it seems to drive them backwards instead of forward. This is a sales agent’s worst nightmare, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips to coach you through those difficult sales and to prevent pushing them further away.
Approach Each Buyer as a Unique Person
This is the hardest step for sales agents to remember. At times, you get so caught up in “processing” that you start to look at every buyer as just another buyer. However, when you run across that one buyer that refuses to budge from the “lead” zone, panic sets in. If you really want to shift them through the funnel, you have to treat them as individuals. Get to know your lead. Do some background research on them using social data — two great sources of this information is LinkedIn (or other social channels) and their company website.
Sell them on the Value of Your Products
Do you really know what you’re products are worth? Not in terms of price, but in terms of usage. If you’re not sure, think of it like this: If you were looking for a product like the one you’re selling, why would you need it? What problems would it solve for your business? What problems could it possibly prevent? Once you derive at the answer, analyze your demographic and decide if they have similar problems. Another way to gain insight into your demographic is to ask them question. Ask them why they’re interested in the product and what they plan to use it for. Once you find out the answer, you have the leverage to sell them a vision of how it can solve this problem.
Ooze Energy
If you aren’t enthusiastic about your products, why would your prospects be? In order to effectively close a sale, you need to bring some energy to the call. However, it’s important to strike a fine balance between energy and hyperactivity. If you come across as “too energetic” or hyper as it were, your leads will think you’re trying too hard and they won’t trust your motives. Entrepreneur magazine says you should do thefollowing to remain high energetic and trustworthy:
- Focus on the positive and celebrate how far you’ve come.
- Increase your physical activity outside of the office. (If your building has a gym, use it!) Physical activity releases endorphins that make you feel relaxed and less stressed.
- Fish for compliments
By following the above steps you’ll not only improve your energy through difficult sales, but also in future sales. Who knows, you may also leverage a referral or two!
Are you working from a CRM system? If not, this could very well be the problem. An online CRM system streamlines all of your customer data into one centralized app, making it easier for you to access. It also makes it easier for you to keep track of your leads and to boost productivity time. All of this of course, improves customer satisfaction, which drives sales, boosts lead generation and solidifies brand loyalty.
