To improve the lead-to-sales ratio is a perpetual challenge in businesses. More than lead development issues, the problems often lie with the sales process. It is important to understand this and look for ways to amend and improve the existing process.
Remember! It is one thing to get a lead, but making a sale opportunity out of it, is completely different. Experts also feel that a lead generating machine devoid of a stout sales process can lead to wastage of opportunities and funds.
Following are 5 powerful tips to convert leads into sales-
1. Solve Problems Don’t Sale Products
Hard selling is greatly off-putting. Startups should by all means refrain from it, as customers today are too informed to be forced sold anything. Instead, focus on problem solving. No point deliberating on the products or services with the leads generated online, as the customer has already exhibited interest. The prudent approach is to provide a brief introduction and then move on with the follow-up part. That done, find out if there is anything else the customer wants to know.
In the following minutes, you need to be extremely cautious of what the customers says as it is highly possible that he will answer most of your qualifying questions and will also share the issues he is facing. That gives you the chance to offer a suitable solution for his distinct problem, and not endorse your product or service. With this line of approach, engagements with consumers can increase manifold.
2. Know Your Competition
Highly competitive business spaces are often very price sensitive and this makes your closing ratio tricky. Though cost is a very critical cog in sales processes, it is not the only one. A methodical understanding of the competition by means of a competitor analysis is also extremely important. With thorough examination of price sensitivity as a problem in generating sales, you can compare your services with the other competing ones and try to determine the chief quality differentiators. Once done, inform your sales team with your findings. Armed with the information the team-members will be in a position to sort out ways for overcoming the hindrances and in turn conversion rates will tangibly improve.
3. Seize Interest Right Away
Do not focus entirely on traffic generation to websites. Virtual visitors are known to create false optimism for businesses. The best way is to direct traffic to websites as it gives businesses owner the opportunities of creating leads. Keep in mind, if the visitor does not show any sign of interest in the first five seconds he will, in all likelihood, leave the page creating a wasted opportunity.
Entrepreneurs must understand the challenges of consumers and provide solutions accordingly. If clients do not relate to the messages and content of the website they will leave.
For answering problems make use of eBook, a White Paper, or an info-graphics. In exchange request the visitors to share their names and emails as they download the offers free of cost. A helping attitude is extremely critical and it is important to stay away from appearing too intrusive as that can peeve the visitor who might decide against downloading the offer.
Once the visitor downloads the information, a lead is generated for you. Also, don’t make the lead wait, and qualify the lead.
4. Follow-up Results
Don’t be unrealistic in your expectations. The gap between reality and dreams is often huge and it business it ranges from 60-70 percent. To stay grounded, get yourself on an all-in-one sales and marketing platform. This will give you access to sales and marketing metrics and in turn help you realize the real problems and address them effectively.
Another very efficient way in converting leads into sales is to be quick in your actions. The sooner you act on a lead the more are the chances of making that into a sales opportunity. However, in order to do that you must put in place a well-coordinated system to work on leads, particularly the ones created digitally. Without such a robust mechanism you might have to let go of highly potential sales opportunities. A well-defined system remarkably helps in enhancing the timing for sending response, thus advances chances of sale.
5. Need For An Email Marketing Strategy
Industry experts believe, for every dollar spent on email marketing, entrepreneurs will successfully generate $40 in sales. Across industry, email, continues to be the most dependable and frank way to generate more and more sales. Using email marketing actually helps you get more quality leads. Besides, it also helps in creating a better connect with prospective customers and in making them your customers. That said, just sending mails to the listed contacts will not be enough, you will have to implement effective strategies to get desired results. Remember! Today people are flooded with email offers; make your approach unique and in sync with the existing best practices.