How to Turn Prospects into Clients | Effective Sales Prospecting Skills
Good marketing programs create many prospects. But all prospects do not—and should not—convert to clients. Here are ideas to help you convert prospects into clients.
Take Action Immediately
Not immediately following up with prospects causes them to go cold. Then you are right back where you started. The prospect will likely forget meeting you. Or, the prospect may think you are not interested in serving her. Furthermore, your response time to a lead’s request is an indication of your response time when he is a client. So take action quickly when you receive a telephone inquiry, a trade-show lead, a referral, or other lead.
Focus on Referrals
Referred prospects are the most valuable. When you receive a referred lead, the selling has already been done. If you act quickly on referred leads, it will reflect well on your source, and he will be inclined to refer you again. If you delay on a referred lead or handle it poorly, don’t expect to receive any further leads from your valuable referrer.
Evaluate the Lead
Some follow-up on every lead is a good idea. You want to separate the suspects from the prospects. Evaluating the lead will enable you to follow up more quickly with the better prospects. Ask the lead or the referral source about problems, needs and wants, the decision process, and his or her ability to pay your fees. Ask these questions as early in the process as you can.
Have a Follow-up Plan
An automatic follow-up system will make it easy for you to follow up in the same way every time.
Set aside a definite time for contacting and courting a new prospect. Unless you set aside time in your calendar, you may have trouble fitting it in. Prospect value can dissipate rapidly. If you are fully booked, fire off a letter or call the lead to set a specific time to meet.
Add the Prospect to a Mail List
Every professional should have a marketing database. When you obtain a lead, the information should be permanently recorded in your database. “A” prospects should receive regular and personal attention, whereas “C” prospects can be handled by mail. (Handling of “B” prospects can depend on your load.)
Give the Prospect to Someone Else
If you cannot follow up the prospect, or if the lead is of little interest to you, give it to someone else in your firm. Selling is a team effort. Ask your designee to keep you informed as to the progress of the prospect. Offer to help when the prospect gets close to closing.
Conclusion
A pipeline full of good prospects is critical to the steady growth of a firm. A full pipeline enables you to be selective and to follow up with the best leads.
