Selling to prospects who are already interested in your product is straightforward.

They're what we call "paw-raisers" which means they've done preliminary research and decided your business has a solution. However, starting a relationship with someone who'south never heard of you or isn't actively looking to solve a relevant challenge is tough.

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Information technology'southward not impossible. With the skills, empathy, and a programme, you'll be able to find the prospects who have a need for the products you accept to offering. I use the following 5 techniques to kick things off with these kinds of buyers.

one. Sell the dream.

Not everybody you lot're selling to will be interested in your product, only they're ever interested in themselves. Creating a vision of what the prospect's life might be like when they purchase your product is a great identify to first.

Think about Nike'southward catchphrase, "Just practice information technology," or Burger King'south "Have information technology your way." These phrases don't tell you what they sell. They tell you lot what you tin can do with the things they sell.

When I phone call on a VP of Sales at a Fortune 500 company to sell her my business firm's services, I certainly don't lead with, "Hullo! I'grand Jeff from Boston, and I sell sales training and consulting products. I'd like to introduce my services. Is this a good time?"

Yawn. That isn't interesting to her (or me!) and it certainly doesn't make her curious to find out more than. Instead, I practice this. Equally presently as she picks upwards the phone, I say, "How-do-you-do. I got you lot alive on my starting time dial, and when you lot hire me, I'll teach your sales reps how to exercise the exact aforementioned thing."

Now, I accept her attention. You lot'll notice I didn't even innovate myself or describe my services. Instead, I've managed to proceeds her attention and plant the kickoff seed of curiosity. Only after she's interested, will I then take the time to introduce myself and my services. At present that she's really listening, of grade.

If you lot sell copywriting services, you lot might look for errors on your prospect's website and email them with the corrections, adding, "Every bit your copywriter, I'd ensure your site was 100% typo-free at all times."

If yous provide leadership preparation, y'all might say, "It looks like yous've been hiring a lot of middle managers lately. That oftentimes occurs when internal candidates aren't beingness properly developed. What would it be like to have an fourscore% internal promotion rate?"

2. Pique their curiosity.

Once you lot've gotten your prospect to agree to another telephone call, your goal is to continue their attending. I utilize this strategy to do just that.

At the start of the coming together, I'll say, "Before I forget, I want to ask you something related to our last chat. Allow's become into the calendar at present, only will you remind me?"

They'll say, "Certain, no problem."

At the stop of the call, they'll either inquire, "Hey, what was that thing you wanted to talk to me about?", or they won't mention information technology.

If information technology'south the erstwhile, I know they're engaged and nowadays. I've also managed to create a trivial intrigue. If it'due south the latter, I know they don't really care (and I should either attempt a different arroyo or move on).

Wondering what to bring up? I ordinarily enquire something I actually want to know that'south too curt to include in the calendar, such as, "What percentage of your revenue comes from channel sales versus direct?"

3. Use past successes (non failures) as your guide.

I've always institute information technology far more instructive to focus on what went well and try to replicate specific successes, rather than to dwell on mistakes. Our minds often comport like a search engine, displaying the results that reflect your query.

For example, if you Google "don't show me fast-food restaurants" you lot are bound to get a massive list of fast-nutrient restaurants. Coincidentally, if you lot only focus on how things oasis't worked in the past, so that's probably all you will e'er see.

The adept news is that the same rule applies if y'all focus on the things that have already worked. One fashion to reinforce that mindset is to reach out to your current customers and ask about the things that got them interested in your offering.

Look for trends in their responses and and then reuse those successful approaches with time to come prospects. Who knows, they might say, "Hey, that'southward non why I took your coming together, I took it for this reason."

The best answers for how to sell can normally be institute from the people you have already closed.

4. Enlist your prospect every bit a teacher.

One of the fastest ways to earn engagement and interest is to understand the fact that your prospect wants to exist respected and heard. Learn the opinion of the person you're speaking with and have that stance seriously.

Think of it this way; we'd all mostly agree we don't talk to strangers. But if a stranger approaches you on the street and asks for help, you lot'll probably help them.

Nosotros're wired to help others, so use that to your advantage when speaking with prospects. If you're having trouble getting your prospect's Information technology director on board, say, "We've got to take IT on board for this bargain to close. How would y'all arroyo this person? What roadblocks do you lot foresee?"

Use the information they give y'all to shut the deal.

5. Create a sense of urgency.

While we would never encourage you lot to utilise scare tactics to make the sale, creating a sense of urgency with prospects who are on the debate nearly your offer can be a helpful approach.

Here are some means y'all tin can create urgency to get your prospect to invest in your offer:

  • Offer a brusque-term discount or incentive: Whether you provide a lower toll for prospects who buy by a specific finish date or include a bonus offer by a specific date, these offers can create a sense of urgency by rewarding decisive action with even greater value.
  • Emphasize the immediate benefit of your product: You should have a solid understanding of the problem your prospect is trying to solve. Create a sense of urgency past emphasizing how the purchase of your product tin can provide an firsthand solution or relief to their problem.
  • Communicate scarcity: Knowing your offer is express or just available for a brusque time can create a sense of urgency for buyers. Whether you are selling a product that is limited-edition, or are selling a service that is but bachelor to a specific number of customers, communicating these parameters during the sales process tin can entice buyers to make their purchase immediately.

6. Sell your key consumer benefit.

The fundamental consumer benefit — or KCB for brusque — is the master benefit that a feature within your product provides to the customer. Now, this isn't a free pass to rattle off all the features of your product and ask your prospect to buy information technology. The KCB needs to exist communicated from the perspective of "benefit first."

Hither's what that looks similar:

"Your sales team needs help closing their deals faster to go along their pipelines healthy.

67% of sales managers agree that a sales hub software helps reps close deals three times faster than reps who don't utilise software.

We know this affects your bottom line, so nosotros've developed software that lets yous optimize and rails that progress in existent-time. What types of decisions would you make if yous had this kind of data?"

Notice the way this idea is structured? Instead of mentioning the problem showtime, I explain the need and justify it with something we tin can both agree on. Then, I prepare the characteristic with some data to build credibility and authorization around my product.

Finally, I sympathise with the prospect by referencing their bottom line, and I briefly mentioned the product I sell. I finished the statement by asking an open-concluded question that invites the prospect to imagine themselves benefitting from the product.

vii. Be biased near your production.

I see far too many reps pretending to be unbiased in an effort to audio "credible." The buyer, who is both educated and experienced, expects sales reps to be biased. In fact, nothing you say will make a customer forget that ultimately, your job is to get them to buy your product.

So, terminate pretending. If anything, practice the opposite: Believe that your service is simply the best.

Your buyer is sophisticated. They sympathize the use of hyperbole. Embrace the fact that yous're excited about your offer and that you'd love to share your bespeak of view.

When yous tell prospects your product is "the best on the marketplace" or that your customer'southward sales team "will be bravado out their numbers later working with us," you aren't having an academic discussion relying on information to defend your decision — yous're sharing your opinion. Customers trust those opinions that are authentic and genuine, non just impartial.

8. Be transparent about your product'south capabilities.

Forth the same lines of being biased well-nigh your product, you desire to be transparent about it, too. Sometimes, that means admitting when your production doesn't practise something exactly the way the client would prefer.

For example, a client wants to know exactly how many leads have been moved to opportunities on a minute-past-infinitesimal basis. The software you lot sell syncs most once an hour. It's important to be transparent and note that your product doesn't sync that quickly. However, you don't have to mention it in the negative. You can e'er share helpful solutions to problems like this.

Perhaps your product supports integrations with other systems that tin sync a bit faster. By reframing product limitations with artistic solutions, you tin go a helpful resources to your prospect and build trust with them as a upshot.

9. Be a valuable resource.

Picture this. You're in the market for a new mattress, and the sales rep at one of the mattress companies you are because provides stellar service. Non merely do they actively listen to your concerns with your current mattress and sympathise what you're looking for in your next purchase, they're able to confidently speak to how their product is the perfect fit for you lot.

They accept been able to get yous an answer to every question yous asked, and they've even shared some valuable content almost sleep wellness, and how their mattress can help yous become the best sleep of your life.

This rep has gone higher up and beyond for you before you even became a client and then just imagine how attentive they volition be once you are onboard.

During the sales process, how you treat a prospect while they are still considering your product gives them a glimpse into what life as your customer could look like. If you serve as a resource before they purchase, you're building trust with your prospect that is valuable in the long run.

10. Observe common ground.

Your prospects want to find a connexion with you, fifty-fifty if information technology doesn't seem that way at beginning. Give them what they want by doing your research beforehand. Find something you lot have in common, and if you lot can't make it your mission to detect common ground in the start couple of minutes on your call.

The main common basis with prospects who are interested in the solution you offering is only that — your product! Leverage this in your initial chat with the prospect to meet why they were interested in speaking with you. You'll likely uncover a lot more information when they know you accept something in mutual.

xi. Make the decision convenient.

When tasks are inconvenient or complicated to complete, nosotros're less likely to do them. That'southward i reason why businesses like Uber, Instacart, and Amazon are so ingrained into our lives.

Consider your prospect'due south situation. As a sales rep trying to shut a deal, your contract is likely not at the top of their list of things to complete. Making the determination easier for them could be the defining cistron.

Perhaps you but demand a simple "Aye!" in an electronic mail. Giving them a few bullet points that highlight the contract can be the difference between the deal endmost in 5 minutes vs. v days.

Make it known that you empathise that they take a busy schedule and you can augment the process to be more than convenient. They'll definitely appreciate the thoughtfulness.

12. Keep the conversation going.

If you don't succeed in making the sale the first time you pitch, don't be discouraged. Past using the tricks above, y'all likely have built a level of trust with the prospect that is invaluable. The "no" could very well be a "not right now". Keep the door open with this prospect in example they change their mind, or are a better fit for a different offering. Here are a few means you lot can go along in affect with your prospect:

  • Connect on social media: If yous had a bully conversation with a prospect, ask to connect on social media. Seeing what content your prospect shares will give you insight into what products they are using and how they experience about them. Not only that, when they run into the content y'all share, information technology volition go along your chat and production summit-of-heed.
  • Ask for feedback: If your prospect is open to providing feedback most your product and sales approach, accept them up on information technology. This feedback provides useful information virtually how you could improve your sales process in the future and allows you to stay in touch with the prospect longer, which can exist helpful for winning them over at a afterwards date or with a different offer.

Attract Customers Online With These Strategies

Not being in person or on the phone poses a unique challenge for sellers as it's more challenging to make a personal connection to help persuade potential customers to buy. Attract customers online with our tips.

one. Provide them with social proof.

Remember when y'all were younger and your parents harped on the importance of drinking h2o, saving money, and eating a balanced breakfast? Now, think about how many podcasts and thought leaders you follow that say the same. You mind now, don't you?

No thing how many times you say something, people want to hear information technology from another source. This has little to do with logic and more to exercise with bias. People already take their minds made up afterward a brief encounter with you lot, your product, or the brand you stand for. You tin aggrandize their perspective and gain their trust through social proof.

This can be done through highlighting user reviews, articles mentioning your product, or simply other influencers using your production and praising information technology online.

Case

When Tori Dunlap, founder of financial education platform Her First 100K, was featured in Glamour, she made sure to share information technology across her social channels.

Attract customers using Instagram example: HerFirst100K

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When potential customers see that your production or service has been vetted and approved by an outside source, information technology adds credibility to your brand. The boost in popularity may also assist convince them to buy.

ii. Drive more traffic to your site.

Customers can't make purchases if they tin can't find your site, so making sure your site is Google-friendly is a must. Utilize search engine optimization (SEO) for an organic traffic boost.

Your brand should have a market niche you lot can target with content tailored to your audition. Each topic you write nigh should include related keywords you can utilize to help your article rank college in Google'southward search results. One time users click on your weblog, make it easy for them to discover your products using a well-placed call-to-action (CTA).

Leverage your social media channels to increment appointment and drive more visitors to your site. Share your articles and other valuable content with your target audience. It's important to annotation that organic traffic is not a quick fix, but more of a long-term traffic strategy.

For a quicker jolt of traffic, you lot can consider paid advertising platforms like Google Ads, Meta for Business, or TikTok for Business. Due to the added expense, going the paid traffic route may not exist the best option for pocket-size businesses. Nevertheless, if you take a dedicated marketing budget, paid advertising is a useful tool to have at your disposal.

iii. Harness the ability of email marketing.

Another method online businesses employ to attract and retain customers is email marketing. Once you've reeled in users to your site with your amazing content, apply a CTA to entice them to sign upwards for your email list or newsletter. This way you lot tin can market to them when they're non on your site and continue your brand top of listen.

Example

Attract customers using email marketing example: HE Creative Free Shipping United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland-based design firm HE Creative sent the marketing email above giving me a heads upwards regarding their new offerings and limited free shippping. In addition to pattern services, they take a store with apparel, accessories, posters, and children's books with a punk stone artful.

Attract customers using email marketing example: HE Creative Sending a targeted email showcasing your new products is a great way to reengage customers. I hadn't shopped with them in a few months, but I definitely browsed their store after receiving the email.

4. Offering an introductory disbelieve for new customers.

Discounts can be a useful tool when trying to concenter new customers. Information technology's non uncommon to see eCommerce businesses offering a discount of 10% to 20% off showtime purchases.

Example

Women's wear brand NGO Bolingo utilized this tactic on their site by using the disbelieve offer in a CTA.

Attract customers using a discount example: NGO Bolingo CTA

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Incentivizing potential customers with a discount is a neat way to encourage people to take firsthand action and make a purchase.

How to Sell More than Products

What'due south improve than making a sale? Making even more sales. Hither are our tips to assistance yous heave sales.

1. Tap into your existing customers.

While it may exist tempting to focus your efforts on attracting new customers, chances are your business is already sitting on a goldmine of existing customers. That'due south right, your existing customers are more valuable than new ones. In fact, echo customers spend more than on each purchase than new, or starting time-time buyers.

Introduce them to your new products or retarget them with an email marketing campaign.

2. Innovate a referral programme.

Another way to use your existing customers is to implement a referral programme. Word of oral fissure is an incredibly valuable marketing strategy and there's no ameliorate manner to attract new customers than having current ones vouch for your product or service.

Encourage your existing, happy customers to share their experiences with their colleagues, friends, and associates. Equally an incentive for bringing in new business, you lot can offer them a discount or additional services for each referral they bring in.

3. Clarify competitors to see where you can add together value.

Do y'all accept competitors selling like products or services? If so, it's worth taking stock of what they offer and their marketing strategies. Compare pricing, products, services, and await at their customer reviews. If there is an area where they are falling brusque, yous tin can capitalize on information technology by solving for the customer and providing more value.

For case, if you sell product management software, mayhap you accept an edge over your competitors considering your platform has built-in analytics. Whatever your strengths over your competitors are, play them up.

four. Consider using abandoned cart software.

For online sellers, abandoned carts come along with the territory, but you do have options for encouraging customers to complete their purchases. Abandoned cart software is a tool that can aid you figure out why customers are leaving your site before completing purchases and tin also help y'all convert them to go more sales.

Plugins like HubSpot for WooCommerce can easily be installed on your eCommerce site, and include features like real-fourth dimension customer reporting, recovery email templates, customizable coupon codes, and email collection.

Make Your Product Irresistible to Prospects

Nosotros've touched on a few different ways to sell your products and services to people who are set up to brand a decision. The common thread that ties these tactics together is customer empathy. Past appealing to your prospect for help, you'll satisfy their want to exist heard and earn their involvement in helping you close the deal — simply by asking for information technology.

This commodity was originally published in March 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Originally published Mar 10, 2022 8:00:00 AM, updated March ten 2022