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In this article, leading Sales Expert Andy Preston explains how to take the incoming enquiries you get for your business….. and turn more of them into orders…..
Whenever I’m working with businesses and their individual salespeople, this topic keeps coming up! It seems that whole many people can often convert enquiries from their existing customers into orders (although some even struggle with that), many are struggling to convert their new enquiries into orders and grow their customer base. This article is designed to help you with that!
So whilst, I can’t cover everything you’d need to do to convert more enquiries into orders in this short article, here are some ideas on the major things you’d need to know, in order to convert more enquiries into business, right now!
Andy’s Sales Tip No 1 – Understand Their Interest In YOU!
This is something most people don’t do. Sometimes because they don’t think about it, and sometimes because they’re scared to ask! Most people will ask ‘how did you hear about us?’, which is a marketing question, designed to help you understand what parts of your marketing are working, so that you spend more money in those areas!
Yet they don’t often ask about why the enquirer has come to them for a price or quotation! What interest they have in your company specifically. What prior knowledge or experience they have of you, and what has motivated them to approach you on this occasion? Having the answers to those questions can completely change your sales process, and how you convert them into business.
Andy’s Sales Tip No 2 – Understand Their Readiness To Buy
Another critical area is to find out where they are in their buying process, and how ‘ready’ they are to buy. Far too many salespeople waste time on people that are just ‘shopping around’, or getting an idea of price – when they aren’t ready to make a buying decision.
Let’s face it, if someone is just after an ‘idea’ of price, but has got some prices already, they already have an idea of price, don’t they? Giving your price when they already have a number of prices from other potential suppliers usually results in you LOSING the business, unless you have done a number of critical things first! Unless you are by far the cheapest price of course, but even that doesn’t guarantee you winning the business!
How quickly can they make a decision? Are they ready to buy right now? Or do you want to discuss other things first, before entering into a conversation about price?
Andy’s Sales Tip No 3 – Understand Their Other Options
This something I would CERTANLY want to do before giving a price (as mentioned in the last tip). You need to know WHO and WHAT you are competing with, BEFORE you give your price!
There are 3 levels of competition to you winning this order, and potentially this customer. You will always come across ONE of these competitors, and sometimes ALL of these competitors, in every single deal! And you need to know what you’re up against, in order to sell effectively against them.
The three levels of competition are…..
1) Direct Competitor (another company that provides a similar product or service to you)
2) Indirect Competitor (usually a competitive process that they may choose instead of your solution)
3) ‘No Change’ Competitor (the prospect decides to ‘stay as they are’ for now)
All of the above are ‘competitors’ to you winning the deal – and you need to know which are true in each sales situation, in order to sell against them effectively, and give yourself the best chance of winning the deal!
Andy’s Sales Tip No 4 – Understand Their Buying Process
If we’re going to give ourselves a good chance of converting this enquiry into an order, we need to understand the prospects buying process. In other words, how they are planning to buy.
Failing to understand their buying process (or who is involved in it) will often result in the deal being ‘taken away’ from you, often at the last minute.
One of the best ways to find this out, is to ask them what process they went through when they last made a purchase like this. That will give you an idea of their usual process, and potentially who is involved as well!
If the person you’re talking to doesn’t know what their process is (last time and this time), that’s a clue how much involvement they have in the decision process!
You need to have a level of influence with everyone involved in the buying process (where possible) to have the best chance of converting your enquiries into orders! Good luck!
Follow the tips above and watch your sales soar! I look forward to hearing how you get on……..
This article is copyright Andy Preston 2004-2017. To copy or syndicate this or any part of this article contact Andy Preston for guidelines.
Andy Preston
Named as one of the World's Top Sales Gurus, Andy creates 'Stand Out Salespeople' worldwide, with his revolutionary 'Stand Out Selling' Sales System. 'Stand Out Selling' helps salespeople stand out from their competition, win more business, and do so at higher prices!
Previously a trained Professional Buyer, then the Top Salesperson in the UK, Andy Preston has now trained more than 130,000 Salespeople, in more than 40 countries, on 6 continents, since 2004!
Andy is best known for his work in 5 specific areas...
1) Prospecting/Cold Calling/Business Development
2) Converting Incoming Sales Leads
3) Consultative Selling and Pipeline Management
4) Standing Out From The Competition
5) Helping Salespeople Close More Deals!
With more testimonials than any other Sales Expert online (330+ on LinkedIn alone), Andy's work is recognised worldwide.
You can contact Andy here for more information, and how he may be able to help you!
Andy's Recent Accolades.......
* The World's Top Recommended Sales Expert
* Ranked UK's Top Sales Trainer - LinkedIn
* #2 In The Top 20 UK Sales Blogs - Lolly.co
* Top Sales Expert - Geniecast
* Top Sales Influencer - WittyParrott
* Top Sales Experts To Follow On Twitter - Evan Carmichael
* 10 Sales Experts Every Salesperson Should Follow On Twitter - Etail Insights
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