An excellent post from Jeff Garrison last week:
Be A Nurturing Sales Person
People tell me all the time that they are not good at sales or that they could not be a salesperson. It is understandable because most people have experienced the scripted, silly and often irritating closing questions of a salesperson trying to close a sale.
They believe that "successful" sales people must GET people to buy. They must be a "closer."
Fortunately, most of us are just not "closers" like Vin Diesel in the movie Boiler Room.
Of course, this example is over the top. But what is obviously happening here is that manipulative techniques are being used to close the deal because the sales person wants to close the deal whether or not the lead is ready to buy. In addition to being distasteful and bad for generating referrals, many "closers" have a tendency to offer discounts or additional value for free to get the deal done thus hurting long term profitability.
The fact is most sales people are not pushy. There are far more business owners and sales professionals who will test your interest with some qualifying questions and back off immediately if you don't demonstrate that you are ready to buy. They are afraid of appearing pushy or they convince themselves that spending time with "tire kickers" is a waste.
Like a rolling stone, they will just go on to the next lead.
Consider this. Experts agree that it will take you at least seven to 12 contacts with a lead before they are ready to buy. If you give up at two, three, four or five, your competition is finishing what you started.
Also, experts agree that in large B2B sales, 25 percent of those who are going to buy do so within six months of becoming a lead. Another 25 percent buy within seven to 12 months. Another 25 percent within 12 to 18 months. And the final 25 percent buy after 18 months. If you give up too soon, your competition is finishing what you started.
For both the "closer" and the "rolling stone," LEAD NURTURING is the way to increase sales results (not to mention professional esteem).
Lead nurturing is the process of building a relationship based upon credibility and trust with your leads so that when THEY are prepared to buy, you will be the from whom they buy and all will enjoy the process.
Lead nurturing requires three things to get started.
- A Belief that it will pay dividends
- A System to do it efficiently
- A Commitment to execute
What would the impact be on your sales if you abandoned the "closer" and "rolling stone" approaches and developed a system of lead nurturing?
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