Many of my coaching clients are small business owners and consultants who want to work with more high-end clients. Why? It’s because they know that working with people who appreciate and are willing to pay for high-value will make for a more lucrative and enjoyable business. So, they’ve invested time and effort in creating and marketing services that will attract a high-end clientele. And it works! They generate interest in their solutions and their phones are ringing.
But they have a serious problem…they don’t know how to close the sale.
It’s like a fisherman who has great bait, big fish are biting, but he just can’t reel them in. When he gets them close to shore the fish wiggle off the hook and swim away. You may have experienced that kind of heartbreak when you have an ideal client you’re sharing your services with and it feels like the perfect fit, but then for some unknown reason, they don’t end up hiring you.
If this keeps happening to you, most likely you’re struggling with having a productive sales conversation. Many entrepreneurs dread sales, but if you can’t learn how to master this process you will never have a profitable business. The key is to develop a predictable, client-centric sales process. That way you don’t have to overthink it each time because you know it works.
The proven system I’ve developed and taught to my coaching clients over the years is beautiful in its predictability. My clients get an 80% conversion rate using this sales process. Here are a few elements to keep in mind when developing your system:
1). Prequalify Your Prospects
If someone sends an inquiry through your website or sees you at a networking event and wants to learn more about your services, you want to prequalify them to determine if they are your ideal client. Every potential client that comes your way isn’t necessarily the right fit. This is especially true if you want to work with higher-end clients. You need to ensure that this potential lead is willing to do the work required to get big transformational results and that they fit your “ideal” target client profile. One way to prequalify your clients is to have them fill out a short “Getting Acquainted” form where they tell you about their challenges, and why they want to work with you. This is important, as it helps you prequalify them and prepare you for the sales call.
2). Offer a Complimentary Discovery Call
If they have filled out the Getting Acquainted form, you offer to have a complimentary 30-minute phone call with them. I call these Discovery Calls. It’s important that it is “complimentary” since reciprocity is one of the laws of influence. By offering your time to talk with them about their challenges you are giving of your time, your potential client then feels the need to reciprocate by giving you their business. Make sure to set some guidelines of what this call is designed for, so it doesn’t end up being a ”free” coaching session. In this Discovery Call, ask them probing questions around the challenges they face and what they are looking to achieve. If talking too much makes you nervous, the good news is you should only be talking about 10% of the time! You want to by asking specific questions, probing for examples and listening. After you’ve gained clarity around their obstacles, let them know you can help them, which leads to the next step.
3). Give Them a Clear Call to Action To Hire You
When it’s your turn to talk, always share the typical client results instead of focusing on your methodology or process. People buy results, not processes. Most of the conversation should be results-focused, then explain the timeline, and investment fee. I strongly encourage my clients to develop three programs they can offer clients. If you have three, always start with the premium program and then work down to the lowest priced option. After you’ve covered all three simply ask the prospect, “If we were to work together, which of these three programs sounds like the right fit for you?” At this point, be quiet. Give your prospect time to think and don’t speak until they say something next. The first person to speak loses!
4). Close the Sale or Outline Next Steps
If they are ready to move ahead, congratulate them on taking decisive action, obtain their payment via credit card and tell them you’ll send along the welcome paperwork shortly. You may also want to schedule their first session right then and there, as they will be excited about working with you. If your prospect isn’t ready to pull the lever yet, use assertive language to schedule a follow-up. Let’s say she says she needs to talk to her business partner before making a decision. Ask, “When do you think you would have had a chance to talk to talk to your partner?” When she gives you a day, then you follow-up by saying, “Can we have a phone call to follow-up the next day so I can answer any questions you or he may have?” Make sure to get your follow-up sessions scheduled – don’t let them off the hook so easily! In the interim, send them a brochure or an outline of your programs that emphasize the results, the timeline, and the investment fees.
5). Follow-Up – And Then Follow-Up Again
At this phase, if they are playing the waiting game, follow-up with an email that reviews what you discussed during the Discovery Call. Remind them of the challenges they are dealing with and the aspirational state they want to achieve. Let them know you can help them and are excited to start working with them. If you’ve not heard from them and your email went into the big abyss, give them a quick call and let them know you’re just following up to answer any questions they may have.
The secret to mastering sales is to be prepared ahead of time. The more you do it the easier it will be – mastering a sales conversation takes continual practice. Would you like to get your hands on a proven process that both my private clients and myself have used for years to increase our conversion rates for moving a prospect into an ideal client? Then checkout my audio program, Secret Predictable Profits Formula for Closing the Sale. In addition to the training, I hand over powerful templates you can use to formulate your own powerful system for closing more sales.
Predictable Results™ Assignment
Take a look at the 5 steps I recommended for a predictable sales conversation. Is there a particular area where you’re struggling? Try to identify ways to strengthen that aspect and see if you can improve your conversion rate. (If you’re not sure how to do that, then sign-up for my training where I walk you through it. It’s easier than it sounds!)
As a pioneering and visionary innovator, Sarah is a certified professional image consultant and brand strategist, speaker, trainer and author. Her company, Illustra Business Coaching, provides leading-edge business building strategies for small business owners & entrepreneurs who wish to take their company to the next level.
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