I once asked the members of our program calls, how much
time they were spending with prospects to close a sale. A
few members, who were service providers, knew exactly how
long it took them to convert a prospect into a paying
client. While others, sadly, said they often spent 30
minutes with a prospect at a networking meeting, than an
hour or two meeting face-to-face with THE SAME prospect
(while giving advice), and than another 30 to 60 minutes
over the phone (still giving advice) to THE SAME prospect.
So, that is 30 minutes at a networking meeting, 1 or 2
hours face-to-face, and 1 more hour over the phone. 3
½ hours giving advice to one prospect. No wonder
they no longer needed your help. Not good.
You see, I used to be guilty of giving away advice for
FREE. And, I discovered most self-employed service
professionals give so much advice away, that their
prospects have enough information to solve their problem on
their own. These professionals are using outdated marketing
and sales techniques to convert a prospect, into a paying
client, and it's frustrating them. That why professionals
who use newer systems and communication leverage
techniques, can totally transform their business to become
more efficient and effective. They end up working smarter,
not harder.
You must know the difference between giving information and
giving advice. When you give advice, you are giving tactics
that can be converted into action. That's why those who
participate in our Client Communication Success Programs
receive our advice such as, "Here's what you say, here's
what you do, here's when to do it, here's why you need to
do it that way." Giving advice that is specific is
incredibly empowering to a client. But, advice also
empowers prospects not to purchase your services, since
you've helped them solve their issue without paying you.
Now, giving information is inconclusive. When you give
information to a prospect, you're giving them puzzle pieces
of a picture to focus on. Most of the time prospects don't
even know they're out of focus, until you focus the picture
for them. Giving them information helps them put the puzzle
pieces together, on their own terms. So they take the first
puzzle piece, then add that to the next puzzle piece, and
go on and on. Finally, they see part of the picture, and
realize that they need your advice to stay motivated to
continue. That's what leading prospects into paying clients
is all about.
Let's face it the marketplace has changed. You can't use
the same marketing and sales communication strategies year
after year. Therefore you want to target your information
towards the 20% of the local or global population that are
already PRE-QUALIFIED and eager to buy from you. So, I
recommend that you:
1. Start watching how successful business owners
communicate information to prospects, and model your
communication after what feels natural to you. Notice how
long it takes them to reach their point. (They make their
point quickly. Hint. Hint)
2. Go to your local library, and check out DVD's from top
earning American professionals. If you are targeting a
foreign born professional, seek out videos of sales
professionals from that culture. Watch what they wear, how
they stand, and their facial expressions. They're confident
about what they sell, and they know how to sell information
to that culture.
And, I know it may be hard to believe, but I assure you,
when you change the way you communicate ADVICE to clients,
and INFORMATION to prospects your business will grow. It
has worked for me, and we've done it for our clients too.
----------------------------------------------------
Kim Schott, your Global Client Communication Mentor, is the
author of the Keys to Client Communication System™,
the step-by-step, paint by numbers client communication
program help self-employed service professionals to attract
more clients in less time. To receive your weekly how-to
articles on consistently attracting more local and global
clients in less time, visit
http://www.SchottCulturalConsulting.com
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