10/05/2012
Ever have a prospect who reminded you of a submarine? You know the one – actively engaged on Wednesday; ready to move forward on Friday; disappears on Tuesday, never to be heard from again . . . Here are some tips for keeping customers engaged with you:
You can prevent this phenomenon from occurring eight times out of ten by following these simple tips.
1.) Have a clear process in place that you can articulate to your prospects. Step one should always include discovery, where you are qualifying your prospects and determining their time frame for making a decision. Then, simply focus on ‘closing’ each prospect on taking the next step.
2.) Explain the process during the first telephone call. The final step in the process should always be the day the service begins or the contract is signed.
3.) Let your prospects know the average length of time it takes most people to make a decision, from the time of first inquiry to close.
4.) Tell your prospects that they are 100% in control. They can tell you that they are not interested and you will accept this answer, although you will likely ask ‘why’ so that you can make changes in the process in the future.
5.) Explain that the only thing that you ask your prospects to do is to let you know how they are feeling at each step in the process. Reinforce that ‘no’ is a perfectly acceptable answer.
6.) Ask each prospect if s/he will commit to exploring this opportunity with you. Once they commit, explain that you are at the end of step one in your process. Ask the prospect to rate his/her interest on a 1-10 scale, with one being “not interested” and 10 being “ready to start”.
7.) Ask this question at the end of each interaction with your prospect.
8.) ALWAYS set a time and date for your next conversation or step in the process.
