c39 JWBT014-Roberts October 15, 2008 5:43 Printer: Courier Westford, Westford, MA
WEEK 39
D ATE Y OUR
L EADS . . . OR
S OMEONE
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Date Your Leads . . . or Someone Else Will 163 system in place for managing leads. Your system should cover the following:
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Filtering leads:Although your lead-generation service may filter out all but the most promising leads, you probably want to do your own filtering, so you can focus your energy on leads that you have a better chance of converting into sales.r
Making initial contact: Being the first to call is a key step in converting leads into sales, so make sure you have a system in place that enables you or someone on your team to contact the prospect within an hour of receiving the lead. You have to beat your competition to the punch.r
Gathering information: Create a form to fill out or a script that enables you to gather the information you need to effectively sell to each prospect. Remember, your first step in the sales process is to ask questions—you can’t sell if you don’t know what your customer wants.r
Following up: Some prospects may require several months to make a purchase decision. Your system should provide a way to remain in contact with prospects during this time, via phone, e-mail, paper mail, or some other method. A follow-up method that’s automated is usually best because it requires less of your time. Whenever I receive a new lead, I add the person to my drip e-mail campaign, as discussed later in this chapter.BE THE FIRST TO CALL
The nurturing process commences as soon as you receive the lead.
In most cases, you are not the only salesperson receiving the lead.
Your lead generation service probably sent the lead to several other salespeople in your area, and the first person to contact the lead has the best chance, by far, of ultimately landing the sale.
You should have a system that enables you to check incoming leads wherever you may be. Some lead generation services can no- tify you of leads via e-mail and forward them to your cell phone or wireless communications device at the same time. Even if you are out making sales calls, you can check for incoming leads and con- tact prospects immediately. Any hesitation can undermine future efforts.
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164 52 Weeks of Sales Success
WORK ON YOUR FOLLOW-THROUGH
After that first contact, keep in touch with your lead. One of the best ways to do this is to add the person to adrip e-mailcampaign.
With drip e-mail, a series of messages are sent out automatically once every week or so, so the person does not have the opportunity to forget about you.
When the prospect eventually decides to buy, he or she can quickly open your e-mail message to obtain your contact informa- tion and call or e-mail you to obtain more information or purchase whatever it is you are selling. You can set up a drip e-mail cam- paign online at any of several drip e-mail management sites. I use Rainmaker E-Central at www.rainmakerecentral.com.
At the same time, you should mail a marketing packet to your prospective client. Your packet should include a folder with the following materials:
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Your business card.r
A letter of introduction describing who you are and how you help your clients.r
Your resume.r
Your company, team, or personal mission statement.r
A brochure.r
Reprints of any positive press you received in the newspapers.Remember, your marketing packet represents you, so invest in an attractive design and layout. To establish a brand presence in the mind of the person receiving the packet, every item in your marketing packet should have a consistent look and feel. For a refresher course on marketing, skip back to Week 17.
BE PERSISTENT
If you do not hear back from your lead, call the person sooner rather than later. Ask the person where he or she is in the decision process and whether you can do anything right now to assist them.
Whatever you do, do not let that lead off the hook. Before my wife agreed to marry me, I had to ask her 11 times! Some leads can be just as picky when choosing a salesperson to buy from.
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Date Your Leads . . . or Someone Else Will 165 Remain persistent without nagging, and transform those leads into commissions.
DATE YOUR CLIENTS, TOO
Your best leads come from your best clients, so be sure to date your best clients, too. This doesn’t mean selling to them every chance you get. It means establishing a long-term relationship, so that when they or someone they know needs whatever you are selling, they think of you first.
Every month or so, touch base with past clients. Send a letter, an e-mail message, or a newsletter; call them on the phone; send them a card or present on their birthday or anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t sell. Just let them know that you’re thinking about them, so they will think about you. One of the best ways to keep in touch is by making phone calls, as discussed during Week 22.
Ralph’s Rule: Date your leads . . . or someone else will. It’s highly unlikely that you are the only salesperson in your mar- ket offering the products or services you carry. To win over your leads, you need to be the most attentive suitor.
c40 JWBT014-Roberts October 20, 2008 14:37 Printer: Courier Westford, Westford, MA