How to Best Use Phone and Email for Contact and Conversion Success.

“Lead response persistence is critical to maximize conversion. Making more than one call and sending even just one email can have a positive impact on lead conversion, yet 50% of leads are never called a second time and 59% of leads never receive an email.”

When leaving a voice message for a new lead keep it simple. Leave your name and number twice – once at the beginning of the message; again at the end.

Refer to the fact that you’re calling about the information they requested. Then, state a benefit of your offering to pique their curiosity to learn more (thus increasing the chances they’ll either return your call or accept your next follow up call.)

Examples:

   “ I’m calling with the information you requested regarding improving both the exposure and the distribution of your music.”

    “You requested information about how to monetize your music portfolio so you can enjoy greater peace of mind in your future.”

Be certain to let them know when you are able to be reached and how.

    I can be reached this evening until 7:00 PM at 800-555-1111, extension 222.

Assure them of your desire to serve and tell them that you will call again and when.

    “We are happy to answer any questions you might have. Please know that we do not believe in high-pressure selling of any kind. Providing you with the information you requested is our only desire on this call. If we do not hear back from you, we will reach out to you again to ensure your needs are met.”

By using non-threatening language, expressing a desire to serve, and hitting their hot buttons for the benefits they wish to gain from your offering, you will greatly increase the possibility that your leads will call you back.

Immediately follow up the phone call with an email expressing similar information:

    Good evening, Ms. Johnson. Per your request, I am reaching out to you to provide information regarding both the exposure and the distribution of your music. At Palace Music Group, we pride ourselves on helping our clients fulfill their needs as effectively and economically as possible. I would be happy to share additional information and answer any questions you have. I can be reached via return email or by phone at 800-555-1111, extension 222. If there is a best time of day to reach you, please let me know. I will follow up with you by phone tomorrow. Thank you for your interest in what Palace Music Group can do for you.

The follow up phone call should begin with a question about whether or not they received your email. If they did not, you may need to update their email contact information.

The real key to the success of any follow up system is in scheduling the additional follow ups and then following through. Average salespeople have a tendency to talk themselves out of making follow up calls if an initial call does not result in something positive. When working leads is viewed as a game, the fear of rejection or failure is lessened and results improve. Set a limit to the minimum number of calls to be made in a day. When you leave a message, be happy that you reached the right person and move onto the next one rather than getting down over not making a sale.

Using Phone and Email for Sales Conversions

February 11, 2013 By Tom Hopkins 1 Comment

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According to Leads360′s latest report, The Ultimate Contact Strategy – How to Best Use Phone and Email for Contact and Conversion Success, “Lead response persistence is critical to maximize conversion. Making more than one call and sending even just one email can have a positive impact on lead conversion, yet 50% of leads are never called a second time and 59% of leads never receive an email.”
When leaving a voice message for a new lead keep it simple. Leave your name and number twice – once at the beginning of the message. Again at the end. Refer to the fact that you’re calling about the information they requested. Then, state a benefit of your offering to pique their curiosity to learn more (thus increasing the chances they’ll either return your call or accept your next follow up call.)
Examples:

• I’m calling with the information you requested regarding improving both the appearance and health of your facility/home. (Maintenance services, carpet or A/C duct cleaning)
• You requested information about how to enhance your retirement portfolio so you can enjoy greater peace of mind about your future. (financial services, specific investment opportunities)

Be certain to let them know when you are able to be reached and how.

• I can be reached this evening until 7:00 PM at 800-555-1111, extension 222.

Assure them of your desire to serve and tell them that you will call again and when.

• We are happy to answer any questions you might have. Please know that we do not believe in high-pressure selling of any kind. Providing you with the information you requested is our only desire on this call. If we do not hear back from you, we will reach out to you again to ensure your needs are met.

By using non-threatening language, expressing a desire to serve, and hitting their hot buttons for the benefits they wish to gain from your offering, you will greatly increase the possibility that your leads will call you back.
Immediately follow up the phone call with an email expressing similar information:

• Good evening, Ms. Johnson. Per your request, I am reaching out to you to provide information regarding both the appearance and the health of your facility. At ABC Company, we pride ourselves on helping our clients fulfill their needs as effectively and economically as possible. I would be happy to share additional information and answer any questions you have. I can be reached via return email or by phone at 800-555-1111, extension 222. If there is a best time of day to reach you, please let me know. I will follow up with you by phone tomorrow. Thank you for your interest in what ABC Company can do for you.

The follow up phone call should begin with a question about whether or not they received your email. If they did not, you may need to update their email contact information.
The real key to the success of any follow up system is in scheduling the additional follow ups and then following through. Average salespeople have a tendency to talk themselves out of making follow up calls if an initial call does not result in something positive. When working leads is viewed as a game, the fear of rejection or failure is lessened and results improve. Set a limit to the minimum number of calls to be made in a day. When you leave a message, be happy that you reached the right person and move onto the next one rather than getting down over not making a sale.

- See more at: http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/initial_contact/using-phone-and-email-for-sales-conversions#sthash.NSL36ARN.dpuf

The Money or Nothing Sales Close

Of all the sales closing questions I teach, the “Money or Nothing” sales close works well with long term purchases. By that I mean, that they will enjoy the benefits of the purchase for a long time. These would be for things such as homes, furniture, special vacations, education, vehicles, and so on.

The point of the close is to increase the value of gaining the benefits beyond the perceived value onto the money the buyer would exchange for those benefits. As with all selling and closing strategies, sincerity is critical. You must first truly believe, based on your conversations with the buyer, that your product is good for them. You also must have received some positive feedback from them. They may just be hesitant to make the commitment.

Here is an example of how to help them perceive the value of the benefits as greater than their money:

Mr. Artist, from what you’ve told me, you are excited about the benefits you will gain from this music distribution. (Do a brief benefit summary here to build their emotions toward the purchase.) Nearly everything we purchase seems to depreciate in value, doesn’t it? Because of that, we all have to consider the same point when making purchasing decisions. The primary consideration is: Do we want to retain our money, and potentially watch it depreciate in value or do we want to invest some of it now in ourselves so we can enjoy it long term?

When you’ve done everything else right leading up to this point: establishing rapport, qualifying, presenting and addressing specific concerns, and determine that you have a good solution for their needs, it becomes your obligation to ask for the business (aka close the sale) in order for them to gain those benefits.

The Two-Party Indecision Close

The Two-Party Indecision Close is to be used when there is more than one decision-maker. In this type of situation, you are likely to run into a situation where one is ready to go ahead and one is not. This may be an artist and their management or it could be two business partners. When you reach what looks like an impasse, use this Phraseology:

“Manager and Artist, when two people are involved in making a decision, it’s often impossible to find one simple distribution solution that satisfies both of them. So life then becomes a matter of compromise. Now, the measurement of the decision becomes this: Does the music service satisfy most of the wants of each of the parties?”

If it does, you’ve just closed the sale. If it doesn’t, you’ll at the very least uncover an area of concern that you haven’t fully addressed. Grab hold of that concern and handle it properly, then go for the close again. Remember, the average sale is not closed until after five closing attempts are made.

If you’ve been in sales for more than five minutes, you’ve heard this from a buyer: “I’ll think about it” or “I want to think it over.” It’s almost as natural to them as saying, “No, thanks. Just looking” when asked “May I help you?” Why do they say it so often? Because with average salespeople it works. It stops them dead in their tracks.

But, I know that you don’t want to be average. You have set your sights on being a champion salesperson. Your aim is to serve more clients than the average salesperson. So, you learn and prepare yourself to overcome the most common objections.

So, let me give you the answer you’ve been waiting for. Whenever you hear a buyer say, “I want to think it over,” “We’ll sleep on it,” or “We’ll get back to you,” it’s very likely that they like what you’re offering and are feeling compelled to own it. These stalls are just their way of slowing down that buying momentum because they’re a little afraid to part with their hard-earned money.

You do exactly what they want. You slow down as well. You tell them you understand … because you do. Then, you start selling. You ask questions that you already know the answer to — answers that will remind them that they really do like this, that and the other thing about your product. And you get them to admit if the money is the only thing holding them back so you can address that final concern.

You do it by saying …

“That’s fine, John. Obviously, you wouldn’t take your time thinking distribution over unless you were seriously interested, would you? So, may I assume you will give it very careful consideration? Just to clarify my thinking, what phase of this opportunity is it that you want to think over? Is it the quality of the distribution service I’ll render? Is it something I’ve forgotten to cover? Seriously, please level with me, could it be the money?”

A tip when using this strategy: Don’t pause after the word “over” — if you do, a client is likely to answer “everything,” or “the whole idea of going ahead,” and you’re dead in the water. What you want to do here is review what they’ve already agreed to. In other words, you’re weeding out all the other objections and narrowing it down to the most common final objection, which is the money. Handle the money objection and begin re-closing.

Master this close and you’ll quickly see your closing ratio (and your paycheck) increase.

What to Say When You Hear “I want to think it over”

November 16, 2012 By Tom Hopkins 4 Comments

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If you’ve been in sales for more than five minutes, you’ve heard this from a buyer: “I’ll think about it” or “I want to think it over.” It’s almost as natural to them as saying, “No, thanks. Just looking” when asked “May I help you?” Why do they say it so often? Because with average salespeople it works. It stops them dead in their tracks.
But, I know that you don’t want to be average. You have set your sights on being a champion salesperson. Your aim is to serve more clients than the average salesperson. So, you learn and prepare yourself to overcome the most common objections.
So, let me give you the answer you’ve been waiting for. Whenever you hear a buyer say, “I want to think it over,” “We’ll sleep on it,” or “We’ll get back to you,” it’s very likely that they like what you’re offering and are feeling compelled to own it. These stalls are just their way of slowing down that buying momentum because they’re a little afraid to part with their hard-earned money.
You do exactly what they want. You slow down as well. You tell them you understand … because you do. Then, you start selling. You ask questions that you already know the answer to — answers that will remind them that they really do like this, that and the other thing about your product. And you get them to admit if the money is the only thing holding them back so you can address that final concern.
You do it by saying …
“That’s fine, John. Obviously, you wouldn’t take your time thinking this over unless you were seriously interested, would you? So, may I assume you will give it very careful consideration? Just to clarify my thinking, what phase of this opportunity is it that you want to think over? Is it the quality of the service I’ll render? Is it something I’ve forgotten to cover? Seriously, please level with me, could it be the money?”
A tip when using this strategy: Don’t pause after the word “over” — if you do, a client is likely to answer “everything,” or “the whole idea of going ahead,” and you’re dead in the water. What you want to do here is review what they’ve already agreed to. In other words, you’re weeding out all the other objections and narrowing it down to the most common final objection, which is the money. Handle the money objection and begin re-closing.
Master this close and you’ll quickly see your closing ratio (and your paycheck) increase.

- See more at: http://www.tomhopkins.com/blog/closing_sales/what-to-say-when-you-hear-i-want-to-think-it-over#more-1075

Sales Close for “I just don’t have the time.”

When someone says they don’t have time for your opportunity, to book a party, or even just to meet with you, with sincerity say,

 “I understand, Mary. We all have 24 hours in a day, don’t we? Most people work eight hours. Then, they sleep about eight hours. That leaves eight hours every day of what we can call discretionary time. That means, we get to choose how to spend those hours. I like to call it ‘opportunity time.’ What I do with my opportunity time makes all the difference in the amount of success I achieve in my life, don’t you see? A lot of people who take advantage of the benefits our business has to offer only invest a couple of hours a day in the business. They still find that they have plenty of quality time left for family and other obligations. Why not at least consider the potential gain you can get with a relatively small investment of time?”

By asking questions as part of your response to “I just don’t have the time.” you are getting them started agreeing with you. Of course, they’ll agree there are eight hours of discretionary time. It’s simple math. 

They’ll agree about what you do with your time and once the ‘yes’ momentum is going, more often than not they’ll agree to take a more serious look at your opportunity.