So I’ve been marketing and talking to potential leads one on one on calls, something that I never thought I would do being an introvert with social anxiety rubbing in my face. Situation in the current pandemic made us such that we ‘had’ to adopt ways to move ahead in life and attending video calls were one of those things for me.
After going through a series of video calls with potential leads to nurture them and turn them into clients, I went from a terrible seller to a not so bad presenter of the solution and justifying reasons for them to opt for our solution. Along the way, I always kept the map of things that I was doing wrong and needed to improve and I’m going to share a few pointers for anyone who’s starting 1on1 selling to avoid sales objection and how to improve your chances of closing the sale no matter what you’re promoting.
- Ask if they’re the main decision maker
Just after the introduction and the ‘how are you’ bullshit, you have to cut to the chase and be very straight about it. Be very polite and ask the person on the call if they’re the one who decides for the company. Just put it out in a way where it doesn’t sound rude but seems very important to what you’re presenting to them as a solution. Only move ahead if they’re the decision maker, if not, just ask if they can reschedule the call so they could have the decision maker on the call. A classic bail out people use to reject an offer is to say “Your presentation is great, let me have a word with my other partner and I’ll let you know what we think” and then they vanish in the fog never to reply you again.
2. Ask if they’ve worked with anyone else before
Its good to know where they are coming from. Have they shopped around with other companies before speaking to you, do they have a price idea and an estimation. Use these details to your advantage by offering a competitive price and explaining why you’re better.
3. Ask how they feel about this
Don’t be a selling machine, it pays to have empathy. Thinking from the customer’s perspective, why should they give a shit about your product? Look for visual cues and signs as to how they’re feeling about your solution. Ask them if it satisfies they’re need or they’d like you to show something that would address a specific problem.
4. Don’t have time for it at the moment: The pain point is not painful enough
If they don’t want what you’re offering, their pain point is not painful enough. It’s time for you to position your product where its absolutely necessary. Don’t just start selling what’s working for the market and try to make sales, research on what the market really needs and then deliver it with top notch quality and commitment. Again, position your lead at a point where its almost absolutely necessary for them to have the solution you’re offering. Then its just a matter of choosing you or your competitors based on trends like pricing, features, turn around time, commitment, guarantee and other perks.
More about selling in future writings.
Artwork: https://dribbble.com/shots/15637339-video-conference
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