I recently filled out an online form in search of fishing camps in Ontario. What happens is I fill out the form, then they take my lead and mail it to all of their advertising partners (fishing camps). So within 48 hours of filling out the form, I have gotten about 50 fishing camps contact me to tell me about their camps.
But 99% of the sales pitches they have given me completely suck.
99% of them just email back a one-line “We’re awesome, check our website here www.fishingcamp.com”. And just one of them actually called me. One! So this got me ranting in my head about bad sales so I wanted to share with you some sales tips I’ve learned over the years that might help you out.
Sales is hard and requires effort.
I always hear about businesses who complain they don’t make as much money as they should/could. But then when I investigate their sales process I find things like this example mentioned above. They make some assumption that people will just flock to them and they don’t have to do any work to close a sale. Of course, that’s dead wrong.
Pick up the phone. Read my inquiry and cater a pitch to me. Tell me/show me what I need to hear and what will make me buy. Take five minutes and sell me.
Don’t make me work to buy from you!
This is another big one I see from time to time. People want me to participate in a survey or interview process or want me to buy something from them. But before I can buy, they ask me to do work like filling out a form, or spend time creating something for them. Let me say this another way to make it clear… “PEOPLE DON’T BUY WORK”. Customers pay for things so they don’t have to do them themselves.
Follow up!
If I show any interest at all. Follow up immediately. That means I’m a hot lead. You have a much higher chance of getting me to buy if you do this. Even if I don’t show interest, I’m worth at least one follow up.
Show me you want my business!
Imagine you’re courting me for a date. You have to show interest. Customers are attracted to people who want to help them solve their problems.
Solve my problem!
As you’ve read many times in my books or heard me say before, people come to the Internet to have a problem solved. Your job… is to solve that problem as best as you can. When you pitch me as a potential customer, you must first understand what my problem is, then show me how you can fix it.
View full post on Internet Marketing for Business – Jim Kukral – Small Business Web Consultant
