Lead Conversion оr How to Create a Selling Call-Script?

Today we’ll be talking about why creating landing pages, customizing advertising and getting first queries are only halfway to success.

Today we’ll offer you a couple of basic recommendations on processing or, more exactly, calling on incoming queries (leads) from your landing page in order to get higher conversions and sales figures.

There are several rules of lead processing that must be followed whether you sell goods or services:

• the 5-minute rule – a received query should be processed in the shortest possible time. If you call back later, your potential customer can forget about you or take your competitor’s offer;
• the rule of clarifying questions – the conversation should be built as a dialogue. You should find out what exactly your customer needs, specify all necessary parameters of their order. We mean, all parameters that can help you give your customer the highest quality result;
• politeness – we underline this rule as polite communication makes a good impression and helps sale. Good sales techniques involve no rudeness, no boorishness or incorrect wording. Only an expert on your product or service should speak on the phone.

Now we will consider the structure of the conversation or a call-script as marketing managers put it:

1. Greeting

Includes introduction of the company and the specialist:

– Hello, I’m Daniel, marketing expert at [your company]. (make a short pause, let them comprehend the information) Can I talk to [potential customer name]?

Introducing yourself you make it clear for the customer that you are a public organization having nothing to hide.

2. The reason for the call

Identify the reason of your call:

– [potential customer name], we received your request for calculation/evaluation/etc. on the site [your site]. Am I right? (Ask a question to hear “Yes” as a reply, start a dialogue)

Giving the reason for your call relieves the stress from the call from a stranger and gives the direction of your talk. You put questions, the customer answers them.

3. Identifying needs

Here your task is to find out the necessary parameters of the order. As it is an incoming query (lead), it is easier to work with, than the “cold calls”. Find out what assembly is needed, where and when to make measurements, where and whom to send samples, what delivery method is the most convenient for the customer. Use the information he has already given to you on the landing page.

– As I understand you need a car loan for 24 years. Michael, do you need insurance too? Do you want a family vacation in the resort area or somewhere quiet with no tourists around?

Specify the information and go to discussion of the terms of the deal.

4. The terms of the deal/presentation

Here you say how exactly the order will be carried out and confirm the order itself.

– Michael, look what we have – a trip for 7 days and 6 nights, you, your wife and your wonderful kids. 5-star hotel, a room facing the sea, animators for your kids – you can have a rest yourself and leave your kids carefully looked after. We will not book any excursions, just reserve a car on your name, you can see the sights yourselves … (etc.)

– Have we taken everything into account?

– Yes

– Great, shall we make a reservation or there is still anything?

And here you either close the deal or there emerges some objection or even objections. The question is how to work with them. Luckily, there are great many effective examples of how to work with objections of different kinds; you can find them in the internet for free. Before you use them, simulate the situation of sale and try each method. Below you will find 12 examples of treating the objections:

1. Method One – “Yes, but…”

Customer: “Your prices are high”.

You: Yes, but buying out product you first of all solve all the problems we’ve just discussed! Isn’t it worth it?

Customer: “I’ve heard negative reviews”.

You: Yes, but there are much more positive reviews from satisfied customers. I’ve just sent you a link to several customers we’ve worked with.

Customer: “It takes you long to deliver the goods”.

You: Yes, but it is a standard format of delivery, we can choose a faster one for you, though it will differ in price.

Customer: “I’ve no money”.

You: Yes, but you can make a prepayment with us.

Customer: “Your competitors have lower prices”.

You: Yes, but let’s compare ….

This is how the method “Yes, but…” works.

2. Method Two – “That’s exactly why…”

Customer: “I’ll think it over”.

You: That’s exactly why I want to discuss all the nuances right now so that you don’t waste your time. What other question have you got?

Customer: “I don’t want to make a prepayment”.

You: That’s exactly why we have lots of guarantees that will let you be 100% sure.

Customer: “Your prices are high”.

You: That’s exactly why I want you to take only a trial production lot. You should make sure our product is worth this money.

This is how the method “That’s exactly why…” works.

3. Method 3 – “Asking a question”

Customer: “It is expensive”.

You: What do you compare with?

You: Why do you think so?

You: What is expensive for you?

You: What is not expensive for you?

Customer: “I’ve no money”.

You: What do you mean?

You: When are you opening the budget?

You:  When can we meet so that we could get acquainted for the future?

Customer: “Your competitors have lower prices”.

You: How do you know that we have the same product?

Customer: “We have good personal relations with others”.

You: Why does it prevent you from just considering our offer?

These are clarifying questions. You can ask a question that will make your customer think. Let us call it “a loadable question”. It is the question which contains a hidden statement. Here is an example:

Customer: “Your prices are high”.

You: If our prices were that high, we wouldn’t have so many customers working with us for many years. Why do you think they buy from us?

In the previous example we divided the question into two sentences. The first is the statement with the question in the end. The second is a question with a hidden statement within. Such question makes a customer think.

4. Method 4 – “Let’s compare”

Such approach is suitable to the objection “It is expensive”.

Customer: “It is expensive”.

You: Let’s compare.

And you start comparing by items: What lot size do you take? How often? What are the payment terms? What is the delay? What is the value of commodity loan? What is the quality of the product? Who is the producer? What warehouse is it shipped from? Is it available? In what batches? What assortment do you take additionally apart from the product?  Were there any problems with quality? How fast do they return in case of defects? What are the warranty terms? What sales service do they offer additionally? How long has the company been on the market to ensure fulfillment of obligations it takes over?

There are many parameters to compare by the method “Let’s compare”, when the customer claims that your prices are high. The point is that, when a customer starts telling that your prices are high, he is trying to make you believe that your product is the same as the others’, just more expensive. Your task is to show the customer that there are no same things, using the method “Let’s compare”.

5. Method 5 – “Substitution”

It is sometimes called “Paraphrase’. The first variant of substitution – you change the objection into an advantageous statement. Substitution starts with the words: “Did I get you right?”, “As far as I understood…”, “That is, you mean that …” – and then comes changing an objection to the statement.

For example, a customer says: “Your prices are high”. Change this objection to the advantageous statement: “Do I get it right that if you make sure that our product is of better quality, you are ready to buy it?”

Customer: “We don’t have available…”. You: “Do I get it right that if we plan a warehouse for you – then you are ready to buy from us?”

Customer: “We have no money”. You: “As far as I understand, if we agree on the product quality and delivery terms, you will make the next purchase from us?”

This is how the method of substituting an objection works. Remember that you won’t persuade a person at once from one answer to his objection, you will just get round the wall of objection in his head and move a step closer through the maze of objections to the cherished center – “Yes”.

6. Method 6 – “Division”

Divide the price of your product into profit that a buyer gets. There is a good example with expensive orthopedic mattress that costs 3000 $.

Customer: “It is too expensive for me”

You: “If you look at this sum in terms of today, it is not very objective position. The warranty for this mattress is 20 years. That means, you get a guaranteed pleasant and healthy sleep for less than a dollar a day during 20 years. Don’t you think your health is worth it?

7. Next method – “Bringing to absurd”

You take your potential customer’s objection and collide it with the stronger statement. For example:

Customer: “Your prices are high”.

You: “If our prices were high, we wouldn’t have many people working with for many years”.

8. Method “A link to the past”

In order for this method to work, find such doings in the customer’s past that look like the ones you offer. Then he will easier agree to your offer.

You: Did you have such experience in your life when you bought a cheaper thing but then still bought a more expensive one because you still were not satisfied with the cheaper thing? Did you feel sorry for the money you had wasted on the cheaper one?  

Of course, there was such experience. Even if a customer don’t not tell you that. Most people have such experience, so without waiting for an answer you can summarize: “It is possibly the same case. Let’s see together if the less expensive variant suits you!” Basing on your customer’s previous experience you will persuade him easier.

9. Method “A link to the future”

It is a good method to get the consumer talking. If the customer does not still buy from you, you can say: “What would you choose, if you decided to buy? Whatwouldyoubuy?”

If you have a good psychological contact with your customer, he will start talking. If he doesn’t, you can push him slightly to consideration about his future: “You could possibly take this, because this and that… . Because you need this one”.

If a person started considering his future, it gives you an opportunity to understand what he wants and build the proper argumentation, find right hooks to continue selling.

10. Method “Reference to standards”

Reference to standards starts with the words: “For the company of your level it is perfectly normal….”. In this way we claim that there is some standard of behavior.

Customer: “We buy cheaper”.

You: For the company of your level it is perfectly natural to buy more expensive but more quality products.

This is how the method “References to standards” works.

11. Method “Steep standards”

Steep standard is a more complicated case. Very often manager discussing the opportunity to work with  larger company hears the objection: “Well, they are a big company, but we are small. We can’t”. So don’t tell your customer about larger company, better tell him about a more complicated case and about a smaller buyer.

Customer: “You are located so far from us”.

You: We’ve delivered a lot farther. Even outside the region.

Customer: “Our business is very specific”.

You: You know, I agree with you. But we’ve worked even with companies whose business is so specific that nobody but us could provide them with the product.

Give examples: a mining combine, space project and so on. Everything where specific features of the project were very important.

12. Method “What could change your mind …”

This method is a lifesaver. Even if everything is out of your head, use it.

Customer: “Your prices are high”.

You: What could convince you to buy despite the fact that our product is more expensive?

Customer: “We have no money”.

You: What could convince you to make an agreement when you have money?

After the objections are handled, return to closing the deal and placing the order.

Conclusion

Pay some time to thinking over and preparing a call-script, then test it yourself and only after that give it to your secretary or a manager. As in case with landing pages, call-scripts can be and should be tested in order to understand which of them eventually will converse better.

Use some software to make outgoing calls to record a manager’s communication with customers, use sales KPI in order to motivate and control your team.

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