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Title: Ask your prospects and customers what they want...then give it to them!,
Author: Margaret Miller
In the fast-paced environment of sales, we should always concern ourselves with the next opportunity to create business. Whether we are in the extremely competitive business of auto sales, perhaps the mortgage industry, the insurance industry or any other professional sales organization...we need sales to exist.
Have you ever found yourself wondering what it would take to ''tweak'' your sales presentation just a tiny bit in order to increase your closing percentage just that little bit...because you know as all good sales people...that a small incremental change in something you do can have dramatic effects over a period of time, whether that be over a week...month...or year. You will definitely see the difference (I will get into that in great detail in my next article).
''So, it is great to know that we must find out what our prospects and customers want...but come on, we have been in this industry for decades or years, we know what our prospects and customers want!'' Do you? Are you sure? When was the last time you asked?
By positioning strategic questions within your overall marketing approach, you will be able to find out surprising amounts of information that you once thought you were 100% clear on...only to find that you were way off the MARK. By implementing a survey or poll campaign, whether either by automation through a simple online method, or direct mail, or as easy as a document your prospects and customers fill out when they visit your organization, you will identify many issues that didn't even know existed.
Ok, so, let's take a look at this concept with real-life situations!
You have prospects...you want to find out what their most pressing questions are regarding your product or service. How do you find out through the process that I outlined above?
Here is where I would start. For the next several weeks, months and years...I would implement a systematic campaign (automated via the internet preferably...as it cuts down on my work by over 99% and gets me the information I am seeking NOW!)
I would simply identify what are the biggest questions they have on their mind. Here is what I will find out over time: In the first week...I will have x number of respondents to my survey. This will give me some great preliminary information in which to begin building my ''Frequently Asked Question'' document. As the month progresses...a familiar theme will begin playing out...because as we have learned...there are not 1 million different questions, but rather 1 million people asking similar questions or having similar concerns.
Now, let's say that we are 3 weeks into our automated campaign...and I have received 100 responses to our survey. I certainly will have a very clear idea of what people in my particular market are most concerned about.
I can most likely break their answers down into categories...and ultimately discover that they really only have 10-15 questions.
Now, I will create a FAQ section...whether this be on our website, a handout, an email that we send out to prospects after their initial contact with us, or in our dialogue through our sales message...but we will simply address these issues, as I now know what our prospects/customers are interested in hearing about.
I am sure you have heard about overcoming objections before they even become an objection...this is exactly what you are doing. You are feeding the information that your prospects/customers desire...directly to them before they even ask for it.
What else is this accomplishing? Well...something HUGE. I am showing that not only do I care about their needs, but I am also proving to them that I am in TUNE with the market. That I truly know the market and its issues...concerns...objections. And not only am I in tune with the my prospects, but I have made the necessary effort to address their concerns.
So, now...let me ask you again, do you know what your prospects and customers want, need and desire? Do you know all of the objections that they could possibly have and have you created a simple way of overcoming these objections before they ever arise? Do you have an automated approach to gathering information from your prospects and customers so that you and your organization is on the cutting edge of information gathering?
I can say this with clear certainty...if you answered no to any of those questions you need to look at the possibility of extinction. Yes, you heard me correctly. Business is so competitive and downright ruthless sometimes; I can assure you that your competitors are going to do everything in their power to get that ''edge''. And in this case, that ''edge'' is getting into your prospects and customers brains...finding out what is going on in there...and answering their issues.
You will find in no time at all, by implementing this strategy in all areas of your business. Perhaps a survey to all of your sold customers, a survey to gain referrals, a survey to your deals that didn't close, a survey to your ''hard to crack'' prospects. These will put you in a position of being nearly an expert about your market. Implementing an automated process to perform all of this is by far the best solution...providing instantaneous output...providing you and your organization with instantaneous results.
I am sure that the sooner you implement a survey system, the sooner you will see those bottom line profits soar.
Margaret Miller
About the author:
Margaret Miller specializes in advanced testing and tracking methods. Having been given the distinguished compliment of ''Queen Mother of Result-Based Testing'' you can rest assured that her strategies and techniques themselves are thoroughly tested. Specializing in targeted questions to ask your prospects and customers, Margaret can customize some of the most beneficial ''survey campaigns'' for your organization. Benefit from Margaret's monthly newsletter publication that she publishes with her Breiter Strom colleagues, a highly successful Marketing company located in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Visit www.breiterstrom.com to subscribe to the free monthly newsletter now, and to see how their Testing and Tracking department can help you create customized automated campaigns for your organization.
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