The most profitable fence companies do not always close the sale on the first visit. They follow up. Here are six keys for turning prospects into customers.
Key #1
Know your ideal sales path
What are your steps for turning a prospect into a customer? You should already know your ideal sales process. Your sales process should be simple and methodical. Choose your market. Contact them using an affordable and effective media. Flag them down with a killer headline. Make them an offer they can’t refuse. Capture their contact information. Meet them. Give them a quote. Follow-up until they buy. Persuade them to buy again. Keep close to them forever.
Key #2
Decide how long you will follow-up
How many times will you follow-up? Some days you will be able to convert a prospect into a customer in one visit. (Those are great days!) But if you are like a lot of fence companies, you will not always close the sale on the first meeting, especially if you are selling a higher-priced fence. Follow-up with prospects until they buy or ask you to stop contacting them. Many times the difference between making the sale or not making the sale is just one more follow-up contact.
Key #3
Decide when you will follow-up
Will you follow-up daily? Weekly? Monthly? It is best to follow-up often and frequently, especially in the first few days. Be helpful, but not annoying. The problem is you do not always know if you are dealing with a hot, warm or cold prospect. A hot prospect is ready to buy soon. A cold prospect is just beginning the process of buying a fence. And the warm prospect is somewhere in between.
Key #4
Use beneficial messages
Your prospect is asking one question: What’s in it for me (WIIFM)? What are your WIIFM messages? Some fence companies, when they follow-up, say the same thing over and over again and expect different results. Or they talk only about themselves. When following up, use a different message or a creative slant or a unique angle every time you follow-up.
Key #5
Use a variety of media
How do you deliver your message when you follow-up? The best media is face-to-face visits. The second best is calling. The next best is texting or e-mailing, if they give you permission to text or email. The next best is snail mail. Yes, print works. Use the media that reaches your prospects effectively and efficiently. And mix it up. Be creative.
Key #6
Measure what's working
How will you know if your follow-up methods are working or not? Of course, the #1 thing you should measure is how many prospects turn into fence buyers. That is the easiest and most important thing to measure. In addition to measuring sales, measure other indicators that lead a prospect to becoming a customer: number of calls, prospect’s responses, etc.