From Prospect to Client in Thirty Seconds
By: C.J. Hayden, MCC
The process of converting a prospect to a client can seem like it takes forever. You
meet a prospective client, follow up with him or her over time, and hopefully have a chance to make a sales presentation or
schedule an initial consultation at no charge. Then you follow up some more, trying to close the sale. Months can pass, or
even years, between your first encounter and getting the prospect to sign on the bottom line.
How do you keep following
up for all that time without being a pest? Is asking prospects over and over, "Are you ready to buy yet?" the best
way to go about it? How can you build the trust of your prospects enough that they become willing to take the risk of hiring
you?
The answer to these bothersome questions just might be found in this simple idea. Treat those prospects as
if they were already your clients -- they just haven't paid you yet.
Imagine what it would be like to treat
every prospective client you encounter as if you were already working together. Every time you contact your prospects, you
offer an article they might be interested in, an introduction to someone who might help them with a goal, or an invitation
to an upcoming event in their field.
When you meet with them, you listen to their problems and recommend solutions.
When you contact them after a meeting, you suggest resources for helping them address the issues you discussed. The solutions
and resources you recommend may include your products and services, of course, but you don't stop there. You also offer
answers that don't involve hiring you.
The impact of this kind of generosity on your prospective clients can
be dramatic. Instead of considering your calls or e-mails an interruption, they will welcome hearing from you. They will no
longer count you as a salesperson or vendor, but rather as a valuable resource and important person to know.
I'm
not talking about giving away the store. I don't recommend providing the client with free training, spending hours addressing
their issues at no charge, or otherwise practicing your profession without pay. It is completely appropriate to ask for and
expect payment for doing your professional work.
But what I am suggesting is a shift in your attitude, to being
of service instead of selling a service. Give your prospects a taste of just how valuable you could be to them if they were
to hire you. Be generous with the information and contacts you already have at your disposal. It only takes a few minutes
to pass along a phone number, clipping, or helpful web site, but the impact can be unforgettable.
The effect of
this shift on you can be just as significant as the effect on prospective clients. You will eliminate those dreaded sales
calls from your agenda and focus instead on what you do best -- helping people. You will no longer fear or resist making contact
with prospects, but will begin looking forward to it. Instead of selling, you will be serving.
The fastest way
to turn a prospect into a client may be simply to change how you think about them.
C.J. Hayden is the author of
Get Clients Now! Thousands of business owners and salespeople have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or
triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at www.getclientsnow.com.
