Here’s the scenario. You’ve met a new prospect who might need your services. How do you know? You’ve engaged, talked about common interests, and the company seems to have the right characteristics and vibe.
Now it’s time to find out if the prospect has a problem you solve.
The last thing your buyer wants to know is “there is a problem.” You sell products or services to B2B and/or B2C markets and solve problems for your buyer.
Getting your buyer to recognize and talk about the problem is the challenge. Bringing up the topic can be awkward and hard.
Buyer’s Needs and Wants
Buyers have competing business and personal pressures that slow up sales decisions.
Buyers buy based on their needs and wants. Sometimes, buyers don’t know they have a problem. Perhaps, it is a matter of priorities but it’s their perceptions that matter.
When a buyer perceives it needs to buy or they are required by law (i.e. tax return), the sales process is faster. There is less convincing. They just have to know, like and trust you.
When the product or service is a “want,” the decision process is longer. What are great ways to lead a buyer to its problem?
Martin Admins – Operations Consulting Inc (OCI)
Martin Admins advises clients on how to operate efficiently. Martin’s challenge is getting the prospect to identify it has a problem. Once identified, the next step is approval of Task 1 – Operations Review.
“OCI’s conversion rate was 1 in 5 for years. What if we doubled it?” said Martin
OCI needed to update its sales approach to meet the demands of its buying public.
“It is hard to move the conversation to the next level,” says Martin. “no one wants to talk about their problems.”
Martin’s Approach
OCI’s specialist helped to:
- Divide prospects into 3 groups – Need It; Want It; and Don’t Know About It.
- List the symptoms that indicate the potential problems.
- Devise questions that focused on each symptom.
- Create campaigns including personal. educational, and automated touch points.
OCI’s specialist explained how to ask questions and allocate time based on groupings.
“You can’t spend the same time on all prospects because your best prospects won’t get enough time,” he explained.
Putting Words to Actions
“This will take a lot of coordination,” said Martin. “Not really,” said the specialist “As long as your CRM segments prospects, automates outreach, and allocates Martin’s time to:
- Group 1 – “The Need Its” – Follow up on each of 4 emails focused on remedies, symptoms, next steps with links to landing pages and to Martin’s phone.
- Group 2 – “The Want Its” – Follow up after every other of 8 emails focused on symptoms with links to landing pages.
- Group 3 – “The Don’t Know About Its” – Follow up twice in 30 days and ask questions that move them to Group 1 or 2.
“How does this happen automatically?” asked Martin.
The CRM’s Power
Segmentation and automation are 2 forces that produce revenue and support your marketing and sales programs. Martin:
- Segmented prospects into 3 groups using questions to plant seeds.
- Automated several campaigns triggered by preset conditions.
- Set up email templates to replace repetitive, manual emails.
- Measured his results.
Martin used the CRM’s power to reach prospects 50% of the time, freeing up Martin for his highest priorities.
Martin’s Wins
OCI’s conversion rate doubled over 24 months, creating more sales with less follow-up fatigue. That is called a WIN!
