How can you increase your conversion rate? It’s a question every salesperson asks. Over the last 12 months, Covid-19 has disrupted many of the usual techniques employed to maximise sales; face masks make it harder to gauge body language and read facial cues, social distancing and non-essential shop closures put paid to many face-to-face interactions. But with a route out of lockdown looking possible, it’s time to polish your sales technique once again.
Use these top three tips to boost your conversion rate:
1. Make time to talk
Life is busy. You can lose leads through something as simple as catching people at a bad time. Even if the customer wants your product or service, try selling to them while they’re cooking dinner, driving, working or putting the kids to bed and you’re not going to get anywhere. Timing is key to conversion.
Thankfully, this kind of situation is entirely avoidable with simple booking systems, diary management and calendars.
Get organised
- Let your customers choose a convenient time to talk. Use a calendar app like Calendly that enables people to book a mutually convenient slot. It can be shared via a link or embedded on your website.
- Send email confirmation straight away.
- Send text reminders the day before or on the day to avoid no-shows and forgotten appointments.
- Make setting yourself reminders a habit too. Never miss an appointment again.
- Don’t book back-to-back appointments – always allow yourself time either side to prepare, or to seal the deal.
2. Know your USPs (Unique Selling Propositions) inside-out
Your potential customers need to know “why you?” – what sets you apart from your competitors down the road?
Identify your USPs, write them down and really get to know them. Rehearse how you convey your USPs in your conversations. Practice with your family and friends to refine the way you describe your unique selling points – it’s crucial to keep it succinct and clear. And get them to ask you questions too so you’re ready to answer these from your customers.
Practice makes perfect – waffling and tying yourself in knots will confuse rather than convert people. You’re aiming to build trust and present yourself (and your brand) as knowledgeable, professional and genuine.
3. Follow up with quotes…
…straight away! After your sales appointment, don’t wait around for your hot lead to go cold! Send a follow-up quote straight away. You can do this with TradeQuote.
TradeQuote allows you to generate quotes and email them to your customer (and automatically to yourself).
Putting all the information in writing allows your customers to peruse at their leisure, revisit the quote as many times as needed and reach a purchasing decision.
The three tips above combine to make an excellent customer experience. Increase conversion by making it as easy as possible for people to buy – from seamless booking to easy-to-understand quotes and payment options.