“Let me think about it,” says your prospect, or maybe she tells you, “I am not ready yet; call me in a few months.” How do you get those prospects to make a decision? Are there tips that can accelerate the conversion process? That’s what Phyllis Smith talked about in this month’s SkillBites Show, which you can listen to by clicking here.

Phyllis, the owner of EZIA Enterprises and a keynote speaker, advised that there are multiple steps in the process of converting prospects to customers. First is determining that you are talking to the right people, or qualifying your prospects. If you are talking to people who don’t have the authority to make the decision, or don’t have a need for your product or service, or don’t have the money for it, then you won’t get very far with them. Phyllis shared several tips for pre-qualifying prospects.

The second step in the process is to build a relationship with the qualified prospect. People buy from those they trust. If you don’t take the time to build a relationship, you have much less likelihood of closing the sale. To do this, you need to learn about their business and their needs, and show them how you will take care of those needs and stand behind the product or service you are offering.

The third step is to give them clear information about your product or service, what is included and the price. Every prospect wants to know how much the product will cost. If you haven’t developed the relationship and determined their needs, hold off talking about the price. Tell them “let’s talk about your needs first, because I have different offerings and I want to sell you only what you need. Here are a few options.” Then describe the options and ask the prospect which they prefer. Find out if there are any aspects of the non-chosen option that they like, or any aspects of the chosen option that they don’t like. That will help you identify their priorities.

The fourth step is to show them the value to them of the purchase – how it will solve their problem. For most prospects, the problem revolves around saving time or money. If you go through these steps, and they are still interested, the close becomes much easier – they are qualified, they trust you, they can afford the product and they see its value. If they are still hesitating, ask questions, such as “am I missing something?” “Do you have any questions or concerns?” “When would you like me to follow up with you?” If, after following up with them 3 or 4 times, they are still hesitating, then move them to the back burner and spend your time on other qualified prospects.

Phyllis wrapped up her remarks by sharing her exciting Lead Generation Tool, that generates hundreds of qualified leads for a very affordable monthly fee. For more information on this tool, contact Phyllis at 215-300-2133.