If you want to get new clients, you’ve got to hold sales conversations – which I like to call discovery sessions. You discover their problems, they discover your solutions, and together you discover if you’re the right fit to work together to allow them to experience a shift in their results.
Sales conversations have been around since the foundation of the earth because nothing happens until somebody sells something. Sadly, many business owners struggle with how to have an effective conversation that turns a prospect into a paying client. And, I get it. Excelling at getting the sale is a skill that you must learn and master if you plan to stay in business. After all, 50% of all new businesses start and fail in the same 12 months.
In this week’s episode of Incredible Factor TV, I am taking Tonya’s question:
“Hi Darnyelle, I’ve not had a problem holding discovery sessions, my challenge comes in dealing with the hesitancy of getting a prospect to become a paying client. What would you recommend that I do when they hesitate? As an example, in a typical discovery session, I learn about the client and their needs, I tell them how I can help them and then after we discuss the investment they hesitate and so I end up having to re-engage them in the conversation to keep the lines of communication open.”
See my response to Tonya’s question in this week’s episode of Incredible Factor TV:
Like I share in the episode, you first want to make sure that you are talking to your ideal clients that are ready, willing and ABLE to hire you. Here’s how I recommend formulating your conversation:
First, set expectations. Why are you talking to them? What are they dealing with? What is the probable outcome of the conversation? By setting expectations, you can keep the conversation concise and focused on the goal of helping them to see you as the obvious solution to their problem.
Then, you want to be using the discovery session to do one very important thing: you want to help your prospect discover the cost of the problem they currently are facing. If their problem isn’t expensive, they are likely not going to be motivated to do something about it. If they can realize that it’s costing them more to keep dealing with the problem than to solve it, they will likely solve it.
Third, you want to learn what they want instead of what they are experiencing. If they can’t paint you a picture of what they want instead, they aren’t really clear on the problem. Remember, people in pain are actively seeking and can identify the pain killer.
Lastly, summarize what you’ve learned and ask them if they want your help. If they say yes, share your solution and the investment in an even tone with positive expectation and pause. (The one who speaks first after the investment is released is the one who leaves with the product.)
They will likely hesitate. And like I said in the episode, hesitation is a good thing! It means that they are trying to figure out HOW to make it happen. Don’t be alarmed; give them the space to decide what they’ll need to do.
Bonus: You then want to be able to handle the top three objections to the sale, or overcome the objections in advance. Those top three are likely going to be:
- I can’t afford it.
- I don’t have time.
- I need to ask my spouse.
Your assignment: How will you overcome those three objections? Knowing this in advance is the key to a discovery session that turns hesitation into hired.
Now I want to hear from you, what’s your two cents?:
How do you prioritize and make sure that you get done what needs to get done in your business?
©2014 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, MBA, The Incredible Factor Speaker, Business Coach and Marketing Mentor, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises.com, Incredible Factor University® and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System®, a proven step-by-step program for more clients, more income and more leverage in your business. For more information and a FREE audio CD “7 Critical Mistakes Entrepreneurs Must Avoid When Unleashing Your Incredible Factor So You Attract More Clients, Make More Money and Gain More Leverage” just fill out the form below.
