Don't let your hot leads crash and burn! Here's 10 top tips to convert with confidence

UPDATE. This was written BC. Before Corona. But some businesses are still running and some will need to use other small businesses for their services. Obviously you won't be arranging a face to face visit for the foreseeable so building rapport over the phone will be even more relevant in many ways, as every enquiry could be your life line now. As you were...

The phone is ringing. Your hard graft and marketing are paying off. Make every effort to delight your prospects and turn them into clients. Here's how.

The oxygen for your small business, arguably the most important thing, is paying customers! There's so much to say about marketing and sales, branding and PR but I'd like to start with the incoming enquiries. Which are in theory ‘easier’ than 'cold calls' but still require some careful thought.

I’ve really found it helpful when training people in this vital skill to consider how you would like someone to respond to an enquiry from you. This will increase your empathy when it’s your time to handle the call. When someone rings after seeing a flyer, an advert in the parish magazine, had a recommendation, seen your website, it means all your marketing has paid off and the lead is genuinely interested! So to inadvertently waste this opportunity is a crying shame. You need to thrill the caller! Meet all of their expectations and then some. So considering your own past experiences of ringing a company when you're interested in buying their wares is a good and relatable starting point.

Perhaps you remember the ones that did not imbue you with confidence in their ability to deliver? Or perhaps they put you off in some other way? I’ve asked this question many times and the same things crop up, so hopefully some of them resonate with your experiences.

Perhaps surprisingly, it’s the calls where you’re not made to feel valued that are almost as bad as those where you feel pushed into making an early decision. Which I have to add is incredibly rare for a small business or sole trader. Those pushy techniques are usually the trademark of the large companies who run call centres.

The reality is that it’s quite common for a small business to have an answer phone or perhaps a relative taking a message. Some have mobile numbers but the person owner is usually out and about, which causes it's own distractions. Obviously this is quite an anticlimax for the prospective customer, once they have galvanised themselves to make the call. Maybe it's been on their to do list for weeks and they've finally got round to it. But even worse than that, if the call is not returned in what they consider to be a timely manner, the follow up call (if it happens at all of course) is often laced with a bit of irritation. Not the best way to start a business relationship.

So perhaps make sure that whoever is likely to take any calls is briefed on what you need them to ask and the manner you need them to convey. As well as an idea of what needs to be covered in terms of information gathering as a bare minimum on that initial call. How often do small businesses get a message with an incorrectly taken down name, which is just frankly embarrassing when you follow up! Otherwise the next person they call might be able to trump you before you’ve even had a chance to get back to them.

Enthusiasm is one of the core requirements from whoever takes that initial call. It’s evident in their voice and in the questions they ask. We need to be pleased to hear from them and enthusiastic about what we do. If someone seems bored or off hand they will draw their own conclusions. We can't risk throwing away hot leads!

You need to find out as much as possible about the prospect. So be prepared to listen. Thank them for calling. Ask if they mind saying how they heard about you (vital for fine tuning your marketing spend and effort)

1. Enthusiasm is one of the core requirements. It’s evident in your voice and in the questions you ask. You need to be pleased to hear from them and enthusiastic about what you do. If you seem bored or off hand they will draw their own conclusions.

2. You need to find out as much as possible about the prospect. So be prepared to listen.

Thank them for calling. Ask if they mind saying how they heard about you (vital for fine tuning your marketing spend and effort)

3. Ask what they were hoping would happen/be resolved/be gained from using your services

4. Find out where they live (initially, roughly)

5. Find out what their desired timescales are

6. Continue to ‘qualify’ the lead - determine what sort of priority they require and whether it is likely to be a good use of your time. If they are uncomfortable answering they might be spies from another business (but they will be impressed/intimidated with your customer service skills, so all is not lost!)

7. It’s a good idea to get their full name, phone number and contact email – most people who are serious would not have a problem with that. Address might be important if it involves a visit!

8. Then you might want to ask them how long they’ve been thinking of having this job done/changing supplier and what has prompted them to ring today. This is really important as you are getting to the crux of the matter, the ‘pain point’ and are getting to understand more about their needs. Which they NEED you to be curious about. It builds a bond once they’ve opened up. It’s far better than a quick call and a hastily arranged visit with sparse conversation. The connection is the most important factor. The feeling of being respected. Of being ‘heard’.

9. If you are getting on famously, it’s sometimes helpful to ask if they’ve used similar services in the past, and if so, what happened. It can reveal really useful information about what’s important to the prospect and can help you emphasise the right things when you are face to face, or in the email if you are sending one – which would be tailored of course.

10. Arrange the next step – whether that’s a visit, a follow up phone call or sending information. A visit is always preferable if it’s a service as you can demonstrate your attention to detail and it shows them that you will listen to exactly what they need. If you do this, you’ll be providing them with reassurance and helping them feel confident in you as a person. People buy from people (they think) like them. And if you think someone likes you, you will think they are a great judge of character and most likely, like them back!

So there you go, a reminder of some of the steps to bear in mind when dealing with telephone enquiries. They are gold dust, the prospect is hot! Do yourself a favour and give them the necessary time and energy and watch your profits grow!

Helen Froggett-Thomson is an award winning communications coach and business strategist who has been helping people learn to love selling for over thirty years. Get in touch at helen@thomsontraining.com or visit the website www.thomsontraining.com if you'd like to discuss offering this course within your company. One day usually does the trick!