1. Answer the phone, qualify the lead, and ask for the $$$ on the first call.
My phone script looks like this:
Hi! Nice to meet you!
Give me the high level overview of what you need.
[they say some stuff here]
Oh, that makes sense.
I talk to people all the time who have that same problem, so are in good company.*
I have this product, that seems like a perfect fit, and it’s really expensive and probably out of your price range.
Just to clarify, the problem you need solved is [insert my expensive product description here].
Have you tried [cheap, well-known alternative product]?
[they respond, “Yes, but that product sucks, because…”]
I understand, and I hear that all the time.
Again, I have a product that seems like a great fit, but it’s super expensive. So I want to make sure it’s a perfect fit.
What you seem to need is a product that [insert description of my really expensive product again]. Is that correct?
[They reply, “yes”. Well, how much does that expensive product cost?]
It’s $[insert expensive product’s price here].
Is that number in your budget?
[Now, surprisingly, because we’ve positioned our product as a premium/expensive/elite product that is exactly what they need, they are thinking outrageous BMW numbers. So when my price lands, it’s actually a relief, because A) It’s lower than they expected. and B) They are relieved to now know the price. C) They understand the value of the product vs. its cheaper competitors.]
[They say, “Yes” or “maybe, I have to think about it” or “no.” If they say, “yes”, then I ask them if they’d like to get started right now and for their credit card. If they say, “maybe”, I add them to Contactually (see below) and follow up with them in a week or so. If they say, “no”, then I’ve just invested 15 minutes qualifying a lead – not a bad investment of my time – and I’ll ask them if I can add them to my email marketing list.]
* I only say this if it’s true.
2. Follow Up On Leads Using Contactually.
I’ve tried lots of CRM and project management tools to help me follow up with leads.
Contactually is the best I’ve found for small business owners for two reasons:
- It’s simple to set up. A few clicks to connect to your gmail + install the phone app, and you are rocking!
- It does one thing and does it well. You put leads into buckets based on how often you’d like to be in touch with them. Contactually tracks your phone calls and emails and just knows when you’ve contacted them. No fancy integrations needed.
Hubspot, Salesforce, etc. are just too much overhead for small business owners.
I’ve seen people sign up for these expensive CRMs and be so overwhelmed with the setup that they never get started!
Contactually is simple, easy to use, and only provides the most important sales function – the only sales function that established small business owners need: follow-through on existing leads!
3. Use Gmail Canned Responses to Follow Up with Leads.
You absolutely need to use scripts in all your email communication with leads.
Gmail’s “Canned Responses” is the simplest way to do this.
Here’s an example “canned response” sales script that I actually use for one of my products:
Jane,
It was nice speaking with you on the phone a few minutes ago.
[my product] seems like a perfect fit for what you need.
About [my product][my product’s description]
We can meet at either our Downtown or Uptown Minneapolis location
Read recent Google Reviews of my work.
Next Steps
The next step to get things rolling is to purchase [my product name] here.
Once [my product name] is purchased, we’ll schedule a time to meet up (usually a week or so out).
Is this helpful?
Toby
By using canned responses and scripts, I save hours per week!
Additionally, because I’m using it regularly, I make continual improvements to my script, which improves my close rate.
Win-win! Save time and make more money!
(Use scripts on phone calls, too!)
4. Sell a Product That Is a No-Brainer.
You know your market better than anyone.
What do your customers need more than anything else?
Pitch that first.
My no-brainer products are my 1-on-1 In-Person WordPress Training Workshops and Website Amazing membership.
I can always tell right away which is going to be a better fit for the caller, because people come in looking for either training or tech support.
5. Present at a Meetup That Isn’t Related to Your Expertise.
Presenting to your peer group has its benefits – mostly ego-centric.
Presenting to a group of people who know nothing about your expertise is a gold-mine!
You will likely be the first person they ever encountered who spoke to them on the topic, and they’ll appreciate you all the more for it!
Plus, when it comes time to refer someone for that thing you do, you’ll be the only person that comes to mind!
I run into this problem in the WordPress community, where all my colleagues are also my competitors.
Sure, we share leads with each other, but only if they aren’t a good fit for us.
We never refer high-quality leads for work that we could do to anybody! Never!
That’s why a network of non-WordPress people is gold for someone who does WordPress work.
So, I try to present at realty meetups, building trade meetups, dentist meetups, etc. etc. etc.
If they haven’t heard of WordPress, I want to be there!
