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Success! Your LinkedIn activity is generating some legit leads.
Your marketing plan is on fire. You’re engaging with your network, and starting to field interest from genuine prospects. The kind you know you can help.
Now what?
When ramping up a business, a steady flow of leads is a must-have. Successful coaches and advisors know this – so why does an influx of leads set off alarm bells?
It’s the panic of not knowing what to do next.
A business needs a simple process to convert leads into customers. All the lead gen strategies in the world won’t help you if you can’t close the sale.
If you’re like many other coaches, you cringe at the idea of a ‘sales process’. You want to help as many people as possible, and make money while doing it. But Sales? Ugh.
And fair. ‘Sales’ has a bad reputation – but a defined sales process is the only thing that will grow your business. It doesn’t have to be stressful, but it does need to be thoughtful.
With this simple – and thoughtful – three-step process, our clients sell. And they do it without being ‘salesy’.
To create a ‘sales process’ that works, use the 3 C’s.
Three steps for converting leads – no stress needed
1. Clarify their business challenges
Don’t jump right into ‘sales mode’ with a LinkedIn prospect. It’s one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a business coach or advisor.
In ‘sales mode’, you’ll find yourself justifying what you do. And thinking that if you throw more words at your prospect, you’ll convince them to buy.
That’s a fast path to a lost sale.
First, clarify by asking questions. If you’re selling sales coaching, you might ask:
“At the moment, do you have a sales team?”
By showing genuine interest, you invite a conversation. You seem less desperate, and your prospect has an opening to speak. Which means, you can listen – and see where your offering matches their need.
ASK YOURSELF: What’s your clarification question?
2. Collaborate First
The best way for a prospect to know what it’s like to work with you, is to work with you. Don’t wait for the sale. Invite them to a collaboration session so they can experience what you’re offering.
Here’s how to pitch a pre-sale collaboration:
“Let’s jump on a call and talk through {their answer to the clarify question]. I’d like to learn more about how that might look for your business.”
Again, this isn’t a hard sell. You’re not trying to convince them. You’re curious about their business and offering to solve a problem.
Now it’s a conversation, not a sales pitch.
ASK YOURSELF: What’s your invitation to collaborate?
Ready to generate more leads, and more clients in just 10 days? Join The Challenge.
3. Close the Sale
You’ve collaborated. You know that you can solve their current challenges. And this is how you go from identifying a lead to closing the sale.
Yes, you still need to ask for their business. But now, you have an informed why. And they have an understanding of what it would be like to work with you.
To turn their interest into a commitment, take the next step. This might be asking for a deposit, or sending a contract.
Even if it’s a simple one-line script, know how you’re going to ask for their business.
ASK YOURSELF: How do you ask for their business?
And then?
Many business owners struggle with sales stress. They feel the pressure to convert leads into paying customers.
Practice these three steps to convert your LinkedIn leads to customers. (And keep practicing, it gets easier with repetition!)
Develop a go-to question for each step. You’ll feel more confident about your sales process. And through collaboration with prospects, you’ll gain insights into what language sells best.
You might also discover other challenges you can help them with. Which is more business for you, and better results for them.
And the natural result of all this non-salesy conversation? You learn more about your ideal prospects, and your conversion rate improves.
P.S. Prefer simple and successful to salesy? Join our pitch-free private training. We share how we built our business with 2 LinkedIn profiles and a simple 3 step strategy. We took the fast track, hitting $84k in revenue a month in 4 months – and we’ll show you how to do it too. It’s the best 12 minutes you’ll invest in your business today.