Here's a secret: it's not the price of your product, nor how loud you are on social media. The secret to smashing sales is simply being human and delivering what customers want. Here are 7 strategies to help you turn more prospects into customers.
1. Solve Their Problems
Prospects don't care about how amazing your product is. What they need is to solve a problem. Be clear with your prospect about how your products or services can help her. If you provide an easy solution, right when she is feeling pain, she'll be an instant convert.
2. Respond to Their Queries
Build a bridge by answering questions; this helps you create value for prospects. Also if one customer has a question many others do to. Make it a priority to respond to queries quickly and personably via phone, chat, social media, or email. This is your first opportunity to make a connection with a lead.
3. Share Information They Need
Your content marketing strategy should center around providing useful resources for potential customers. Veer away from too much self promotion and instead focus on providing how-to advice, and giving customers a reason to look further at your product or service.
4. Maintain a Professional Demeanor
Once prospects see you're not just "a company," but are in fact a person who is really passionate about helping them achieve their goals, the relationship changes and they see you in a new light. Don't be afraid to be a little personal via your marketing messages, but don't cross over that line of being unprofessional.
5. Create Entertaining Newsletters
Don't just send out coupons and sales notices. Newsletters can be a great way to stay in front of your audience. Caution: if you think of them as advertisement or a one-way communication, you will miss a great opportunity. Your newsletter should be full of content that offers value to your readers. This will make them want to share it with friends. You will easily double your audience when you succeed at this!
6. Interact With Them on Social Media
While social media may feel like broadcasting to an empty theater, it becomes more of a conversation once you build your following. When someone comments on your updates, acknowledge it. Depending on the social site, you may even look for people who discuss issues related to your product and dive into the conversation in a meaningful way. Remember, only comment if you can help.
7. Listen to Your Prospects
Listening is more than hearing. If your prospect tells you that she needs something more from you, think about how you can meet that need. Of course, not everyone is reasonable, but don't reject requests out of habit because you'll miss an opportunity to bring more value to your audience.
Over time, each of these strategies will help you earn your prospect's trust. And it's that trust that will get them to buy from you again and again.
This article was originally published under the title How to Turn a Prospect into a Customer at www.succeedasyourownboss.com.
Melinda F. Emerson, SmallBizLady is America's #1 small business expert. She is an author, speaker and small business coach whose areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. She writes a weekly column for the New York Times, publishes a resource blog,www.succeedasyourownboss.com, which is syndicated through The Huffington Post. She also hosts a weekly talk show on Twitter called #SmallBizChat for small business owners. As a brand, she reaches 1.5 million entrepreneurs a week on the internet. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. Forbes Magazine named Melinda Emerson one of the #1 Woman for Entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. Melinda has been featured on MSNBC, Fox News, NBC Nightly News and in Fortune, The Washington Post, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Black Enterprise. She is the bestselling author of "Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works," and the ebook How to Become a Social Media Ninja; 101 Ways to Dominate Your Competition Online.