The beauty of inbound call marketing campaigns? The caller has already shown interest in your product or company.
That helps explain why inbound calls generally convert at rates of 30 to 50 percent, compared to only 2 percent for web-related leads. But it doesn’t mean every call will be easy to close. Your calling center personnel still need to be taught to overcome sales objections, since they’ll still be subject to questions about your offer, concerns about quality and price or other statements that may stand in the way of an easy conversion.
Fortunately, such training can be simplified with software that can record each incoming sales call for later evaluation. Once your staffers are prepared to respond naturally with relevant responses to issues that may get in the way of a sale, your conversions should see a boost.
“Most salespeople dread objections — but these are a good thing,” advises Cameron Tanner on HubSpot.com. “When a prospect is voicing objections, it usually means they’re engaged and simply need a little convincing to sign on the dotted line.”
A key to making that happen is to listen closely to what the caller is really telling you, says Karl Wright on Callcentrehelper.com.
“It’s very easy for telesales people to hear an objection and quickly go on the offensive, throwing unnecessary information at clients,” he observes. “Take the time to clarify so you can be sure you’re about to handle the right objection. What we are looking for is the ‘why’ behind the objection.”
Consider how these strategic responses to three common objections could boost your conversions.
Objection: Your product/service seems more expensive.
Response: Note that if the price already appears in the ad spurring the call, the caller is really questioning the value involved, not the cost. That means your job is to emphasize your competitive advantage and/or ROI. Sample language: “We find customers are willing to pay a little extra for our (lifetime guarantee, locally sourced ingredients, years of experience, etc.), and they end up so pleased they become lifelong customers.” In other cases the customer is angling for a discount, in which case you might start negotiating ways they could earn one (e.g., a longer-term commitment or an immediately signed contract).
Objection: I’m not sure your product/service is better than what I’m already using.
Response: Don’t imply another product is inferior; instead affirm the value of your product and why customers prefer it. Sample language: “I’m glad to hear you’re already using similar products. Here’s what customers like about ours, and here’s why we think you’ll notice a difference with ours.”
Objection: I’ll need to think about this before making a purchase.
Response: Because this can indicate the caller is about to hang up, sales professionals advise backing up a step when you hear this. Affirm your credibility by reassuring the customer you’re more concerned about solving his problem than closing the sale. Ask probing questions and offer to provide or send more information. “Ask ‘Is there anything else you’re concerned about?’” Wright advises. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, the client will tell you.”
These responses often need to be practiced before they become second nature to your staffers. But the training should eventually pay off.
“Listening to your prospects, accepting moments when you get roughed up and learning from mistakes will help you develop a finer understanding of selling situations and the logic behind them,” notes Alex Nunez on HubSpot.com.
Dial800’s CallView360 enables automatic recording and full analysis of all your incoming sales calls. Learn more details at 1-800-700-1987.
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