Learn to Convert Leads

How can you improve your delivery of service?

When we talk about the incremental, continuous efforts we add to our delivery – the one-percenters, we’re talking about both how we provide service to our clients externally as well as what we do internally for our team and our partners.

There are three major components that sit alongside each other when it comes to how we do business:

1. Attract
2. Convert
3. Deliver

In case you missed it, have a read of the two articles I wrote about the 1% improvements you can make in your business to improve your delivery right here.

It’s important to understand your delivery before moving on to the stages of converting and attracting because there’s no sense in chasing down new clients if you don’t first have a clear process for how you’re going to deliver.

In this article, I want to take you through the process of converting your leads.

The whole concept of conversion begins with a process of how we take clients on a journey from the initial attraction straight through to becoming satisfied customers or partners. Without truly understanding the conversion process, we end up with what I like to call a leaky bucket. New people may be coming in, but without putting in the work to convert them, they just fall to the wayside.

I’ve come up with a detailed three-stage, nine-step process to help you with your conversion process.

I want to start off by saying that this nine-step process doesn’t just apply to new business leads. This is a concept that you can carry out in both your external and internal relationships, whether it’s making a sale, bringing on a new team member, or even elevating an employee’s immersion in your business.

To pre-frame this process, I want to first talk about three key components to conversion that make a big difference in your success:

1. Structure

One mistake we make in trying to convert people is following a script rather than a structure, which means the conversation is different every time.

2. Control

Having control over the conversation is the most important component of being successful in converting people.

3. Stretch the gap

People buy a product because they recognize how your product or service can fill a gap in their life. What you need to do is show them more about what that gap actually is. The more you can stretch that gap, the more you can make filling that gap important, relevant, and vital to them, the more likely they are going to buy-in.

There are four key issues that happen when we don’t stretch the gap:

1. People don’t really buy in.

People seem to be interested, but they don’t become invested in your business. Maybe they buy a little bit, or they sign up for a short term. They don’t really become fans.

2. It feels like you’re pushing.

Do you know that saying work smart, not hard? If you don’t stretch the gap, it often feels like you’re pushing way too hard because you haven’t proven just how much they need you.

3. You get feeble excuses.

People seem interested but you just keep getting turned down for reasons you know are just excuses.

4. You talk, they run.

You can hear yourself chatting up your product or service, but the lead you’re chatting to seems fully disconnected.

Any of these issues sound familiar to you?

Here is the tried and true three-stage, nine-step process that you can use to help you overcome these challenges and avoid facing them in the future.

Stage 1: Lead

The first step is to lead your prospects along a certain path. This is where the structure becomes important because you want to lead each prospect through the same journey.

Step 1: Build rapport. Take the time to get to know your prospects. Build a relationship of trust and responsiveness by asking them about themselves before you get down to business.

Assume trust and demand responsiveness.

Step 2: Set the agenda. Layout what you want to talk to them about and how you’re going to do it. Take control and be authoritative, then ask if they’re on board with the agenda.

Step 3: Decision time. Remind them of why they’re having this chat, to begin with by asking them why me? Why now? Tell them you’ll be looking for a yes or no answer. 

Stage 2: Stretch

Help them to see your perspective on how your business can help fill in the gaps in their life.

Show them the pain and gain; what will they lose if they don’t work with you, and what will they gain if they do?

Step 1: Look ahead: Ask your prospect what their future looks like. “Ask them what would have to happen for you to feel happy and satisfied?”

Step 2: Back to reality: Ask them to assess their current reality. Establish the gap between the future and the right-now.

Step 3: Roadblocks: What’s going to stand in their way? Stretch the gap. Show them what they’re fearful of. 

Stage 3: Sale

Next week, we’ll go through the very specific order of steps to actually seal the deal.