Close More Clients with These Sales Tips
Most trainers and business owners don’t think they have a sales problem. It’s not uncommon to hear reports of 80%+ closing rates. But you rarely get the whole story…
Most of the time those closing rates are coming from just a handful of leads or consults. And if you’re only getting the opportunity to sit down with 4-5 possible new clients a month, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunity.
My guess is that you’re only getting the clients that are ready to buy and happened to find you. You’re not actually implementing a good marketing plan and sales strategy.
I’ve been there! Thinking that closing 4 out of 5 consults a month was great. Then I discovered that if I wanted to grow my business, I had to get serious about increasing the number of sales opportunities I had and maximizing each one.
Over time I went from having 4-5 consults a month to 4-5 a week and then 8-10 a week, where I was closing over 70%. That’s a lot of new clients for a business.
6 Tips to Ramp Up Sales
Here are 6 tips that can help you ramp up your sales that I’ve learned from my sales coach. Yep, even I have a sales coach! It’s important to get help with the most important parts of your business like marketing and sales.
Tip #1: All Sales Start With Prospecting
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to getting sales prospects or leads! Find 3-4 ways that you can actively pursue prospects in your market and create a 90-day plan to reach key milestones. For example:
- Schedule 3 speaking engagements in the next 90 days
- Create a new referral program
- Create agreements with 2 new joint ventures
Tip #2: Document Your Sales Process
During your Success Session or consultation you should be following a simple process for each meeting. Documenting the steps in the process and assigning visual graphics will help you stay on task. This also allows you to train others on how to sell.
Tip #3: Don’t be Needy!
Clients will see through a sales pitch when you seem needy. Be confident in your conversations and create exclusivity for your programs. This is a big one for a lot of business owners that aren’t naturally good at sales.
Tip #4: Create Expectations for the Process
Establishing ground rules with your leads will help them to be more open to your process. Determine how long it takes to close a lead into your programs and establish that from the start. For example:
“Mrs. Jones, during today’s meeting we’re going to discuss what you’re looking for in a fitness program, determine your goals, and then I’ll share a little about how our program can help you reach those goals. At the end of this meeting I’d like for us to have determined if our program is a good fit for you and if you’re a good fit for us. We’re an exclusive program and only accept clients that are ready to make some big changes. Does that sound fair?”
Doing that at the beginning of a meeting will take the pressure off selling.
Tip #5: People Love to Buy, but Hate to Be Sold
Create so much value in your programs and make the benefits so clear to your prospects that they ASK to buy your program and you don’t have to sell.
It sounds easier than it is but you can make it work. Using exclusivity, bonuses, really getting to know the client’s needs and showing them how you’ll help them accomplish their goals is a great starting point. Make your Success Session about creating an opportunity to become a client and less of a selling opportunity for you.
Tip #6: Get an Agreement on a Decision
If you don’t close someone right away, get an agreement from them on when a decision will be made. The goal is getting a confirmed “Yes” or “No”. I’ve learned from the great business coach Dan Sullivan that “Maybe’s” are what kill our entrepreneurial spirit. Have the prospect agree to a decision date.
Follow these tips and you’ll immediately begin to see an impact in your closing rates and sales growth. If all 6 seem like too much, pick the most important one to you and start using it immediately!
