Getting people to look you up on the internet is one thing, but actually going through with the sale is another one entirely. Finding more traction and generating leads isn’t the hardest part of the job, it’s actually being persuasive enough to land jobs.
I want to highlight some of the most important tips for being as persuasive as possible during your first conversation with a client. You have to take the necessary steps to spark a client’s interest and respect as quickly as possible!
Confidence
Showing confidence is one of the main ways to inspire respect. People naturally look up to others that show leadership skills, even if they’re not aware of it. And you can express confidence with your voice and body language to great effect.
Offer a final solution. When offering solutions, paint them as the ultimate solution. Yes, you can fix it, and you can do it on this day. Direct language goes a long way in making a sale, because no one buys “maybe” or “we’ll have to see”.
Stand straight and practice your speech. Train in front of a mirror if you must. Fix your posture, watch your own hands, and be comfortable with a bright and open speaking voice.
Be direct. Avoid giving your client any sense of uncertainty or that there’s a chance your solution won’t pan out. Obviously, that doesn’t mean you should lie – that’s never the case. But you should be able to offer a solution without meandering and raising doubts.
Persuasion techniques
Use “we”. Once you’ve understood what your client wants, you can already offer a solution by referring to both of you as a team. Start using “we” instead of just “you”, as this implies a sense of development in your relationship, as well as a sense of teamwork.
Reassure that the client has the final say. It’s never a good idea to impose decisions on your clients, but there are ways to gently “rush” them. One of the most effective ways is to ensure they have the final say. Lay out their options as clearly as possible and say “it’s up to you”. More often than not, they’ll choose to work with you.
Talk about the advantages. If a client is on the fence, you should have the advantages of your service at the tip of your tongue. In fact, you should have these ready as part of your arsenal. And if you’re trying to help them decide between two or more options, focus on describing the pros of each of them, not so much the cons. The final deciding factor will almost always be the cost, so adding the cons would only create further confusion.
Be Friendly
Be polite. It may sound obvious, but being polite never goes unappreciated. Whenever we initiate contact with anyone unfamiliar, there’s always an underlying tension that they won’t be respectful or polite with us, but you can always do your part.
Know your boundaries. It’s a common misconception that being polite is the same as spitting jokes left and right. There’s nothing wrong with some natural humor and a positive attitude, but don’t fall for the trap of believing you have to make jokes – especially if you’re someone that tends to come off as dry and sarcastic.
Follow up
Following up will be necessary on the regular, so be sure to perfect your methods. Being punctual is the most important, but all of these persuasion techniques are even more important during this step.
For some, it works to create a sense of urgency or scarcity in order to secure the job, but you have to be delicate in how you choose to lay it down.
Learn more about how to follow up with a call!
Customer experience
Your job of persuading clients starts before they ever speak a word with you. If you think about what it would take for you to give up trying to contact an unknown business and simply look for another one, you’d see that it’s not a lot. Even the smallest blunder can be the wall clients will stop and turn around at.
So put yourself in your client’s shoes and try to find any potential walls. Look up your business name on Google and see how easy it is to find (do this in incognito mode). Does your Facebook/Instagram page have all the contact info they need, and are they easy to find? Do you have bad reviews on your profile page that need addressing?
There’s a lot to consider when talking to clients, but the steps you take to get them to even talk to you in the first place should not be forgotten.
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