Secret #3- Answer the Call

Alright... your lead generation is cranking along… People are calling you. Emailing you. Filling out requests for more information on your website. Leads from your Centers of Influence, maybe you buy “leads” from online websites. A steady stream of top notch referrals. Finally, you have a steady, consistent flow of leads Prospects with honest-to-goodness problems, that you solve. Prospects interested in the products / services you offer… interested in working with you. This is a key moment in your marketing and sales process. It's when marketing hands the ball off to your sales. All the marketing was practice, critical and important practice. NOW… it's game time! Prior to this, your marketing was on auto-pilot, running without direct human contact. Ads, newsletters, free reports, website visits, maybe even a print mailer. Now, you're going to talk one-on-one with your prospect. Clients size you up in less than 3 seconds. Malcolm Gladwell, a staff writer for The New Yorker, in his New York Times Number One Bestseller, "blink" offers a fascinating study of what happens in our heads during these crucial initial 3 seconds and writes: "The instant conclusions that we reach are really powerful and really important, and occasionally, really good." It's here many times, in that first quick impression, HOW you answer… or even fail to answer the call…that determines if you win or lose a client. This is one of those little things that is a big deal. You must have a process, a script for exactly how you'll answer, greet, and handle a new prospect inquiry. Your best phone person must be trained in exactly how to handle these calls. Or, if you're a small one-man show, tied up all day long meeting with clients, make sure your voice mail works and leaves the right favorable first impression with your prospects. You only get one chance to make a first impression Return all calls promptly. Best thing to do is ask (and include this in your voice message) people the best number and time to reach them. Then call them at that time. It creates that initial impression that you are organized and on top of your business. Oh, and one final thing… While it's important to make a positive first phone impression, it's best to figure out a way to have someone other than you, the owner, The Expert in your field, answering that initial call. If you answer that first call, you lose all the critical positioning with the prospective client. And… to land profitable long-term, Ideal Clients, on your terms, at your price, you need positioning, you want positioning. Next Up… The One Thing Your Website Must Do. Walt Goshert Make Your Marketing Work Walt@Make-Your-Marketing-Work.com