Description

The secret weapon to doubling or even tripling your sales may be right under your nose. Your website, used strategically, can help you close more sales than you can imagine.In this video, Eric Spellmann explains the steps you need to take to turn your company’s “online brochure” into a sales machine!

Transcript

Note from Eric: Below, you will find a word-for-word transcript of this video. I provide this as an aid for the hearing-impaired and for those who might just want to read it rather than watch the video. This conversational style is not reflective of how I write. Be nice! Hey I am Eric Spellmann with Spellmann & Associates. And today’s topic is How to Close the Sale Using Your Website. Now, this isn’t my typical discussion of how to turn your website into a lead generating machine, or how to get an e-commerce site to sell better.
This is more about how you as a salesman, a physical human salesperson can utilize your website to make the sale when you are talking with a potential customer. So let’s jump right in.

The key is to understand the sales process as it relates to your website. The customer has a problem, they search Google for the answer. And that’s really important as you’ve heard me say this on other videos before. You need to ask yourself “What problem is my business the solution to?”or “What question is my business the answer to?”

Always look at it from that standpoint. Because a lot of times when people search Google, they’re not looking for the name of your company, they’re looking for what you do! And so you need to think in terms of what is the problem that I’m the solution for, what is the solution that I am the answer for!

So they’re gonna search Google, hopefully your site comes up. Now if it doesn’t, you need to go watch my other video “How to Rank Well on Google?”

But let’s say that you do come up. So the customer, they go to your website. Now if your website has been designed to convert an anonymous looker into someone who calls you up or emails you, then that’s what we’re getting to at this point, that’s what we’re working towards.

You want a website that converts and once again, watch some of my other videos on how that conversion takes place. But let’s say that they’ve gone through all this, they’ve called you up, now what? Here’s where the magic is. Here’s how you as the salesman, can use your website to help close the sale.

Step 1, set them at their PC. It is important that you get these people to be in front of a computer. If they’re driving around and calling you, not an option. If all they have is their cellphone, probably not an option. If they have a tablet, then maybe so. Because you need to be able to talk to them while they’re looking at your website. So, set them at their PC. 9 times out of 10 when someone calls me up asking for my advice, I’ve found out that usually they’re in front of a PC.

So usually this is a very easy thing to do. So have them sit at their PC. And you need to decide how will you do this. Will you use GotoMeeting or not? What I mean by GotoMeeting or a similar service is are you going to control their screen during this process or not? Now, I see both ways. If this person has never dealt with you before, they may be a little uncomfortable giving you control of their screen.

Now, they may not be uncomfortable going through the process and going to GotoMeeting and connecting to you and watching your screen. But, I’ll be honest. When I’m trying to make a sale many times, usually I don’t ask to intrude that much into their PC area. So I’ll simply say “Hey go to my website and tell me when you’re there.” Now I know that may sound a little less efficient, but keep in mind the trust barrier for this potential customer is still pretty high.

You’ve got to lower that! And if you immediately go in guns blazing saying “I need to control your PC.” Sometimes they just go “Well I don’t know etc etc.” So, what I’ve discovered is I’ll just simply say “Hey, go to this website and we’ll start.”

The key is pictures. Remember, I’ve told you over and over and over everyone on the internet has ADD and they’re lazy. So the key is to take them to a part of their website where there are pictures. Now, some people actually create a certain section of their website that is not reachable by their menu.

It’s almost like an orphan set of pages that are used strictly for the sales process I’m about to lead you through. So you might consider that. You might create a set of web pages that you can send them to, like “whatever.com/visit” etc. And if they typed that in directly, they’ll go to that set of pages that you specifically designed to talk them through while they’re on the phone.

Or, you can simply take them to your website and walk them through the steps on certain pages based on how you’re talking with them. “Which product are you interested in?” and you can take them straight there and then click here, click there and kind of walk them through. The reason this is so important folks, is that a lot of times if someone is just getting a sale through 1 of the senses like listening on the phone it’s easy for them to get distracted by something else. But if they’re listening to you on the phone and talking, and they can see something on the screen, you’re gonna have more of their attention.

They’re gonna be more focused, and they’re more likely to respond in the way you want them to! The key is pictures though. If you’re gonna be discussing a product with them, start off with showing them that product. Let them see it, let them take it in.

Some people even use calculators. Online calculators to make it a little more interactive, so it’s not just a website that they’re looking at. So for instance, if you have an online calculator helping them calculate the cost of your service or your product, you can take them there and say “What you think this is?

Why don’t you enter that in and let’s see what it comes up with?” It makes it more interactive and it makes them feel like they’re more part of the process in coming up with the price.

Once you’ve kind of gone through all of that, once you’ve talked them through and showed them the products, you might even let them watch a video while you’re on the phone. Once that’s all set, it‘s time for you to close the sale. So, one of the things I recommend is that on the set of pages somewhere, you might even have a downloadable form e.g. a PDF.

That they can click on, download, fill in and either scan and send back to you or fax back to you. Close the sale! Remember, the happiest a potential customer will ever be with you, is at the moment they’re interested, is at the moment they’re ready to commit cash. And if you say “Hey I’ll send you a contract in the mail.” Well buyers’ remorse may kick in.

You know if you say “Hey let me go fax that.” That’s one thing. But if people can self help themselves while they’re on the phone with you. They can click on this contract, download it and heck you might even walk them through filling it out, that’s the key. Some people say “Eric what about online signing?” Where they can use their tablet and sign the contract or something.

Those are great and I’ve even played with some of those. But you would be surprised that how many people just don’t get it. And sometimes walking them through the technicality of doing that makes them nervous. So, I don’t know. I’ll be honest. I don’t think the technology is quite there, but it’s getting there. I still see a lot of comfort people have with a downloadable contract. Also keep in mind that the person you’re talking to may need someone else to look at this contract. Or they may need to walk it to someone. So a downloadable one still seems to be the way to go.

Take the payment. I’ve seen some websites where they sign something and then you can give them a link where they can go and pay with their Debit Card or Credit Card. You’ve completed the entire sale online easily. Keep in mind that sites like QuickBooks Online and some others allow you to be able to very easily take online payments from just about anywhere!

The key however is that you’ve got someone to sign the contract. You’ve got someone to pay for the product. You need to give them something. Now you may be saying “Eric I need to ship this. I’ll go by ups or FedEx.” Give them something while they’re waiting! Either give them a video they can watch, give them something downloadable, give them a free book, give them something that will result in instant gratification.

This goes a long way to prevent that whole “Ok I just bought into this sight unseen” because everyday between the time they signed and the time they receive whatever it is you’re sending to them, will make them a little bit nervous. Because they’re already committed, and you don’t want that. So I recommend that at the end of the sale you either send them something.

Usually something they can download or maybe a video they can watch. A task you can give them, homework or something that keeps them busy during this process so that there’s not a lot of just sitting around twiddling their thumbs waiting on whatever it is to be sent to them.

Well, I’ve used this technique successfully many times and it can be used in just about any website you want. If you have any questions on this, don’t hesitate and check us out. Give me a call or watch the other videos on my site. I’m Eric Spellmann; I’ll see you in cyberspace.