Gone are the days when folks engaged in sales need to do cold calls; that is, picking up the phone, praying that somebody at the other end picks up, and pitching whatever product he or she is selling. Although the conversion rate of such direct interaction is relatively high, it is not particularly effective as the salesperson can only cover so many potential clients in a day.
However, in the age of the Internet, prospecting for potential clients is now easier. Anybody who can use Facebook, knows how to blog or make websites, or make sure of listing services available on the Internet can advertise their business online. These efforts can generate numerous inquiries that can be potentially converted into sales.
While the goal of generating inquiries through online means is indeed to produce as many leads as possible, the more pressing concern is how to properly manage and nurture these leads, because these will ultimately what result in successful sales. With this, real estate website Lamudi Philippines have listed down ways online businesses can successfully convert their inquiries into sales.
1. Respond Quickly
It is a common belief in sales that the quicker the leads are contacted, the higher their chances of becoming qualified prospects—and this is especially true for inquiries generated through online means. Most people go online for two reasons: they’re shopping around for the best deals and are quickly assessing online vendor’s responsiveness. Online businesses should understand that at this stage, the customers are not yet loyal. However, if the business contacts them immediately and promptly answers their queries, these suggest reliability and eventually invoke a sense of loyalty on the customer’s end. Wait too long, and the customer will simply look elsewhere.
2. Nurture Those Who Don’t Convert Yet at This Time
If a person is searching for, say, a pair of shoes or headphones online, chances are he or she is not yet ready to buy. However, this does not mean that they will never do so. In fact, studies have shown that about 70 percent of them eventually do, and it is by nurturing them at this stage that you earn their trust even before they make their decision. But how does one do lead nurturing? Nurturing can be done by being in constant communication with leads, either through sending email newsletters, sending them updates on prices, or new product selections. Once these leads decided it’s time for them buy, the business that keeps on informing them will be on top of their mind.
3. Use Content to Your Advantage
In today’s Internet landscape, quality content is king. And for good reason. Internet customers nowadays are going online to learn about certain products first, before they purchase. It is not far-fetched for an average consumer to look at least five websites when they’re researching for something, comparing information—and the one who answers their questions gets their attention.
Google terms these micro-moments, or zero-moment of truth—an instance when a person has a pressing question and he needs an immediate reply, so he reaches for a device—usually a smartphone—and type in his query. This journey leads users into websites that can offer them the best answer.
4. Recognize Lead Temperament
Lead nurturing also involves understanding the “temperament” of your leads, which refers to their readiness to make a purchase. “Hot” leads are those ready to buy immediately and just weighing their options. “Warm” leads are those who are interested, but for some reason will not buy yet. “Cold” leads are those who are mostly just looking around. Categorizing leads and keeping them on file will allow you to better manage your efforts toward each.
About the author: Lamudi is the Philippines’ leading property portal, with over 80,000 listings of for-sale and for-rent properties from across the country. Launched in 2013, this fast-growing platform is currently available in 32 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. For more information, please visit http://www.lamudi.com.ph