Cycle Of A Lead

No matter what industry you go into, there will be something to sell. It's the most popular way to generate revenue and grow a business, but it also relies on creating a strong customer base. If you have no one to sell your product to, then you probably won't make any money. If you can establish a healthy sales cycle, though, then you can ensure that you are consistently transforming interested parties into loyal customers.

Leads

To grow a business, you have to practice effective lead management. Every sales cycle starts with leads. You may have heard this term on a television show or at an office you were visiting, but you still aren't quite sure what it means. A lead is information that suggests a person is interested in your product. These don't fall out of the sky, though. You'll have to work to generate leads.

The first way you can find leads into new sales is to do a little prospecting. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as attending events that cater to your target audience, sending out emails, or having people complete surveys. Prospecting is its own art so you need to make sure you are including certain tactics to make it effective. Have a consistent schedule so people can anticipate where you will be and how to find you; have focused efforts that highlight what you want to sell most, and create scripts for yourself to make sure every audience receives the same message.

Connections

The next phase of a sales cycle is to connect with your potential customers or clients. When you start to generate leads, you will usually have contact information for the people who are interested in your product. This is when you reach out to them individually and try to establish rapport so they begin to trust you and your product. There are a few things you can do help establish a connection with another person.

First, remember to be yourself. People can spot a fake easily and typically don't feel that the person is trustworthy. Not everyone will get along with you immediately, but odds are they will respect your transparency. Make sure that you are being friendly and positive to help them feel a little more at ease. After all, they are in a room with a stranger who wants their money - that can be tense. You should also show a genuine interest in their life and well-being to show them that you are invested in their wellness and on their side.

Conversations

Customers frequently have questions and you should be ready to answer these calmly and precisely in a conversation. After you pitch your product, ask your customers if they have any questions or concerns that you could clear up for them. You can even offer to "ease their mind" if you're asking them to make a big decision. You can even use counter questions to help them clarify what they're looking for and what their concern is. 

When you ask these questions, you need to demonstrate that you care about the customer's interests and are genuinely interested in accurately addressing their concerns. If your customer relays something that is particularly important to them, such as frequent updates from the company, then you can ask them what they consider to be frequent. This helps to ensure both parties are on the same page and working toward the same goal.

Sales

After you've satisfied the customer you can close the sale. You'll still need some gravitas to accomplish this step, but with the trust of the client on your side, it shouldn't be too difficult. Once the sale is closed, don't forget to deliver on your promises and keep up a positive relationship with your new customer.

That's how you take a sales lead from being a prospective sale to a loyal customer.