How to Close More Online Sales Through the Magic of Questions
No one can deny that sales closing techniques are absolutely
vital in face-to-face selling. But often, people ask me if they
can apply my powerful closing techniques to online marketing. My
answer is an unequivocal, "Yes!"
Of course, there are some closing techniques that are more
applicable to the Web than others -- but I'll show you magical
closing secrets that can dramatically increase your web sales,
and rapidly increase your online income. This works best on
direct response websites - i.e., those that focus on getting an
immediate response in the form of an order or lead.
Before we get started, I must emphasize that much of the sale is
made in the presentation. The close is largely determined by how
well you've presented the product to the prospect. Your
objective, then, is to take the prospect smoothly past the point
of closing, making it easy for him or her to come to a buying
decision. You can accomplish this with the strategic use of
questions.
The All-Important Opening Question
When you're selling online, you don't have the benefit of
interacting with your prospect the way you would in face-to-face
selling. Therefore, the first thing you say in your web copy has
to be something that breaks preoccupation, grabs attention, and
points to the result or benefit of the your product.
At any given moment, your prospect's mind is preoccupied with
dozens of things. Therefore, a well-crafted question will cause
the prospect's thinking to be directed to what you have to say.
Your opening question must be aimed at something that is
relevant and important, and at something that your prospect
needs or wants. What do sales managers, for instance, sit around
and think about all day long? Increasing sales! Therefore, if
your target market consists of sales managers, here's an example
of a question you can use as a headline or as the first part of
your copy: "How would you like to see a method that would enable
you to increase your sales by 20% to 30% over the next 12
months?"
When you ask such a question, the first thing that pops into the
mind of the prospect should be, "What is it?" - whereupon you've
captured his or her attention, and you can then begin to
articulate how your product or service can solve the need posed
by the question.
==================================================== Plan your
opening question carefully. If your opening question fails to
break your prospect's preoccupation and grab his attention, he
will click away before giving you the opportunity to present
your product or service.
Questions That Keep Them Involved
Questions are equally vital during the presentation, i.e., in
the body of your web copy, for clearly explaining how your
product or service solves your prospect's problem in an easy,
fast, or cost- effective way. Therefore, install questions
within your sales copy that capture attention. Keep your
prospect involved, and keep his mind from wandering off in a
different direction by using intriguing questions that grab his
lapels and jerk him toward you. For the length of time that it
takes a prospect to answer a question in his mind, you have his
total attention. The prospect is drawn more and more into the
sales process as your questioning proceeds. If your questions
are logical, orderly and sequential, you can lead the prospect
forward toward the inevitable conclusion to purchase your
product or service.
Tip: Never say something if you can ask it instead! Think of how
you can phrase your key selling points as questions. The person
who asks questions has control!
Closing Questions that Presume the Sale
Just as questions are important at the beginning and the body of
your web copy, they are even more vital at the end in gaining a
commitment to action.
The key to asking a closing question is confident expectation.
You must skillfully craft your question to convey that you
confidently expect the prospect to say, "Yes" or to agree to the
sale.
For example, you can pose the following question in your web
copy: "When would you like to start using to multiply your profits?" In other words, you don't ask
if they want to buy your product, but when. This way, you're
asking for the sale expectantly, and the more confidently you
expect to sell, the more likely it is that you will sell.
Tip: In crafting your closing question, include the benefit that
your prospect will get from your product.
When you ask a compelling closing question, you diffuse the
tension that normally creeps up on your prospect at the "moment
of truth." A prospect's tension leads to the hesitance that
kills so many sales - both online and offline.
To be truly persuasive in the selling process, learn to use
questions judiciously throughout your web copy. Instead of
trying to overwhelm your prospects with reasons and rationales
for doing what you want them to do, ask strategic questions
instead. When you take the time to plan the wording of your
questions, your prospect will become more interested in your
product -- and consequently, you will make more sales.