For every 10 people you are working with, only 1 might end up buying.
A sales funnel, or sales pipeline, is something that every professional sign salesman wants to keep full. It means having a slew of people who are interested, inquiring about your sign making service today, with the possibility of converting it into a sale in the future. Good sign salesman constantly have a number of people in various stages of readiness to make the purchase. This means that you must always be prospecting for new customers, even when you are closing the current group.
A basic signmaking sales funnel can be broken down into 4 steps.
- Generate interest. You want people to contact you. This is actually simpler than it may sound. Try offering a free newsletter in exchange for an address (home or email). Offer coupons in exchange for contact info. For those who are interested in purchasing right away, have a detailed contact form with phone number ready. You always carry around your business cards, right?
- Follow up. Once you have secured their contact information, don't put off getting in touch. Send an email, or even give a call, to let them know what kind of services you are offering. Don't be afraid - this isn't cold calling. They have expressed a measure of interest in your business, and you want to take advantage of that.
- Let them get to know you. While you are anxious to make a sale, don't rush it. Some customers will need to be convinced of your business before they are ready to buy. Look for ways to stay in contact with them, perhaps via a special coupon sent to their address. Tip: Make sure you keep your contact information organized.
- Close the sale. Get down to business. Give them a quote, answer questions, ease their worries and close the sale. Chances are if you have been giving them proper attention by running them through your sales funnel, making the sale will be the easiest part of the whole process!
