The client broke down one step away from the deal - nine reasons

[jisansorkar12]

Your sales manager was leading a promising client. Everything was going well, but one day the client simply stopped communicating. Now he ignores your company and your product. Sergey Kozlov, CEO of Megaplan, considers possible reasons for this.

In classical sales, there are six stages.

Acquaintance.
Analysis of customer needs.
Presentation.
Working with objections.
Completing the deal.
Resale or upsell.
In each of them, buyers drop out for different reasons. I will highlight the main ones.

Manager postpones exchanging contacts
Don't expect the client to give you a phone number. "My extension is 564, how can I ukraine whatsapp list reach you?" is one of the tricks for a manager who has difficulty collecting contacts. It's worth exchanging phone numbers at the acquaintance stage. With each subsequent stage, the probability of losing a client increases. The employer should create corporate accounts in instant messengers, mobile numbers for employees. There are cases when after dismissal, the manager's personal correspondence with clients was opened, in which he promised non-existent product features and discounts. He tried to negotiate personal kickbacks.

The manager communicates with the client only via email
The manager chooses a channel for communication that seems convenient for the buyer. This is a mistake. For example, dry correspondence does not help build relationships. It is suitable for exchanging documents and recording agreements.

To discuss unspoken nuances, persuade, and establish warm contact, it is better to use a phone or instant messengers. Even though in 2021 many consider calls an invasion of personal space. If the customer replies to the letter that he is ready to watch the product presentation, call him back. Express joy, ask what details should be prepared for the meeting. In some companies, a call without planning the next communication is considered a waste of time. CRM systems have special fields for recording the result of the conversation.

Remember: conversations set the emotional tone of communication, correspondence closes the formal side of negotiations. Clients do not like video calls, even in 2021. It is considered an invasion of personal space. Another issue is if the client himself asks for a video connection - the manager should be able to connect.

Video calls provide space - you can “share” your screen with each other and show the benefits of the product.

The manager postpones a meeting or phone call
Personal contact should take place no later than a week after the previous meeting or phone conversation. Otherwise, the buyer will forget about both the product and the manager. When planning a meeting, it is worth making a phone call to the client and adjusting to his schedule. In our CRM system, we even launched an automatic scenario: the task of calling clients with whom he has not spoken for a long time is automatically entered into the calendar of the manager responsible for clients.

The manager does not pay attention to the recipients of the letter
The sales manager receives a response from the client via email, and an unknown addressee appears in the copy of the letter. In such a situation, it is necessary to call the buyer back and gently inquire who this person is. It is important to understand whether he or she is a decision maker or a secretary who simply prepares papers. This approach will help to avoid awkward situations.

The manager does not collect feedback on the meeting
The same rule applies here as when collecting contacts: feedback immediately after the meeting, presentation. The client's emotions are still fresh, and he will be frank. What does the customer think about the meeting? What else did he want to know, how else can you help him? Without understanding what the client missed at the presentation, and what can be done without, there will be no more deals. Work on the desire to identify and really solve the client's problem.

The manager throws around discounts
A discount significantly reduces the value of a product in the eyes of a buyer, focusing him on the price, and not on the benefit he will receive. The company simply sells the product below its market value. Therefore, talk about discounts should be gently reduced to nothing. To do this, you can choose one of the formulas below/

If a client asks about a discount at the needs analysis stage, say that first you still need to find out all of his pain points, formulate the final cost of the product, and only then talk about discounts.
If it is at the presentation stage, then the client is most likely ready to buy the product. Offer to work out the nuances and details of the deal first.
If — at the stage of the transaction, find out the financial situation of the buyer. Perhaps a discount is necessary due to a seasonal decline in sales. Such a client can be given a discount, asking for a concession in return.
You shouldn't bet on a client who can't afford the product. There's a high probability of the deal falling through. Those who need the product will pay the full price. Offer a small bonus (you shouldn't throw them around either) - it should be useful and not reduce the value of the product.

The manager is pushing himself
If the client's plans have changed, he wants to politely end the conversation and says so honestly, do not be persistent, asking: still, when can we call again? (Taking a passive position is also wrong.) Thank the person for his time. This way you increase the likelihood that the client will return to you if necessary.