What is Conversational Selling?

Over the last decade, "automation" has been the buzzword for every business looking to grow at scale. From marketing to sales to service, nearly every department has been involved in the shift to less manual processes. This is especially true for home contractors as demand rises, leaving sales teams pressured to provide exceptional communication.

While automation brings a wide range of benefits for high-consideration purchases, it can be easy to forget the human-to-human connection that is required to actually close the sale. For example, Amazon created a huge shift in retail and e-commerce, but high-consideration purchases still rely on consumer trust and strong relationships.

According to a study conducted by Hubspot, out of 900+ buyers, only 3% view salespeople and marketers as trustworthy. So what does this mean for your sales efforts? Are homeowners distrusting of your service offerings and expertise? Not necessarily—but they are vetting you more than ever. Conversational selling can help you overcome their objections and ramp up your business. 

Embrace and Accept "No"

The philosophy behind conversational selling is simple - one-on-one conversations, empowered by technology. Businesses that leverage conversational selling in their sales process are seeing huge results because it builds trust. If a homeowner trusts you, they’re more likely to choose you as their service provider. It’s straightforward, but some sales teams overcomplicate the process.

Embrace and Accept "No"

As a sales professional, the word "no" can hurt to hear, but with conversational selling it becomes an entry point to dig in. This is where you can learn from your lost prospect and restructure your pitch for next time.

"No" gives you a chance to discover the problems with your pitch or your product - it's a growth opportunity. As soon as you hear the word "no," your mentality should shift from sales to customer service.

In a recent case study, we spoke with a semi-retired window replacement rep who was able to set an appointment by recognizing that the customer was unhappy with pricing for wooden windows.

The rep recognized the quoted price, and came back with a question - "Is there a reason you're not considering vinyl? It's much cheaper and there isn't much difference visually."

By using the context provided by the lead, the sales rep was able to recognize the reasoning behind the customer's objection and use it to their advantage. You can do this exact same thing in your sales process and conversations: hear the customer’s reasoning, then find ways you can help.

Pull, Don't Push

The quickest way to lose a sale is to charge in and come across as pushy. Sales reps want to close the sale quickly, but prospects are on their own timelines. Instead, approach your sales interactions and conversations like a first date. Get to know each prospect and their needs before trying to demonstrate how you can help them.

Conversational selling relies on a back-and-forth approach, allowing prospects to create urgency on their own. If they're slow to decide, here are a few tips to help guide the conversation:

• Ask questions about the problem they’re trying to solve. What would happen if they didn’t move forward and the problem stayed the same? 
• Follow-up with something that provides value. Share a recent blog post or product update that relates to something you’ve discussed with your prospect.
• Remind them of promotions in an informational and casual tone - "Hey Jeff, just a heads up that our promotional deal ends on December 10."

Be Authentic

When you interact with your family on a daily basis, do you find yourself texting or calling them more? The medium you use to connect with your prospect is just as important as the message itself. If your prospect never answers your calls or emails, a short text might be the best way to get their attention.

We're huge proponents of text messaging - in fact, 64% of consumers think businesses should contact them via text messages more often!

You don't need long-winded emails and endless phone calls to connect with people. In fact, some of our best-performing messages are just simple Michael Scott gifs. The more authentic you are, the more potential customers will communicate with you!

If you’re looking for additional ways to talk to your leads, download your free copy of “The Complete Guide to Conversation Optimization” today. This guide will help you learn the ins and outs of speaking to your leads and customers to have more meaningful sales conversations and close more leads.