Booking a client isn’t as simple as showing them your portfolio and accepting their payment. Instead, each sale should comprise of deliberate stages that nudge your prospects closer and closer to their purchasing decision. Buyers aren’t ready to take the plunge based on one sales pitch; they must be shown that they’ve been heard and how your business is uniquely fit to meet their needs. Even the best product or service will struggle to sell if there isn’t enough attention given to a customer’s specific preferences.
Thus, you need to follow a careful approach to selling that hits each of the six stages that are vital to closing the sale. While sales is generally a very fluid and flexible process, these steps will provide a framework upon which to personalize the sales experience for each customer.
1. Practice active listening.
Contrary to popular belief, sales is less about what you have to offer and more about what your customer needs. It’s not an opportunity to give a spiel about your brand values and product features. Instead, use each sales meeting as a way to learn more about your client’s preferences and get closer to understanding their expectations. Ask open-ended questions that help you to hone in on their deepest intentions and the big “why” behind their choices.
2. Share your expertise.
Once you’ve gotten a feel for your customer’s personality and their final vision, it’s time to fill in the role as informal teacher. You’ve worked countless events and have years of experience under your belt, whereas your client may be planning their very first event. They may be overwhelmed by budgeting, logistics, décor options, or other aspects, so you need to step in to gently guide your client in the right direction. Educate them about guidelines, trends, design ideas, and other topics that give them concern.
3. Evaluate your client’s needs.
After a bit of back-and-forth about your client’s vision, you’ll have a firm idea of what they need and how you can help them achieve their goals. Consider your repertoire of services or inventory of products to determine how you can best serve their custom needs.
It’s also worth doing a bit of behind-the-scenes research on your client to see if you learn something that didn’t come up in conversation. For example, perhaps you learn that a corporate lead is planning to expand to a new region, which will influence their upcoming awards gala. Or, maybe you learn that an engaged couple has three precious pooches that can inspire a few surprise touches at their wedding.
4. Provide custom solutions.
You’ve done your homework and you know exactly how to help your clients. Now, you just need to present your ideas to them. Craft a detailed proposal that outlines exactly what you’re suggesting, linking every feature to a specific benefit. It’s great that you allot a certain number of servers and bartenders, but the real value is the consistent and professional serving quality that enhances your clients’ guest experience. Help your clients see the full picture by connecting the dots for them and demonstrating exactly what they’ll get by signing with you.
5. Nurture the relationship and build trust.
It’s easy to throw some ideas on a piece of paper and tout all of the benefits of your business. However, great products and services only go so far — you also need to build trust with your prospects before they’re ready to sign on the dotted line. A nonstop sales pitch confirms their concerns — that you’re simply a salesperson trying to make some money off them. Break their expectations by showing your genuine interest and investment in their event; it’s not about your bottom line, it’s about helping them get from point A to point B as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
6. Close the sale.
Last but certainly not least, you must close the sale! If you’ve followed the first five steps and have led your prospective clients on a welcoming buyers’ journey, then this becomes one of the easiest steps. You’ve already warmed them up to your brand and your ideas, so you just need to start talking details (like payment methods and onboarding) and prepare a contract for them to sign.
While it might seem formulaic to reduce sales to a six-step process, it really is a matter of following through on each stage to ensure your client feels heard and appreciated. After a while, the flow of your sales workflow will become second-nature and you’ll be booking new clients left and right — so long as you stick to your values of client appreciation.