How to Convince Prospects to Switch and Start Buying from You

So . . . you have a prospect buying everything from your competitor.

Or . . . you have customers that buy a few products from you, but not all that they COULD be buying.

• How do you persuade them to start buying your product?
• How do you convince your prospect to change his/her mind?

Maybe they are afraid to make a change – most people have the fear that to make a change means taking a risk.

I had that fear three years ago when I made a BIG change. But one thing convinced me it was okay to switch.

What Persuaded Me to Switch?

Nearly every day I saw television commercials advertising the benefits of switching from Verizon Telephone Service (land line) to the local cable company’s digital phone service.

Those ads did not convince me to switch.

One Conversation Made the Difference

Elizabeth, my next-door neighbor, was outside working in her garden one warm and sunny Saturday and we began talking about telephone service – and the new digital phone service that became available in our area.

Elizabeth said she had switched to digital and it was working out okay. Not only that, but her parents, brother and sister had also changed from Verizon to the cable company’s digital phone service and her family was happy with it.

AND – since the promotion included free upgrade of cable TV to digital TV, I decided that would be the time to make the change.

I did it. But would NOT have switched had it not been for my conversation with Elizabeth.

How can you persuade YOUR prospects to switch from their current vendor – and buy from you?

Why They Might Not Want to Switch

• Bad past experience.  They tried a product or service similar to yours and were not happy with it, and/or
• They have heard horror stories about products like yours and/or
• They just don’t want to take the chance of having problems

Why They Won’t Buy and Why They Do

(1.)  The salesperson looking for that first phone-call sale may be disappointed and/or not successful in the long run.  Building a good relationship is critical, if you want to keep the customer. The customer must feel s/he can trust the salesperson and most consumers do not want to buy when high-pressure sales tactics are used.

(2.)    It’s not that consumers don’t want to buy; we all love buying. Just take a look at the crowded shopping malls. On weekends it’s nearly impossible to find a parking place. We like to buy – but we hate to be sold. That is why the high-pressure hard-sell sales person does not usually last in some industries. And it’s one of the reasons why sales on the Internet have dramatically increased – because there is no pressure to buy immediately. The consumer can browse and shop at her own pace on her own time and can buy what and when she chooses. But customers will not buy again on the Internet if there are problems with the products they buy and if they cannot reach a live person to help resolve the problem.

(3.)  Customers – just like you and me – want to know that they can easily reach a person (not an automated phone system) when they call for help or with questions. If your company does use an automated telephone system, but sure to give customers your extension number and/or cell phone number, so they won’t have to listen to multiple automated options when they call. The comfort level must be there; anything you can do to make it easy for customers to reach you will help.

Two Ways To Convince Them To Switch To Your Company

If the customer feels the sales person is really trying to help, trust will be built. If the customer believes the sales person – and believes that this product or service is truly different and better than others, a sale can be made.

But what can really change the customer’s mind is learning that other businesses are using your products successfully. That is why it is critical to use testimonials from satisfied customers. Be a name dropper (with permission). Tell prospects about well-known businesses that are happy using your products and service.

A testimonial can create a customer faster than anything you can tell the prospect.

When you say something about yourself or your product, it’s not nearly as effective as when other people say it. When others say or write positive statements about you or your product, it’s proof. That is the essence of the testimonial. And it’s okay to prompt customers about what you want them to say – IF what you want them to say is the truth.

Here is a fact about testimonials: THEY WORK!

You can ask for testimonial letters from happy customers, but in order to speed up the process, send a testimonial request letter (or email with permission) and fax-back form.

2 Responses to “How to Convince Prospects to Switch and Start Buying from You”

1. Rocky says:

   March 12, 2010 at 1:10 am

   Will try Testimonials & get back to you.

   Thanks.

   Rocky

   Reply
   • Ann Barr says:

     March 12, 2010 at 1:49 am

     Rocky, testimonials from real people (first and last name) at companies your prospects have heard of, are a powerful way to convince prospects that your products and services are valued by others. Good luck – and let me know how it works out for you.

     Reply