Is Your Business Card Spelling Doom Your Next Sale?

Picture this… You just had a KILLER sales meeting with a prospect. The meeting went so well you now have them where you want them…  Ready To Buy! 

On the way out the door... Feeling the vibes. You say your "goodbyes, shake hands and of course (As per usual) leaving your business card behind.

Perfection, right? 

But, have you ever given serious thought to what a prospect will do  after you leave your business card behind?

Warning: Not anticipating what happens next can spell t-r-o-u-b-l-e for your sale!

Because of the internet. When you leave, the chances are your prospect is going check out your website or might simply Google your name to validate. At a minimum they will look to find you on LinkedIn or verify you from other social media channels. That’s just what we do these days, we like to sneak a peek to make sure we believe what we just saw. 

Be honest, you do that too... Right?

Remember that doubt is one of the first things that creeps up in the mind before committing to a sale. Controlling uncertainty and providing proof is just another part of the sales process.

Have you considered how important your internet presence can be?

Ever wonder why some sales just seem to evaporate into thin air?

Here are 3 things to take control of what your prospects find out about you online, and instead, keeping them focused on the value your product/service can bring.

#1 Look The Part?

You just wowed them with your rock star sales presentation. Chances are you told them how successful your company is, how long you have been around, how many clients you have served and so on. Does your online presence look the part? Does your website reflect your company’s success? Do your internet properties give you and your company the look of authority?

If not, what unintentional message does this send to the prospect?

To drive this home, Let’s put the shoe on the other foot: What if you are looking to hire a financial advisor to manage your money. At your first meeting, you really liked this person and started to trust them with your hard-earned money, but when you looked to see him/her leave you noticed they were driving a broken down, low budget car. Your instincts might say, “that seems kind of odd, something is not right here?”

It may not be fair, but you most likely you will think twice or will not give that person your business at all. (Even at a subconscious level.) However, we need to be conscious how prospects are sizing us up during the whole sales process. That makes it our job to pay attention to the all the details and make sure we keep looking the part at all times.

#2 Provide A Chance To Save Face

“I don’t believe what I just saw!” are the words by Jack Buck in one the most famous (or Infamous… If you are an A’s Fan) calls in baseball history, when Kirk Gibson came off the bench and hit a game winning home run in 1988.

The same thing can happen in sales too.

Whether we like to admit it or not, no matter how well that sales meeting went, once out the door those positive feelings start to depreciate. Prospects secretly look to verify if what they just saw was true.

Why? Prospects want to get it right. Let’s face it, no one wants to look bad.

With the right game plan the internet can provide the chance to help prospects along.

Testimonials are a powerful tool to help prospects feel secure. Not many other things can ease their second guesses then hearing what other peoples experiences have been. Look, it's one thing if YOU tell me that you offer great products and/or services, it's a whole other story if somebody else tells me the same... even better if that source is someone that is trusted and respected.

Do you have killer testimonials available online? I think you should! It’s what the prospect is looking for... Proof!

#3 Close That Sale!

Remember, you knocked that sales meeting out of the park and really got their minds buzzing about what you said and how they can use your product/service.

Because you did such as great job getting them excited they are going to head online to learn more.

Does your online presence feed the need to learn and at the same time keep them from seeking answers to your competition? And even more importantly, give them a reason to buy from you?

Prospects don’t always ask every question they need to make a buying decision on a sales call. After all, a question or two may pop up after you leave. The fastest way to get a question solved these days is to just “Google It!”

Do you provide those answers in a click?

As a salesperson you know to be ready in advance to address objections and concerns. The best sales people know having the right answers is a golden opportunity to gain more trust with a prospect thus getting closer to gaining a new client.

I bet you never guessed just handing over your business card could cause such a chain reaction.

How do you feel? In no way do I want anyone to go into panic mode here… But I do strongly believe now is the time to start adding pieces toward an overall online plan that will help you connect more deeply with your target audience.

It’s safe to say that maybe 5 years ago having a “basic” online presence may not have made a difference how prospects decide to buy. But not anymore, today it is so important to seize every opportunity and leverage every chance to be known as the expert in your industry. Why give a prospect any opportunity to second guess or find answers elsewhere by not finding new ways to provide the answers for them.

To close sales it’s becoming more and more critical to winning people over. Being ahead of the curve by proving the answers and solutions prospects are looking for online can only bring you one step further to your goals!

So what do you think? Is have a credible online presence important? Am I making too much of a big deal here? Do you have any stories how you changed your mind not to buy because of a poor online presence?

Please comment and share your insights!