If you are in sales, then this article is going to be a valuable one.

A common problem with people in sales is converting the business.

The process I am sharing with you is a proven way of converting your business in the most efficient manner without being salesy or pushy

Today, we'll talk about the LEAD formula for converting sales

1. On a call or
2. One-on-one meeting

Hello, My name is Harish K Saini from Recherche Digital, where we help companies in scaling their business through Presentation, Automation & Digitalisation

The LEAD format is not only easy to implement but also helps maintain your balance as a salesperson.

But before we speak further, I would like to give you one golden tip for sales:

"Detach from the Sale."

Yes.

...and at times, it would be very difficult because sales is the first thing on the mind of salespeople, but this is the main difference between a salesman and a sales pro.

Okay, after this golden rule, let's move to the LEAD way of closing.

The Letter L in LEAD stands for 'Learn'.

While most salespeople immediately start sharing what their product & service can do, without checking the stage of the prospect, it is simply not the right way to approach the prospect.

A sales pro starts the meeting by learning about the prospect, their challenges, and needs, and not by explaining the product or service.

Let me take the example where the service offered is, say, Presentation, and the customer is a B2B manufacturer.

LEAD in action with example

Prospect: I need a presentation for my company.

Sales Pro: I understand you are looking for a presentation. In order to give you the best presentation, I need to know a bit more about your company.

Prospect: Sure, we are manufacturers of cork material, and we have 3 factories in X, YZ places with 300+ manpower, and we have a 90% market share.

See how the prospect shared many useful information in one single sentence? If you are still not clear about what he (prospect) is saying then read below

[Decode]

What the Prospect is saying What the Sales Pro is decoding

1. We are in manufacturing 1. He is from a B2B business

2. We have 3 factories and 300+ people 2. You shouldn't be offering lower packages

3. We have a 90% market share 3. They would have high expectations

Sales Pro: What are your plans for using this presentation that you have in your mind?

Prospect: We have a major buyer coming to our head office after 10 days for a big deal, and we need to show him this presentation.

[ Decode ] What the Prospect is saying:

1. Big stakes 1. It is a big event

2. Buyer coming in 10 days 2. We've only 6-7 days to design

3. We'll use the PPT in the meeting 3. They need this PPT to impress

You see, in order to increase your chance of success in closing, you must have the necessary information and offer the right fit.

You now have a fair idea of the requirement and the current state of your prospect.

After the first phase, it's time you start speaking about the solution...

I said solution because it is not about the product or service but actually fulfilling the need of the client.

...and remember, most of the time, even the client is not sure what the solution is, and they may demand something that might not help them in the future.

This is where you need to take the lead and show them what the right solution is instead. You'll see this in the continuing discussion.

The next letter in LEAD is E, which stands for Educate.

After gathering some important information, it's your turn to lead the conversation by educating the client. You might have a few services around their need, but it is important to offer one which actually solves their need.

Continuing the example,

Sales Pro: Got it. Please correct me if I am wrong, but based on the conversation, it looks like you are planning to show your company presentation, which tells them about your infrastructure, mission and vision, and team, etc.

Prospect: That's right; we are thinking of showing about our company.

Sales Pro: I understand, and many of our clients from the manufacturing industry come to us just for this requirement when there is an important client visit or a big order involved. With that experience, I can tell you that you don't need a company presentation but a sales presentation.

Prospect: ...but we are not selling immediately; it's a routine visit before they can decide.

The Letter A in the LEAD way of closing is "Associate."

This is where, after educating, you now associate your service with their possible solution. This is how the association may be done in the same example:

Sales Pro: ...and that is exactly why I suggest a sales presentation rather than a simple company presentation. You see, with this sales presentation, you'll not be selling the product but silently selling them the idea that your company is the perfect fit. I can tell you that showcasing your mission, vision, or team would not help, but you need to impress them with:

1. Your capabilities,

2. Your USPs,

3. Your past clients and their success,

4. Why you are the best fit.

Can you see? We are not talking about the product because this is for the later stage...and at this current stage, they want reassurance from your company.

Prospect: Yes, you are right. At this stage, they are just visiting us and trying to figure out if we are the right fit.

Sales Pro: Exactly. Since we have done work with companies A, B, C, and we know how this works, our past experience will help you get the right impression from your buyer.

...and now comes the last part, Letter D i.e., DEAL.

Prospect: Great, I think you have got the idea of what we need, and it will probably help us with the right presentation.

Sales Pro: Absolutely, We have a "Sales Deck for Manufacturing for Pre-Sale," and I believe this is the right fit for you.

Prospect: Lovely, can you send the details about it to my email?

With this example, I hope you have got a fair idea about the "LEAD" method of converting, through which we have converted more than a million in sales to our 1000+ clients in 50+ industries in 10+ countries.

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