We’d like to thank you for taking part in our online conference, „Let’s grow”, co-organized with Edunation and EduBears. During the conference, we discussed managing teachers, an efficient organisation of school work thanks to new technologies, the use of social media, and how to sell more and develop the school, also in difficult times.
Those of you who couldn’t join us on May 29 are invited to watch the session recordings. Our participants’ excellent ratings confirm that it is worth spending time with us and inspiring yourself for development now.
Based on two presentations, I showed how to organise sales at school and how to use new technologies to develop them. If you find this topic interesting, we can start a series of sales articles to collect the most important topics discussed and to create a written compendium. What do you think? 🙂
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During the conference sessions, I also mentioned some articles we have posted on our blog, and I have decided to collect them all in one place.
We are also going to establish the first international group for language school owners! The group will be a forum where school owners from various countries can share their ideas and experience and come up with resolutions to the problems each of you encounter, regardless of where in the world your school is located.
As a bonus, we are adding 15 short sales tips!
1. Contact ASAP
The sooner you reach your lead, the better. If you don’t make that phone call, maybe your competitor will.
2. 6 follow-ups
Try until you get a clear answer of yes or no. If you haven’t got it yet, it means that the customer is still in a decision-making process.
3. Make sure that the conversation won’t take long
We live fast so we don’t like to waste more time than necessary to talk to some sales rep. If you make sure it won’t take long, they would be more likely to continue the conversation.
4. Smile
It’s cliche but the key to success. Smiling makes us seem more positive, cheerful, and full of energy. Due to that, we make a better impression on a prospect and positively affect their mood. Positive energy is contagious 🙂
5. Speak slowly and clearly
The basic principle of effective communication is pronouncing words clearly. Don’t let the client feel they have to make an effort to talk to you. Also, try not to speak too quickly. Always remember to introduce yourself with your name, last name, and company!
6. Define the purpose of the conversation.
Nothing is worse than a conversation going nowhere so remember to always tell your customer why you are calling them and what you offer. This rule also applies when the customer calls you. You will avoid misunderstandings and make your work easier.
7. Ask open questions
Involving a potential customer in the conversation is the first step to closing the sale. To do this, try to ask open questions, i.e. those to which the customer will be able to provide a longer answer. An effective selling technique is to avoid asking questions that can be answered with a simple „yes” or „no”.
Open questions will help you engage your client in the conversation, explore their needs and find the right offer for them. If you start bombarding your client with closed-ended questions that can only be answered „yes” or „no”, it might feel like an interrogation and they will try to avoid it by hanging up their phone or leaving the office.
8. Use social proof
Most of us are more likely to believe in the value of a product if we find that others like it. It’s worth making use of the recommendations on google, your website, and your Facebook page.
9. Use the unavailability rule
You surely know that the harder it is to get something, the more interest it receives. Therefore, a good selling technique is to suggest to the client that the offer you are presenting is limited in time or quantitatively (for example, a promotional campaign lasts only a week or you have the last slots left in the group).
10. Offer more than one option
Although we make a large part of our buying decisions under the influence of emotions, we also like to feel that our decisions are rational. In the studies in which one product was shown, only 10% of customers decided to buy. On the other hand, in the second group, where two different products were presented, sales increased by 66%. This is because being able to choose makes us feel that we are in control of the situation and make an informed, rational decision.
11. Be an expert
If you really want to sell, you need to know your product inside out. Customers often ask about the details of the offer, product specification, or ask for a comparison with other providers on the market. You should be able to honestly answer your customer’s questions. This will make them trust you more, and as a result, they will be more likely to buy your product or service
12. Be a fan of your school!
Would you buy a product from someone who doesn’t seem to be interested in it? If so, you are in the minority. Therefore, as a seller, you should not only know your product perfectly but also be enthusiastic about it. Enthusiasm is contagious, so make sure it spreads to your customers as well.
13. Ask why they’re not interested
As a salesperson, you’ve probably heard from potential customers that they are not interested in your product and you ended the conversation, which is a mistake!
Next time, try to continue the conversation. Ask the client why they are not interested. Thanks to this, you will involve them in the conversation. Who knows, maybe it will turn out that they can still be persuaded to buy. And if not, at least you will gain invaluable knowledge about your customers that you can use to improve your offer.
14. Identify the features that give you an advantage over the competition.
You’ve probably heard from a customer that your product or service is very similar to what is proposed by another company. What to do in this situation? First of all, hold back from criticizing your competitors, or you will make a bad impression. Instead, indicate significant differences between your product and the competition (e.g. higher quality, more experienced/qualified teachers, faster/comprehensive service, etc.). In short, prove that your product is better.
15. Benefits over features
Your customers are not interested in the features of your product but in the profits that may result from them. Therefore, do not go into the description of technical details and explain how they can improve the customer’s life. If a customer is looking for a language course to get a better job, explain how they can achieve it thanks to your course, rather than offer them 40 classes course.