Let's get right to the point. If you don't have your telephone
number displayed clearly on your website, then you are losing
sales and leads. It's that simple. I'm aware, of course, that
many major ecommerce sites don't do this (Amazon.com being a
prime example). I'm also aware that dealing with telephone
inquiries can add both an extra time and an extra financial
overhead to the costs of running your online business.
Nevertheless, with the right approach and sales process in
place, accepting telephone inquiries will result in more sales.
It is a simple fact that some people will want to call you
about your products or service. They may just want to check
that there's someone on the other end of the phone if they
have problems, they may want more information about a specific
product. Whatever the reason for the call, this is an opportunity
for you to get a new customer. Don't waste it. Here's five ways
to help ensure that you convert your telephone inquiries into
sales.
i) Answer Customers Questions:
This may sound obvious, but I've lost count of the number of
times I've called a company only to be told "that information is
on the website". The information may very well be on the website,
but I'm on the telephone and personally, I don't think it's much
to ask for you to tell me what I want to know ! After all, if
someone has gone to the time and trouble to pick up the phone,
then it is in your interest to answer their queries as best as
you can. By answering questions accurately and politely, you
establish both credibility and expertise in the mind of the
person you are talking to. Once you've done this, it's a simple
step to convert that inquiry into a customer.
ii) Don't Ask Them To Call Back Later:
It is just possible that you might not know the answer to a
question or might not have the information to hand. In which
case, don't ask your potential customer to call back later. Offer
to call them at a time that's convenient to them. They will
appreciate it and will think better of you and your company.
Again, you are establishing a relationship with that customer
that is more likely to lead them to make a purchase and
subsequently recommend you to their friends and colleagues.
iii) Put Appropriate Systems In Place:
Many online businesses are very organized about tracking online
sales and online inquiries and have processes in place to
streamline the way in which they deal with such leads. However,
when it comes to dealing with phone inquiries, it is often a
different story. Details written on a Post-It note in 'specially-
designed-to-be-illegible' notetaking handwriting does NOT count
as a system, I'm afraid.
It is fairly easy for businesses to track the origin of telephone
calls. A simple Perl or PHP script that appends a special code to
the end of a telephone number can be used to determine the origin
of a call. All the operator needs to do is to ask for this
'priority code' et voila : you're tracking your phone inquiries.
Secondly, a customer database that has all the information you
wish to record about that potential customer is definitely
required. At the very least, you want to capture an email address
so you can send offers and information to your telephone
inquirers.
iv) Learn Everything You Can :
As an online business, it is often true that one-to-one contact
with customers is rare, so use this opportunity to find out as
much as you can about the sort of people who are calling you,
what they want, what their concerns are. You will gain
information and feedback that can be used to improve your website
navigation or add something to your 'Frequently Asked Questions'
page or maybe even change the focus of your pre-selling text. All
this will mean more sales and higher conversions online as well
as offline.
One of the things I have noted about people who call about
products or services rather than email or simply order online is
that they tend to be older people who are not so comfortable with
the web as a purchasing mechanism. These people are potential
customers too and you ignore them - and their spending power - at
your peril. You will likely find that people who call up your
company are looking for reassurance - about the legitimacy of
your company, the quality of your products, the cost of shipping,
etc - more than anything. Reassure people and they will become
your customers. If....
v) Accept Orders By Phone and Fax :
If....you make it easy for them to order from you. Many smaller
online businesses do not have the facility to accept orders by
phone, let alone by fax. This is a mistake. There are now many
third party payment processors who will allow your business to
accept credit cards AND checks over the phone and via fax for
only a small commission charge.
Because many of your telephone inquirers will be older people,
choice is absolutely essential. After all, you don't want to lose
a sale because the person at the other end of the phone doesn't
have a credit card. Let's face it, everyone has a checking
account, so you will maximize your conversions if your online
business accepts check payments over the phone.
The better check processing companies have no monthly minimum
number of transactions making this an ideal solution for the
smaller online business. With this kind of payment system in
place, you will see telephone inquiries turn into sales more
and more frequently. Give your business the advantage over your
competitors and convert those telephone calls into new customers.
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