THE QUALIFICATION SYSTEM

Transcription

1 The Qualification System WWN Execution Plan 1 THE QUALIFICATION SYSTEM Execution Plan Here is the step-by-step execution plan to help you set up an efficient qualification stage of the Sales Conversion System. There are in fact 3 stages of qualification STAGE 1: Answering The Phone STAGE 2: Handle The /Web Forms STAGE 3: Qualification Let s go through each of them STAGE 1: ANSWERING THE PHONE It s imperative that any inbound phone calls are handled professionally and effectively by your staff. REMEMBER THIS IS THE FIRST EXPERIENCE THE POTENTIAL CLIENT HAS WITH YOUR FIRM. WE CANNOT EMPHASISE ENOUGH JUST HOW IMPORTANT THIS STAGE IS. DO NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. There are four elements that are important with inbound phone calls (obviously this applies to anyone who calls you won t know if it is a client, potential client or a sales call until the phone is answered) Answer The Phone Promptly Within 4 Rings: Whether you like it or not, the speed at which your phone is answered has a big effect on the experience the caller has with you.

2 The Qualification System WWN Execution Plan 2 It is a huge Moment Of Truth (MOT) see the Moments Of Truth EP in the More Fees section of WWN for more details. Consider the difference between answering the phone promptly within 4 rings compared to answering it after 10 rings. The former is a positive MOT, the latter is a negative MOT. In fact, many people will hang up if the phone continues to ring! The rule of thumb has to be within 4 rings. 2. If You Can t Consistently Deliver On (1) Above, Use A Telephone Answering Service: If answering the phone within 4 rings isn t currently possible 95% of the time because of a shortage of staff, there is a low-cost solution. You MUST engage a telephone answering service. There are two additional advantages of outsourcing this function... The productivity and time savings for staff are significant. They will only have to deal with important calls that are sent by the answering service. This reduces interruptions and, of course, minimises time spent on the phone itself. When you then respond promptly by returning a phone call, this is an added positive Moment Of Truth. It shows you re responsive. You can source a telephone answering service locally. Just type telephone answering service into Google. This is crucial for start-up or small firms. Your What s Working Now membership makes you look like a larger, more established and very professional firm, so you must follow through with an equally professional phone-answering service. 3. Partners/Directors Must NEVER Answer The Phone: Everything you re starting to put in place works hard at positioning you as the authority. The expert.

3 The Qualification System WWN Execution Plan 3 You re very busy. You re almost always working with clients (or at least that s the perception we re creating). Therefore, you must NEVER answer your phones. Do this and you completely destroy all the hard work, time and effort you ve put into the implementation of the Execution Plans in WWN. DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR MOBILE PHONE NUMBER. This immediately destroys your positioning with potential clients (it is, of course, okay to give your mobile number to clients, but even this isn t necessary). 4. Answer The Phone With A Call-Answering Script: Tests have proved that answering your phones in a certain way and in the same way every time increases satisfaction and ultimately sales. We have also tested this, and the Call-Answering Script in BONUS 1 has proved to be the winner. Make sure staff who answer the phone ALL use this script. Clearly, they should learn the script so it sounds natural. 5. Partner Adheres To Stage 3 Of The Qualification System: When the prospective client is put through to the partner/director, they should adhere to the elements outlined in Stage 3 of the Qualification System (outlined below). STAGE 2: HANDLE THE / WEB FORM If the lead comes in by or by a web form, then here s what you should do...

4 The Qualification System WWN Execution Plan 4 STEP #1: Member Of Staff Calls Within 30 Minutes This is an important step. It shows professionalism and maintains the positioning. The purpose of the call is to acknowledge the enquiry and to tell the prospective client that the partner will call in a couple of hours (assuming that s possible). If the partner is out all day, then tell the prospective client the partner will call the following day. STEP #2: Partner Calls A Couple Of Hours Later Even if a partner/director is in when the lead comes in, it is important they don t phone back for a couple of hours. If they are out of the office all day, then make sure the prospective client is called the following day. STEP #3: Partner Adheres To Stage 3 When the partner calls back, they should adhere to the elements outlined in Stage 3 of the Qualification System (the next stage below)... STAGE 3: QUALIFICATION Qualification occurs when the partner/director speaks to the prospective client. This is also a critical and vitally important stage of the entire system. Here s why... First, it helps the partner ascertain the quality of the prospective client. Ultimately, the partner will decide whether or not this person is worth spending time with. Second, it maintains the positioning of the expert.

5 The Qualification System WWN Execution Plan 5 Question 10 is the question that sets you apart from every other firm in your area. This is the positioning question. This is the question that lets the prospective client know you are the expert. It gives the partner vital information to help in the No-Selling Meeting. The partner/director will use the Qualification Questionnaire in BONUS 2. Now please review the Qualification Questionnaire (BONUS 2). STEP #1: Setting The Meeting Your ideal scenario is to get the prospect to come to your offices. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. How often do you think a lawyer/solicitor goes out to see potential clients? It just doesn t happen. You must position yourself as the expert. They must come to you to enable you to maintain this position. Furthermore, you have much more leverage when the prospective client comes to your offices. Parking, Front Of Office, Reception Greeting and Waiting In Reception are powerful Moments Of Truth that you must endeavour to take advantage of (see Pre-Meeting System EP). If the prospective client asks why you can t come to them, simply say something like... This is the way we have always operated. It helps you to see what we re all about. You can meet the staff and we find this is a much better approach. If you decide to become a client, the first thing I ll do is come and meet you at your offices. We call this the New Client Welcome Meeting. We appreciate that sometimes meeting at your office isn t practical. For example, if you re working from home. In this instance, we would advise that you meet the prospective client in their office and just accept for the time being that you won t be able to fully capitalise on the whole Sales Conversion System, although the rest of the system will still be very successful for you.

6 The Qualification System WWN Execution Plan 6 Remember to leave at least 4 days between the phone call and the meeting so you can fit in your Thank You , Meeting Confirmation Letter and Surprise Package (see Pre-Meeting System EP). And finally, you may not have ever thought of this before, but you should schedule your meetings in the mornings. For many people, mornings are their best times, when they re most alert. You want your prospect to be on top form and not struggling to concentrate, especially just after lunch and later in the afternoon. It is also likely that you perform better in the morning as well! Execution Plan Checklist Now, in conjunction with this execution plan, make sure you use the Execution Plan Checklist.