Different types of prospects and how to sell to them

Your sales success is dependent on your ability to handle and convert prospects into paying customers. Like all fingers of the hand aren’t the same, even the sales world is filled with different types of prospects. So, the sales tactics that helped persuade one potential buyer might be ineffective while dealing with a different prospect. 

A good understanding of different kinds of prospects can help in developing successful strategies. 

It’s not about having the right opportunities. It’s about handling the opportunities right. 

Types of prospects and how to sell to them 

Prospects fall into different categories. Selling gets easier when you study the buying behavior pattern of each category. 

Let’s look at the various types of prospects:

They know it all 

These types of buyers think they don’t have anything to learn from the sellers. They are well-informed about the market and have a good understanding of their problems as well as the solutions available in the market.

Some prospects actually know a lot. However, you might even encounter prospects who feel they know it all but the reality would be something different. The prospect might not show a lot of interest in taking suggestions from you. 

How to sell to these prospects 

Be curious and find out how stubborn the prospect is and what information s/he has. Dig deeper and check how accurate their knowledge is. 

Just sharing plain information won’t work with these kinds of prospects. You need to play the game differently. Show them two different scenarios. 

1. Their business with your solution 
2. Their business without your solution 

Help them visualize what benefits they will receive from using your solution. Even give them a glimpse into the consequences of not using the solution.

Make multiple attempts with unwavering determination, but do know when to cut the ties. If the prospect is too rigid and isn’t willing to listen to you, then just walk away. No matter how hard you try, you can’t help a person who doesn’t want the help. It is better to invest your time in some other deal instead. 

The busy ones

Some prospects genuinely don’t have time. They are occupied with some or the other tasks which is why they do not get time to respond. Most of the sales reps misunderstand these prospects and stop reaching out to them which is why they lose many profitable opportunities. 

How to sell to these prospects 

Just because the prospects aren’t responding doesn’t mean they aren’t interested. These kinds of prospects need constant nudging. So to sell a product to these busy bees, you must follow-up constantly. 

Sadly, 44% of sales reps give up 1 follow-up 

Make sure you at least make three to four attempts to follow-up with a potential prospect. To simplify your work, you can embrace different types of sales automation. Thankfully most of the modern CRM software allows you to create a sequence of emails. So you can follow-up in real-time with the busy prospects.

The confused ones 

Some prospects are in need of the product, but they are confused with the many options available in the market. Every business wants to invest in a solution that gives them the best returns. This is why they ponder over a lot of things before settling for any solution. During this process, they often end up getting confused. 

How to sell to these prospects 

Confused prospects often have too many doubts and concerns hovering over their head. So, try to address these concerns and doubts. Earn their trust and confidence. Show them how your product is better than the other products available in the market.

Take the help of the case studies of your successful clients to build credibility. Show how your happy customers chose you over the competitors and their benefits by using your product. 

The unaware one 

Some prospects have certain problems, but they are unaware of it. Or they try to ignore it. Prospects who aren’t aware of a problem won’t think about a solution; hence your product won’t come into the picture. 

Get closer to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves – Steve Jobs

How to sell to these prospects 

To sell to these kinds of prospects, you need to make them realize that they have a problem; only then will they think about a solution(i.e., Your product). Asking relevant questions can help in drawing the prospect’s attention to various problems that obstruct their path to growth. 

Here are a few question examples for your reference: 

• Most of the companies in your industry have been affected by[ongoing crisis], are you too affected by it? 
• What are your business goals for the year?
• What’s holding you back from achieving those business goals?
• Since when have you been facing this problem?
• How is this problem affecting your staff and customer? 

The stallers 

Some prospects use stalling tactics to delay the purchase. The more time the prospects take, the less likely are the chances of them converting into customers. They will try to ignore the conversation by saying, “we need time to think,” “we will call you,” “please send us more details.” 

How to sell to these prospects 

Don’t let the deal stretch for too long. If the prospect has any concerns, address them immediately. Try to find out the reason for not moving ahead. Make an offer that’s beneficial for both and try to close the deal as soon as possible. 

The low price seekers 

Some prospects seek the best product at less price. No matter what price you quote, they will try to negotiate for something less. Their main agenda is to reduce the price. 

How to sell to these prospects 

Play it smart with these kinds of low price seekers. First, offer the product at a higher price. The prospect will surely negotiate, then offer a lower price with fewer benefits. While the prospect is swinging between two prices, you can take the opportunity to make the actual proposal. 

All set to sell to different types of prospects 

You’ll meet different types of prospects in the sales journey but you need to handle them with a calm mind. Just observe their behavior and try to understand them. Avoid making rash decisions like offering more discounts or making a promise that you won’t be able to keep later. Try to tackle each prospect differently. 

Take the help of the best CRM software to convert the prospect into paying customers. CRM like Salesmate helps you in keeping track of each deal with a clear pipeline view. Automation features provided by this high-end CRM help save time and reach out to your prospects in real-time. From streamlining your sales to creating insightful reports, there is a lot you can do with this advanced CRM.