How I keep my customers placing orders, raising 120% conversion rate
Imaging putting thousands of dollars on Sales and Marketing opportunities. Then it worked, finally. You got inquiries from customers asking about your products or services. Unfortunately, no order was placed. What could be the reasons?
I believe the problems come from applying the same sale process or technique to all customers. The world is catching a new era of “customization” or “personalization” in business. We need to respect the rule.
You might think it’s almost impossible to care for thousands of buyers each day in B2C models differently. It’s so true, but when you apply fitting tactics for grouping customers, your sale results would up. The more appropriately you divide your audiences into groups, the more effective your business becomes.
Grouping customers:
Indeed, there are several ways to group your audiences based on different frameworks and criteria (i.e., age group, employment, social class, consumption level, etc.). Human beings have diverse personalities. But the art of communication should base on personality types. You should not mention monetary issues to a romantic woman or talk about community benefits to an individualist.
I have started applying some aspects of psychology to form my close sales techniques. Then it made the sale ratio lift. However, I need to cosplay an appropriate personality in communicating with different types of clients. The Enneagram of Personality should be a proper choice for your practice. As a human psyche model, it suggests defining your audiences into nine groups, representing the spectrum of nine personality types. The Enneagram also explains the connection among those personality types.
Are you questioning why eight billion people around the world have only nine personality types? There is a backup scientific background behind this framework. Apart from defining personality types, the Enneagram also provides the influence among them. Those need deep research, but I only mention sale techniques application here.
So, the point is:
How do we know what type of customers in Enneagram?
A designed personality test is needed in defining the personality types of your clients. In case you got large audience groups, the first step is survey design for your audience. Or, try A/B testing or run a pipeline campaign to divide customer groups.
For B2B sales dealing with small clients, you need to apply some trials at a specific time. You could start a conversation with questions. For instance, ask about their current mood, health condition, or talk about the weather.
- If your clients reply with an enthusiastic tone, they might belong to Group 2 — Helper/Giver, Group 7-Enthusiast/Epicure, or Group 9-Peacemaker/Mediator.
- If your clients directly ask about your purpose, they might be in Group 1-Reformer/Perfectionist, Group 3- Achiever/Performer, or Group 8- Challenger/Protector.
- If your clients express their surprise or distraction, they might belong to Group 5-Investigator/Observer.
Group 1: Dealing with Reformer/Perfectionist
People in group 1 are searching for a perfect business match. They are also looking for perfectibility from their partners or sellers. Any minor mistake in taking care of them could lead to deal failure.
In working with reformer clients, you should put timing into account. Any mistake in the schedule is not allowed. A professional tone is ideal in talking with a perfectionist. This tone could influence their decision of taking a further step with you or not.
In terms of selling points, you should prepare a ready list of core features (preferred in documents). It should answer directly for their inquiries. Additionally, preventing changes or potential delays is required when talking with a perfectionist. You have to prove your company capacity through introducing prepared documents, including NDA, business profiles, well-designed categories, and your previous works.
Group 2: Dealing with Helper/Giver
People in group 2 expect the feeling to be appreciated or enhanced. They got satisfied when others’ expectation was met. Additionally, givers are seemingly excited about participation in community events or meet-up sessions.
The closing deal technique for clients in group 2 focuses on the kick-off phase. Instead of directly introducing your offer, you should spend time chatting around their current status (i.e. works, social relationship, family, etc.) Givers might appreciate you if they feel like friends instead of sellers and buyers.
Besides, holding a warm-up meeting is necessary for raising the closing deal rate. You might hand over small but exclusive gifts at the right time, which could boost their faith in you. The key for this group is “giving” and “connection.”
Group 3: Dealing with Achiever/Performer
Performers appreciate competition in almost all cases. They focus on planning even in daily living and strictly follow their goals. Also, from the inside, they love to show their success to others. It brings them the feeling of being respected or admired.
When talking to achievers, it’s good to start a conversation by praising their past achievements. Also, you can suggest their future achievement when they choose you as a partner. When presenting features of your products or services, emphasizing the benefits that support their performance or success is a plus in attracting consideration.
Dealing with group 3, sellers should use numbers in conversation. Instead of mentioning common advantages, you should mention statistical points. For example, how many percent it helps with their work, or how it improves their productivity.
Group 4: Dealing with Individualist/Romantic
Group 4 indicates people with a high incentive to express their feelings to the crowd. They prefer differentiation and prominence. Also, they desire to connect with others from the inner world.
Selling to people in group 4, you have to show what makes you outstanding from others. You should be able to present the unique features of your products or services. The point is — you should play an emotional storyteller. Your offers should be presented as a story.
Due to their desire for inner connection, group 4 appreciates a conversation with social philosophy, plot twist, or drama.
Group 5: Dealing with Investigator/Observer
These are investigators interested in accumulating new knowledge and concept. Furthermore, they are excited by a thorough logic with a meaningful purpose in the sale process. It would be best to show that your capacity is not limited to your product but the whole business in general. They want to gain additional views about their idea with a clear picture and suggestion. It would help if you gave a lucid account.
Group 5 took their career into account. They might be offended when asked questions related to private living. Besides, it is suitable to discuss in the double-face view. Do not be shy when talking about the cons of your offers.
Group 6: Dealing with Loyalist/Loyal Skeptic
Loyal skeptics tend to prefer certainty and faith. They try to deter undesirable situations in every decision. As this group is frequently skeptical and anxious, you should play an optimistic role in closing the deal. Do not give several options to loyalists. Tell them one and wait for their decision.
People in group 6 would feel unsafe with a seller that constantly urged for sale closing. They would take time to consider your offers thoroughly. Instead, listening and answering their concern would be an advanced sale technique. Besides, they’re excited when all risks and benefits are defined in documents. To catch their attention, give them trials or samples; it would speed up the sale cycle.
Group 7: Dealing with Enthusiast/Epicure
These are enthusiasts searching for new concepts to support and encourage them with their plans. Group 7 deter from setting fixed goals. They prefer flexibility and suitability in every decision. Accordingly, sellers should prepare open offers for them. The proposal should allow adding clauses or adjusting statements.
It is essential to act with gusto while talking to enthusiasts. Besides, mentioning pessimistic thoughts would deter a conversation with group 7. Also, talk shows or experience sharing sessions tend to attract epicures to participation; it helps close the deal faster.
Group 8: Dealing with Challenger/Protector
Group 8 is looking for balance and justice. They love to be the decision-makers in most situations. They want to know the whole truth; thus, you ideally mention both pros and cons of your offers in logical structures. It would help if you prepared your talk like a presentation.
Commonly, this group expects conversation in a structured format: firstly, secondly, thirdly, finally, etc.
Since they love choices, you should give them some options to base their decisions on.
Group 9: Dealing with Peacemaker/Mediator
The common thing among Mediators is that they admire stability and confident relationship. It means that they are afraid of conflicts or tight situations. Additionally, mediators would ignore some minor issues. You can relax when talking to them. However, they also have their standard. They hate breakthrough ideas or challenging processes.
While selling products or services to peacemakers, you should start with a slow tone. They prefer comprehensive offers. Products related to daily living attract peacemakers’ consideration. Dealing with peacemakers, you should use chatting instead of calls or face-to-face communication.
Takeaway:
- Saler is not a psychologist, so those classifications are rarely accurate definitely. When talking to your client, trust your fealing to shape them into 9 groups of characteristics. It takes time and effort before I can be confident with my decision. And so do you. Be patient!
- You can find several measures to group clients. Personally, I trust Enneagram Cycle due to its available references and research. More specifically, Enneagram Cycle is considerably complex, explaining the interaction among characteristics in each specific case.
- Saler can be an actor. I will cover a suitable tone to pursuing clients depending on my assumption about their attitude. Expressly, I use Enneagram Cycle to define what type of character to be covered.
- Get your NDA ready and keep your relationship with clients as close as possible. For me, sale techniques sometimes are simply the game of inner connection. Obviously, an in-depth understanding of clients means champion.
I know that the most challenging point is to define the personalities of your clients. In fact, nothing is perfect. A good seller should start talking to clients, listen to them, and guess their position inside Enneagram. You might be wrong, but the ratio of correct arguments would rise gradually.
Adamo Software, a leading oursourcing software development company in Vietnam, is willing to accompany with you on the road to success.
