In my previous article, I defined three categories of prospects. The first is high sense of urgency: ready to buy now. Category Two is low urgency: planning to buy, but not immediately. Category Three: interested but still at the information stage. Here's what's interesting: Category Two and Three prospects can quickly become Category One when sales personnel provide the proper information and focus on the prospect's wants and needs instead of on their own commission.

Don't Rush Me The more informed the prospect, the higher the sense of urgency and the lower the need to seek additional information. The informed prospect closes easier and faster. The one-visit salesperson is often too rushed to provide the proper information, so he or she doesn't close. If that salesperson does close, clients may cancel because they suddenly realize that they didn't have enough information to make a wise buying decision.

In today's Information Age market, a two-call process is highly effective for cashing all three categories of leads. The first call is the “measure call,” where the salesperson measures both the project and the prospect. It's often during this first call that the Category Two and Three prospects convert to a Category One as they discover their needs, awakening a sense of urgency.

Follow-Up Process If prospects don't develop a high sense of urgency during the measure call, they're placed in a follow-up process until they're ready to buy. When they're ready, they typically buy quickly and with little or no shopping because of the information they received while in the follow-up process.

Also, it's during the first call that the salesperson can develop an “informed spouse” who understands what's being proposed and helps create urgency in the uninformed spouse. That makes it much easier for both parties to make an informed buying decision during the second, or follow-up, call.

If you're still using Industrial Age sales tactics and you're not satisfied with the results, then it's time to match your selling style to today's Information Age prospect. —Richard Kaller, president of Certified Contractors NetWork, has 39 years of in-home sales experience. CCN sponsors Sales Boot Camp and Sales Management Boot Camp. The organization also provides a report titled “How to Close Without Pressure When the Prospect Says, ‘I Need to Get Another Price.'” Call 610.642.9505 to request the report or visit www.contractors.net.