Meet Eve. She’s a Drift power user and a consistent leader on our sales team. In fact, she’s the number one Drift user across our entire company. No easy feat in an organization full of avid believers in conversational marketing.
Eve is so skilled at conversational marketing that people on our own sales team ask her constantly to share some of her best tips and strategies. So we figured why not share those same insights with all of you!
I sat down with Eve to learn how she uses conversational marketing to book more meetings than anyone else – and all in real time. Here’s how she gets it done.
1. Be human
For Eve, it all starts with creating a human connection. Don’t be a robot! Sure we rely on AI at Drift as much as the next company (or perhaps even more). But that all has a time and place – like for automating tasks like calendaring or sending out assets or subscribing to our blog newsletter.
But when someone is chatting into your site to get more information on your product, engage them in a real conversation. Eve knows how important this is. She’s even been asked to prove she’s a real human. Because people are looking for real human interaction and they don’t want to waste time chatting with a bot.
So Eve’s advice? Build a rapport with prospects. Dig deep to find out their pain points. Ask them questions and listen. Engage in a real conversation because it’s not about you, it’s about them.
2. Keep it simple
People have the impression that you have to be super formal when you’re chatting with potential customers, but it’s the total opposite. The goal is to have a conversation with someone – human to human. And for Eve, the more straight forward you can be, the better.
It may sound like a no brainer, but it can be hard to escape the feeling you should sound or act a certain way when speaking with a potential customer. But Eve finds that just asking people “how’s it going” or “whats up” can go a long way.
3. Follow the ‘Golden Rule’ of sorts
For Eve this means talking to prospects the way she wants to be talked to. This goes for all things in life…but is essential when you’re trying to create a personal connection on chat, which is a hard task in and of itself when you don’t have the benefit of a face-to-face meeting.
Mastering the art of conversation is easier said than done for sure. And even trickier when you’re trying to be human, but also operating in a professional environment. But just because you’re on the clock doesn’t mean you have to be stiff or boring.
See what we mean ?
4. Respond promptly
People who make their way to your site and chat in are primed and ready to buy or, at the very least, are highly qualified. If someone with the highest intent chats in and no one’s there to talk on the other side, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. So Eve advises that you respond quickly, even if it’s just a simple “Hi, how can I help?”
5. Give some, get some
This goes hand in hand with responding promptly. While you may not have the answer up front, if you let a prospect know you’re searching for the answer, you give yourself a bit more time for research. Which means you should be as specific as possible.
Don’t make your prospect go searching for more answers. You’re the ultimate source of truth so be specific and provide links to more information where you can.
At the same time, don’t be evasive if they’re asking something you know might not put you in the best light. Be honest. They’ll respect you more for it. And, if you answer their questions, they’re more likely to answer yours.
That said, when it is time for you to ask questions, don’t bombard your prospect. Be respectful of their time. A one-sided conversation is a great way to make a prospect lose interest and ultimately disengage.
6. Treat Every Chat Like It Will Lead to a Demo
Treat every single prospect as if they’re sitting on a potential million dollar deal. One, it will give you more practice for when that really huge prospect comes in. Two, you never know what a deal could turn into or what company that buyer could move to next. And three, it just makes you a good person. You should treat everyone equally and this applies to your chat interactions as well. Remember, the customer is at the center of everything, no matter the company.
7. Are you free now?
This the number one question you should ask every single prospect (if it makes sense of course). What better time to offer a demo when you’re already engaged with a prospect? If they say “no,” no big deal. They’ll either move on because they’re not interested or book another time. But aim to get the demo now. And Eve means now. Go from chat to a Zoom video.
This strategy might not always work so how does Eve handle objections from prospects who don’t have time? Here are her go to answers:
- Say, “No problem, are you free tomorrow at X time?”
- Ask “What time works best for you?”
- Drop a link to your calendar so the prospect can schedule a demo on their own time.
7. Aim to Get Three Demos from Every Chat Duty
It might not happen, but setting lofty goals will push you harder to do your best. If you hit three, Eve says to up your goal. Don’t stay where you’re comfortable. You won’t grow otherwise.
8. Clean Up After Yourself
Eve is all about prompt response times, but while she advises being fast, don’t be sloppy. If you get an inbound chat and it’s not your account, who cares. Talk to them – it’s about them, not you remember? And record your interactions appropriately. Wrap up the conversation on a good note with action items if relevant.
What are some strategies you use to engage your prospects through conversational marketing? Let Eve know by chatting with her here.
