Troubleshooting The Sales Cycle In Your Wellness Business

Finding more customers can feel like learning to drive a stick shift. You're mashing the accelerator...generating lots of noise and vibration...but the car just doesn't move.

This week: how to locate the source of sales and marketing problems, where to prioritize "fix it" efforts, and pointers on how to get started.
 

The Sales & Marketing Cycle For Wellness Businesses
Marketing strategies for wellness businesses have four "gears". A smooth trip depends on knowing which gear to use when.

The four stages - or "gears" - are: 1) filling the pipeline, 2) following up with potential customers in your pipeline, 3) exploring ways your business can help prospects, and 4) closing sales. 

Sales & Marketing Cycle For Wellness Businesses

It's simple...but not always easy!

Analyze Your Current Sales & Marketing
Use this self-scoring guide to analyze the effectiveness of your current sales and marketing.  Give yourself 1 point for each "yes" answer.

Stage 1: Filling the pipeline

Has your business identified enough potential customers (prospects)?

1) Is your wellness business less than one year old?
2) Would it take your sales team < 1 day to contact everyone in your pipeline?
3) Have you contacted everyone in your pipeline within the last month?
4) Do you already know that the people in your pipeline can't afford your services?
5) Do you already know that the people in your pipeline don't want your services?
6) If your business relies on prospects to contact you, is that happening?

Total "Yes" Answers/Stage 1:_____

Stage 2: Following up with prospects

Is your business effectively contacting the prospects already in the pipeline?

1) Does your pipeline contain numerous people that you haven't contacted?
2) Do you have stacks of business cards that you've never followed up with?
3) Have you received leads from others that you've never followed up with?
4) Are there people who said "maybe" and haven't been re-contacted in 90 days?
5) Are there prospects who contacted your business that no one has followed up?

6) Do the necessary follow-up tools exist (ex: scripts and brochures)?

Total "Yes" Answers/Stage 2:_____

Stage 3: Exploring solutions with prospects
 

Is your business effectively moving prospects out of the "follow-up" stage and into exploring their needs and how your business can help them?

1) Do follow-ups with prospects consistently fall into the "maybe later" category?
2) Is it hard to get prospects to spend time exploring how you could help them?

3) Do most prospects seem to think that your services are too expensive?
4) Does most prospects seem to think that your services are not right for them?
5) Do people seem to think that your services will take too much time?

6) Do you do more than 50% of the talking when you meet with prospects?

Total "Yes" Answers/Stage 3:_____

Stage 4: Closing the sale

Is your business successfully moving prospects out of the "exploring solutions" stage and into closing the sale?
 

1) Do prospects usually say that they're already a customer of a competitor?
2) Do prospects get stuck in the "exploring solutions" stage without clear next steps?
3) Do prospects usually tell you that they're not ready to buy right now?
4) Do prospects often say that they need to check with someone before they decide?
5) Do potential customers in this stage defer a decision and then become unresponsive?

6) Do you have butterflies when you think about discussing pricing with prospects?

Total "Yes" Answers/Stage 4:_____
 

Score Your Answers

Scoring Guide

Summarize your answers below. Circle the stage with the highest score.  That's the stage that offers the fastest opportunity for improvement.  Prioritize working on this stage first.

If two or more stages have equally high scores, focus on the stage that comes first in the sales cycle. For example, if filling the pipeline and following up both have high scores, start with filling the pipeline so that you address the root cause. 

If every stage presents a challenge, start by improving your pipeline. 

Next Steps
Now, work with your management team to identify next steps using these tips.  If your top-priority area is:

Filling The Pipeline

Consider tactics like: purchasing targeted prospect lists, speaking at organizations with a demographic profile similar to your target markets, building relationships with referral partners, demonstrating your services
 

Following Up With Prospects
Consider tactics like: inviting prospects to free events, developing standard marketing letters or telephone scripts, staying in touch through a newsletter

Exploring Solutions With Prospects
Consider tactics like: a list of standard questions and talking points, improving the quality of your prospect list, narrowing your services to appeal to a specific segment
 

Closing The Sale

Consider tactics like: a list of typical objections and responses, developing a reference list of success stories and testimonials, strengthening your selling and presentation skills