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Attracting online customers.
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How to close wavering new business leads

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It’s a common problem: some prospects are just difficult to close. They won’t commit and you aren’t quite sure what your next move ought to be. The trick is to alleviate concerns before they’ve even thought of them, explains Jason Ball.

18th Nov 2019
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Ask a business if they’re creating content and most will refer you to their company blog or a recent report they’ve commissioned. But it can be far more useful than that: you could be using content to convert prospects into new business.

In the world of accounting, a big problem for would-be clients is the sheer number of people involved in any buying decision.

Each one has their own unique concerns, from ‘how much will this cost’, to ‘how much extra work will this create for my team’, to ‘is my job at risk if we pick the wrong firm?’

They are ultra-cautious because change is risky. The fear of what they might lose by making a poor decision often outweighs the gains they hope to achieve from working with you.

But content can alleviate every single one of those concerns even before they’ve arisen.

Social proof 

First, help them conclude you’re a safe bet. One way to do this is to make case studies and share details of any projects you’ve worked on which are relevant to your prospect.

For example, take a look at Quantuma’s homepage which lists seven specialist sectors. Click on one of the boxes and you’ll see both named and unnamed examples of clients they’ve worked with. That page links to relevant news articles. Every piece of content is offering relevant evidence that the firm is a safe bet.

 

People buy people

And it’s not just about who you work with. People buy people. So, make it clear what it is actually like to work with your firm: who are your people?

Whitley Stimpson deserves brownie points for its team page (hover your mouse over the headshots) that well and truly inserts the human into accountancy. This is also palpable in its company news page which talks of charity fundraisers, team outings and awards it has won for being a good employer.

Why do leads care about your people? Because they, not sales or marketing, will be helping them every single day. Clients want to build trust and rapport with employees that stick around because they’re engaged and happy. They don’t want to work with a revolving door of faceless drones. 

Any Questions?

Your content also has to make things viscerally real about what happens after they sign up. How will you help that company transition from the incumbent firm to your service? What are the administrative considerations? A healthy FAQs page can help with this: check out Shaw Gibbs for a strong example.

At this point, you can also produce onboarding guides tailored specifically to your prospect to help them get the best from you. This will also demonstrate that you understand their business and their needs.

Content is far more powerful than you think. Don’t underestimate its importance in securing new business.

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