The Ultimate Guide to Conversational Sales Strategy & Success

1. Qualify high-intent leads

Traditional lead forms are rigid. They require people to answer the same repetitive questions, regardless of who's filling them out. Conversational sales, on the other hand, is dynamic.

Smart chat tools and messaging platforms are capable of detecting visitor behavior in real time. For example, how many times someone has visited your site this week, how long they spent on the pricing page, etc. They use this information to trigger conversations that are unique and relevant to each user.

For example, a visitor lingering on your 'Pricing Plans' page might get a message like, 'Need help choosing the right plan for your team? We're here!'

This enables your sales teams to instantly spot high-intent leads and start qualifying them before they bounce.

2. Gather contact information

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In an era of one-tap payments and instant deliveries, no one appreciates filling out lengthy forms that end with a vague 'someone will get back to you.' Trust us, your users will be bouncing right off of that alone.

But conversational sales makes the information-gathering process a lot smoother. Instead of asking for every detail upfront, you can have chatbots collect them naturally through the flow of the conversation.

For example:

Chatbot: Mind if I grab your name and email so I can send over a customized quote?

Lead: Sure! It's Isha, isha@xyz.com.

Easy. Human. Zero friction.

Plus, since the lead already feels engaged, they're way more likely to share their info. And accurately.

3. Book meetings on the spot

With traditional lead funnels, there's usually a delay between interest and action. Someone submits a form, gets an email, gets another email, maybe a call, then maybe a meeting. You get the gist: it's excruciatingly slow.

But with conversational sales, you can integrate WhatsApp scheduling message tools right into the conversation, allowing bots or reps to qualify leads directly into your calendar.

Imagine a lead asking a question. They instantly get a helpful answer and are offered a time slot to chat with a sales rep, all within 60 seconds.

1. Focus on your audience

Start by narrowing your focus primarily on your audience.

Remember, every conversation should be about understanding their needs and pain points better, not immediately pushing your products or services. Use empathy and active listening to engage with your audience and truly encourage open dialogue.

2. Implement Chatbots

Employing automated chatbots is an effective strategy for your business. In fact, this simple trick can boost sales by 67%.

WhatsApp Business Automation Tools not only provide instant responses to customer inquiries but also help qualify leads by gathering initial information. With Gallabox, your sales team can spend more time on high-value conversations and turn more leads into deals effectively.

3. Empower Your Sales Team With the Right Tools

Equip your sales team with tools that can help them gather insights about customers and track interactions.

CRM systems or analytics tools can aid your team in making data-driven decisions and personalizing their selling approach.

4. Train Your Team Effectively

Get your team on board with conversational selling with appropriate training. Highlight the benefits of this technique and guide them on how it should be done.

Sales representatives should understand how to build genuine relationships and trust with customers and how to empathize with their problems and offer relevant solutions.

5. Set Clear Goals and a Step-by-Step Plan

Setting clear goals and KPIs for your team is essential. Conversational sales might be a new approach, but it should still lead to business growth. Align the company's objectives with the sales strategy, monitor the results, and make necessary adjustments.

When done right, conversational selling can substantially boost your overall sales performance, foster customer relationships, and succeed in today's dynamic selling landscape.

Step 1: Determine your audience

No matter how amazing your product is, your target audience can't be everyone. And so, before you even start selling, you need to define who it is that you're selling to. Determine:

• Who will truly benefit from your product?
• What kind of problems keep them up at night?
• Do they prefer chatting on WhatsApp or email?
• What industry do they operate in?

A simple way to answer these questions is to look at your existing customers. Look for common demographics, pain points, and preferences to build a detailed buyer persona. This simple step can boost the potential of generating leads by a whopping 124%. When you know exactly who you're talking to, you're not just making conversations easier but also more meaningful.

Step 2: Map the conversation flow

Now that you've narrowed down who you're talking to, the next step is to decide how you'll talk to them. The key is to double down on personalization, set the context, build rapport, and keep the conversation flowing. Here's how you can do it:

• Personalization: Say your system captured a user's name from a previous form fill. You can lead with something like, 'Hey Samrat! Great to see you back.' This instantly makes the message feel like it's meant for the user, not just anyone.
• Context: Next, you can acknowledge what they're doing to establish relevance. For example, 'I noticed you're checking out our pricing options again. Totally normal when you're comparing plans.' This is a simple way to show you're aware of their journey without being pushy.
• Building rapport: Empathy is your best friend here. For example, 'A lot of startups ask us about which plan makes the most sense for their team size. We're happy to break it down with you.' This positions you as a helpful guide, not a salesperson pushing an agenda.
• Keeping the conversation flowing: Finally, end with a low-pressure invitation to keep the dialogue going. For example, 'Want to hop on a quick call or chat right here?'

Step 3: Get down to scripts

We know we started the article by calling scripts ‘robotic’, but hear us out. We're not asking you to memorize lines like you're auditioning for a role in a 90s call center drama. Instead, we want you to create talk tracks. These are conversational cues that help you hit key points without sounding like a sales bot.

You see, although your buyer's persona is the same, your leads aren't. Some are curious, some are skeptical, and some just want to know the price upfront. That's why you can't rely on a one-size-fits-all script.

Map out your most frequent conversations and tailor your talk tracks to real scenarios. For example, say your product helps remote teams manage their workflows. A common pushback might be: “Our team is already swamped. We don't have time to switch tools.” You can create a script to address this objection for every user.

Step 4: Connect with customers

Start by showing up in the right places. If your ideal buyers are mid-level managers in a SaaS company, chances are they're scrolling LinkedIn during their commute or between meetings. On the other hand, if you're selling lifestyle products, Instagram or Facebook might be your platform of choice.

But don't just send them a generic 'let's connect' message followed by a pitch five seconds later. Instead, offer real value and establish credibility.

For example, say you've found a product manager on LinkedIn who fits your ICP. You can text them something like, 'Hey Maya, saw your post on rolling out that new internal dashboard. We loved how you broke down the user feedback loop. We've actually helped a few PMs improve adoption metrics during similar rollouts. Happy to share what worked if you're ever curious.'

Just make sure your messages sound like they're written by a person, not a template. Use humor if it fits your brand, and be helpful, not salesy.

Step 5: Reach out at the right time

Timing is key in conversational selling. Push for the sale too early, and you risk sounding like that guy at a party who pitches you crypto before you've even had a word out. But wait too long, and your warm leads will turn cold while you're still nurturing them.

So how do you know when the moment's right? By looking for buying signals. For example, a lead might ask questions like 'How does pricing work?' or download a product comparison guide.

At this stage, instead of using soft CTAs, you can directly pitch a demo, free trial, or schedule a call.

Step 6: Follow up

So you've had a great conversation, and the prospect seemed interested. You even got a 'Sounds good, let me think about it.' But then... crickets. This is where you need a solid follow-up strategy.

Research suggests 60% of customers say 'no' four times before saying 'yes’ (Invescpro). In fact, 80% of sales require an average of 5 follow-ups. But make sure it feels like a continuation of the conversation. Drop a useful resource. Share a quick win from another client. Ask if their priorities have shifted.

For example, instead of just asking, 'Following up, any updates?', you can say something like, 'Hey, I remembered you were syncing with the team last week. Hope it went well! I also came across this case study on how a similar company streamlined its approval workflows and thought it might be helpful. Let me know if you'd like to dive into this together.'

1. Selling the what, not the why

Let's be real: no one gets excited about 'seamless integrations' or 'robust dashboards.' Yes, features are important. But they're not what closes the deal. Benefits do.

Your product can have a hundred slick features. But if you're not able to tie them to a real business outcome, you're just listing specs. Take Slack, for example. They don't sell "messaging channels" or "notifications." They sell fewer meetings, faster decisions, and better team alignment. That's what buyers care about.

2. Talking too much, listening too little

Remember, you're not delivering a monologue. You're engaging in a two-way conversation, which means listening is equally important as talking. In fact, top-performing sales reps talk 43% of the time in their calls. The other 57% of the time, they're listening.

And the more a prospect shares, the easier it becomes to understand their pain points, motivations, and decision-making process. Encourage them to talk more through open-ended questions like:

• What's the biggest challenge you're facing right now?
• What does your existing tech stack look like?
• Can you walk me through your current process?

3. Ghosting the follow-up

You've finally nailed the call. The prospect was nodding along. But then, they've gone AWOL. It happens. But if you don't follow up, you're leaving money on the table.

Send them a relevant case study, a helpful resource, or even a quick recap of your conversation. Show that you're not just invested in the sale but also in solving their problem.

1. Are conversational sales tools only for large businesses?

No, conversational sales tools are equally beneficial for small and mid-sized businesses. They help them scale their sales efforts without stretching their teams too thin.

2. How do personalized sales interactions work in conversational sales?

Personalization sales interactions let you tailor your conversations based on who your customers are, what they need, and where they are in the buying journey. This makes customers feel seen and heard, increasing the chances of conversions.

3. How do I get started with conversational sales for my business?

To get started with conversational sales, you need to first define your audience, map out conversations, create a script, nurture customer relationships, select the right time to push the sale, and follow up.