In sales, time is definitely money. It’s a valuable resource that should be used wisely and efficiently. That said, you need to learn to discern which opportunities are worth pursuing to avoid wasting time and energy.
However, every now and then, you encounter tire kickers. These are potential customers who express interest in a product or service but do not intend to close the sales. They usually demand your attention, asking several questions and requesting demos and free trials.
That is not to say, you shouldn’t engage with them. You can still turn them into actual customers.
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What Are Tire Kickers?
The term “tire kickers” originated from car dealerships in the United States. In the early 20th century, it was pretty common to find people in car showrooms just kicking tires to check their quality and durability. After a while, salesmen noticed that most of these potential customers never really end up buying anything.
Eventually the term found its way in sales departments outside car dealerships. Nowadays, tire kicker is used to describe people who spend a lot of time browsing, inquiring and even negotiating prices but never really make a buying decision.
While tire kickers can be frustrating for salespeople, they are a common part of the sales process and require a specific approach to engage with them effectively. By understanding the origins of the term and the behavior it describes, you can better manage your time and prioritize your efforts to maximize your chances of making a sale.
Identifying Tire Kickers: How to Spot Tire Kickers
When working in sales, it’s not uncommon to encounter potential customers who don’t end up buying anything. It’s all part of the sales lifecycle process. For this reason, it can be difficult to spot tire kickers from people who are genuinely interested in your products or services.
To help you identify these individuals, keep an eye out for the following:
1. They use vague or non-committal language
he thing about tire kickers is that they love to talk. They ask a million questions and like to discuss things in great detail. They also tend to have opinions on the product or service you offer. You can use this to your advantage. Carefully pay attention to their verbal and nonverbal cues.
Most of them would unconsciously use noncommittal language, such as “maybe” or “not sure.” Typically, when you ask for a buying decision, they’ll answer you with, “I’ll think about it” or something to that effect.
2. They have no clear budget or timeline
Another dead giveaway that someone is a tire kicker is if they are unwilling to share information about their budget or their purchase timeline. Most serious buyers have this sense of urgency or are running on a deadline, but these people don’t because they aren’t really serious about buying.
Those who intend to close sales also feel more comfortable talking about their budget, perhaps asking for a better deal to get better value for their money. Tire kickers on the other hand might talk to you about prices but always hesitate to discuss their budget.
3. They don’t fit your customer profile
If you’ve been doing sales for a long time, you can easily spot someone who doesn’t fit your customer persona. This can be a good indication that your potential customer might just be a tire kicker.
While this is partly gut feel, there are a few tell-tale signs that they aren’t your target customers. For instance, if they are not from your area and you don’t deliver where they are from. Or an even more obvious sign is if they are inquiring about a product they have no use for.
From Tire Kickers to Paying Customers: Sales Strategies and Best Practices
Not all tire kickers are just out there to waste your time and resources. With the right approach and strategy, it’s certainly possible to turn them into actual paying customers or clients. Here’s what you can do to convert their inquiries into sales:
Build rapport
Take the time to build a relationship with your potential customers. Pay attention to their needs and answer their questions politely. Never make them feel that they’re wasting your time. Earn their trust by providing them with accurate information, demonstrating your expertise, and showing that you genuinely care about addressing their concerns.
Stay in touch
If at first you don’t succeed in closing the sale, try again. Don’t drop the lead just because it didn’t convert the first time. Always spare some time to follow up on your leads regularly. Just check up on them to see if they’re ready to make a buying decision. Make sure that you keep them engaged.
Don’t pressure
Although it’s highly encouraged to conduct regular follow up, it’s important to remember never to pressure your customer into buying anything. Turning tire kickers into customers usually takes some time so just be patient. Instead, focus on building a relationship and earning their trust.
Offer incentives
Who says no to a good offer? Even tire kickers can’t refuse it most of the time. Sometimes, a simple giveaway or a small discount is enough to close the sale. You can also offer free trials so they can experience your product or service first hand. This helps them make a buying decision.
How Can Help Fill Help You Deal with Tire Kickers?
Here at Fill, we understand how frustrating it can be to spend a lot of time on a customer only for them to walk away empty handed. That’s why we provide a feature-rich tool designed to help you close deals faster and more conveniently.
Our electronic signature solution makes it easy for you to sign contracts on the go. You can use your mobile phone, tablet, or computer to seal the deal and enter into a legally binding agreement. You can easily track the progress of your documents so you don’t have to second guess whether your customer has signed them yet or not.
Fill also complies with several industry standards and international regulation so you never have to worry about compliance issues. We also put the safety and security of your data at the forefront of our service, which is why we use military-grade encryption. Only those who are authorized can access your documents.
You can also easily and seamlessly integrate Fill with your other tools. You can create a centralized system for all your sales processes, increasing your efficiency and effectiveness. Best of all, Fill comes in a variety of pricing plans that will surely fit any budget. It’s a great tool that’s worth the investment.
Sign up today and experience the wonders Fill can bring to your sales performance.
