Alpacas Magazine - 2010 Spring

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next weekend better for your schedule?”
When they respond, confirm the visit
details.
Farm Visit – As you present the benefits
of your alpacas, farm, and support
services (helping prospects gather
information they need to make a good
buying decision), ask questions that
request their agreement to the benefits
you are presenting. These are known
as “trial closing” questions. An example
might be, “Does this alpaca seem
like she would fit into your breeding
program?” or “This herd sire has the
characteristics you are looking for,
wouldn’t you agree?” Your prospects’
agreement helps them confirm in their
own minds that this is a good buying
decision.
After your prospect has responded
to a few trial closing questions with,
“Yes,” be sure to ASK for the sale. This
is what will get them to ACT on your
recommendation. Called the “final
close,” it is the critical action that
converts the prospect to a buyer.
For example, if your prospect replies,
“Yes,” to the question, “Does this
alpaca seem like she would fit into
your breeding program?” your response
might be, “Great, shall we go ahead
and write up a contract for her now?”
or “Good, would you like me to load
her in your trailer today or would you
like us to deliver her to you next
week?” If your prospect’s answer to
“This herd sire has the characteristics
you are looking for, wouldn’t you
agree?” is “Yes,” go right into a final
closing question, such as, “Then would
you like to book a breeding to him for
your female?” Unless you ask, you are
not closing, and you will not sell as
many alpacas and breedings as you
could.
To step up to more sales, you must
not only give your prospects the infor-
mation they need to help them make
a good buying decision, you must
ask them to take action. What is that
action? To visit your farm, to buy your
alpacas, to book breedings, to purchase
your fiber goods, or to purchase other
related services you might offer. By
consistently helping your inquiring
prospects make a good buying decision
and getting them to ACT on your
recommendations, you will increase
your conversions from inquiries to farm
visits and from prospects to buyers.
Try it; it works!
Julie Wassom is the owner of Grand Champion
Marketing in Aurora, Colorado, and is the
author of The Alpaca Marketing Success
Library, as well as other books and marketing
resources. She can be reached at
or (303) 693-2306 .
Spring 2010 49
© 2009 Talissa Sergeant
If you are like many alpaca breeders, you are
skilled at communicating knowledge of your
alpaca’s bloodlines and strongest characteristics.
However, this first step is not enough to convert
prospects to buyers.