Busting Down the Gates: Making your Sales Calls Less Salesy
- Preparation
- Confidence
- Personalization
Even in an era of incredible technical innovation with pocket supercomputers, robot appointment setters, and clunky virtual reality goggles, the sales call is still the most effective way to grow your business. In olden times, men with dusty fedoras would go door-to-door selling vacuums, washing machines, and various encyclopedias; after all, it’s very difficult to slam the door in someone’s face.
Then came the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell’s gift to the salesman. Eventually a four inch thick listing of every single, solitary person in the city was developed, serving as the lifeblood of sales. “Smile and dial” was the name of the game and the volume of human contact that could be made over an eight-to-ten hour workday rose dramatically. Sure, you would get a few hang-ups, but the world was the sales representative’s proverbial oyster if they had the patience and resilience.
Finally, in an era of internet listings, mobile-only families, unlisted numbers, and caller ID, the less savvy sales professionals can be ignored and avoided! Everyone always knows where you’re calling from. Everyone with an area code has experienced a lame, off-putting sales call, and we are stretched too thin to speak with an unseasoned sales representative that comes off robotic and obviously reads from a company-approved script.
That’s not you! Here are some tips to bust down the gates between you and your prospects.
1. Preparation – If you have a CRM tool, it is your absolute best friend. Here at Agency Performance Partners, we use Hubspot, which tracks every bit of contact we have with prospective clients and pulls basic information from the web to fill out their profile. Check Linkedin, check Facebook, check Twitter. Find out what they are into, who your prospects are, and what makes them tick. Basic charm only goes so far, arm yourself with the tools and information so you can tailor your brief sales pitch to fit the needs of your prospects. If this is an inside sales call and you are “mining your own diamonds” as Mike Stromsoe says. You’ve already got a relationship. Build on that!
2. Confidence – We’ve all heard the shaky sales rep try to bumble through a script. It’s not their fault! They probably were not trained for it. According to Forbes, sales reps are burning out faster than ever, partially because they do not have the tools. You have the tools and you have the training! You have a solution, not a product. It does not matter whether you are selling insurance or camouflage underpants, these products offer solutions whether they be protecting your assets or protecting your…assets. Remember that you are educating your prospects, not convincing them.
3. Personalization – Whatever you do, pronounce their name correctly. Nothing is a bigger turn-off to a prospect than a mispronounced name. I’m pretty forgiving when I receive a sales call but if someone pronounces my name “JAH-RAHD” I’m going to hang up. Do your research. If it’s a name you’ve never seen before, there are plenty of sites, including ProunounceNames.com that will help you out. Sure, every once in awhile you’ll miss, but that gives you a talking point if nothing else! “Oh geeze! I was so worried I would get it wrong!” Own it! Be amazing. Oh and for crying out loud, do NOT ask for someone by their first and last name. Especially when you’re speaking with a receptionist, use their first name. “Hi Sheila, I’m trying to get in touch with Liz.” The worst you get is being asked for more information about yourself, and the best outcome is a direct line to the grand poo-bah!
Until next time! Be RIDICULOUSLY Amazing
