Sales calling tips

How do you feel when someone phones you, someone tries to sell to you?

When you are browsing a shop, how do feel when you are approached by a member of the staff, how do you feel if you are being ignored?

How do you feel about using the phone?

Nervous, uncomfortable… but They don’t know you feel like this

 

Phones: We don’t use it for calling it much. It’s an office, bank… everything.

 

Email: quick, easy, not involving emotions but can be ineffective. We can’t see the response. The meaning, emphasis gets lots. Its very easy to ignore an email.

 

Customers are the most important thing in business (they pay our wages) but if we can’t allocate time to them.

 

What makes it difficult?

  • Getting through, gatekeepers
    • I wonder if you can help me out
    • Google before
  • Language barrier
  • Time zone
  • You don’t know them
  • How you or they will respond?
  • How we communicate
    • Body movements 55%
    • Pitch, pace, tone 38%
    • Words you are using 7%

 

PLAN FOR THE CALL

  • Research beforehand
  • We do not want to be sold to
    • We want to build relationships
  • Quality and quantity
    • Saves time , you should ring the right people

 

WHAT DOES A PLAN LOOK LIKE

  • Your call framework
    • Who are we calling
    • What do they know about us?
    • What do we know about them?
      • Linkedin and Google search + web browse
    • Why would they be interested in speaking to us?
      • We don’t sell products or services
      • We sell solutions to problems
      • We need to tap into the psyche of the person
      • What’s in it for me?
    • How will we break the ice?
      • How’s the week going?
      • Weather?
      • Keep it simple, don’t over do it
    • What can we do to make it easier?
    • How can we stand out from others calling them?
      • Authentic
      • Keep your word, follow up, do what you said you’d do
      • Don’t sell
      • Don’t talk industry jargon
        • Don’t assume that they know you are talking about
      • Don’t over talk

 

LANGUAGE

  • Using the language to get results
  • Toxic language
    • Does not add value
      • Fillers like basically, actually, obviously,
      • Ambiguous: probably, possibly, maybe, for sure, might
      • Any industry jargon
    • Calling everyone “guys”
  • People love their names the most
  • Lets focus on positive
    • Use open questions
      • Questions that can not be answered with a yes or no
      • What’s your biggest challenge this week?
      • Refer to news on website or linkedin posts?
      • What are your top [business/industry] priorities right now?
      • Are you having problems with [insert a couple of pain points] like some of our other clients?
      • Is your current solution not solving these as well as you would like?
      • What would it do for your overall revenue/workflow/pain benefit if you could handle these issues more effectively?
      • How does the decision making look for a solution like this?
      • What concerns do you have about switching/implementing a new solution?
      • At the end of that call will you give us a firm answer?
      • Who is the best person to speak to?
      • What do you think of the british summer?
      • https://www.rainsalestraining.com/blog/21-powerful-open-ended-sales-questions
      • 50 sales questions PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ogH8BdU1m_g7wU2AlsRJuL5NThOaOF8g/view?usp=sharing
    • What we can do?
    • How we’d like to help?
    • What would you like to happen next?
    • What would you like us to do?
    • Listen and reflect
    • What would be most helpful to them
    • Summarise at the end

 

PHASES

  • Introduction
  • Yes
    • Qualify them
    • When can we sell, today, next week, month, year?
  • No
    • If it is never going to work, getting a no sooner is better
  • Closing
    • You can send follow up email
    • Keep in touch with them
      • When will be the best time for them?
    • Agree on next step
    • Summarize
    • Thank them
    • Always check if they are OK with stuff

 

  • M otivation – why
  • A bility – budget
  • N eeds – want
  • U rgency – when

 

WHEN TO CALL

  • Think of your Perfect client
  • You might have several segments of clients
  • Morning?
  • Late afternoon can work, usually people don’t have late meetings
  • Part of your plan

 

SUMMARIZE

  • Plan
  • Prepare
  • Use your framework
  • Agree next action
  • Confirm it by email
  • Diarise
  • Do it!

 

Buying cycle