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Accept The “Funny Word” To Hit Sales Gold

May 3rd, 2011
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Sales calls require a tough exterior and pleasant demeanor. The combination is often difficult when calling someone who doesn’t know—and may not care to know you.

The goal then is to deliver the “brick of gold” that gets their curiosity piqued. It requires a concise, crisp and kind approach so they sense you are genuinely interested in their welfare, not just yours.

This called being a Sales Stand-Out—someone who quickly grasps the concept and approach to selling the WIIFM of the business owner or other decision-maker.

What’s that? It’s the What’s In It For Me for the person who’s listening to your sales opportunity. They don’t care about all the bells and whistles, fantastic pricing or anything until the WIIFM resonates. Once the light bulb goes off, you’ve got a real sales prospect—someone you can now set up an appointment with, and demonstrate the value and validity of your offer.

So, what’s the road you must travel to get to the WIIFM?

No Auto-Pilot. It’s natural to shoot your message like a rocket when a prospect answers the phone. Turn off the auto-pilot switch and let them communicate with you. Be sure to speak with them not at them.

Know Your Audience. Selling to an independent retailer who is a small business owner is a different story than talking to a purchasing officer at a big-box retailer like Wal-Mart. When calling, make sure you know something about the organization. Google it, read its Web site, review its About Us and Team pages.

Know Your Product or Service. This goes without saying, but it’s always a good reminder. Before you call, make sure you know your products, services and offerings. If you’re asked a question you don’t know, that’s OK too, as long as you don’t get flustered and “pretend” to answer the question. It’s a simple matter. “Mr. Smith, I’m not sure I have all that information but I will definitely find out and follow up.” This can even work to your advantage. It gives you an opportunity to “touch” the prospect again.

Adapt Your Sales Message. This is a lot like “Know Your Audience,” but different. Sometimes you don’t have to follow every step of your sales speech or script. Depending on how the prospect is responding, you can go directly to your Call To Action. Just be aware of where your prospect is going with his or her questions and interest level.

Use P-Square. That’s the Power of Politeness. Just by being kind and having a tone of confidence yet empathy goes a long way with a sales prospect. Recognize that the prospect is just like you. They have lives, highs and lows. You could be the bright spot of their entire day.

Fake It Until You Make It. It’s easy to get “dialing for prospects” doldrums. Dial 10 numbers, the ring of the phone, voicemail; Dial 10 number … It’s a routine. That can be reflected in your voice tone, so when you do get a live prospect answering the phone, you may sound bored or asleep. That’s when faking it until you make it is important. Overcome this by keeping a squishy ball nearby to keep your hands moving. One tactic is to even stand up and walk while you’re talking. That gets your body moving. Tone is key.