Make Time to Review: Opening Your Inside Sales Call

Time for a Review:

Have you taken the time to think about your telephone presentations lately?

Sometimes it seems as though the hardest thing to do  is reach the decision maker. But what happens when you do reach them? Are you prepared? We can get so used to being shot down or listening to voice mail box instructions that when we actually do get a decision maker on the line, we get all tongue-tied. 

The best way to avoid that is to plan your opening in advance. Write it down. Create an opening that makes people want to listen to you. Avoid writing a prepared script that sounds like a direct mail piece. All too often when I look at prepared scripts, I notice sentences that might look well in a direct mail piece but will either get you shot down quickly or simply won't engage your prospective customer. You've gone through so much to get to a decision maker, make sure that you are making the most of the opportunity.

Here's two examples of less than stellar openings: openings that tout (1) money savings or (2) a saving of time and effort. Either of these may very well be the case, but everyone says their product either 1) saves you money, 2) saves you time or 3) makes your efforts more efficient thereby also giving you savings from 1 and 2 as well. Seriously, everyone says it. Doing this actually makes it easier for a decision maker to tune you out - because you're not different from anyone else who calls - and they'll try to get off the phone as quickly as possible.

Let's think about a better way. Why not simply introduce yourself and your company name, make a quick one sentence statement about what your product is, and then ask some questions. Take the opportunity to learn more about your potential customers. In fact, one of the things you might find is that this decision maker is not a potential customer. Isn't better to find that out up front? Isn't it better to learn who you should be talking to or know that currently your products/services are not a good match for a particular organization?

Sit down and review your opening. Make it natural sounding. Avoid tired and hackneyed phrases. Take the time, instead, to become genuinely interested in your prospect. You'll be far happier with the results.

Thoughts on Reaching the Unreachable

Some people just can't be reached by phone. So, do we just close up shop and go home? Absolutely not. However, there are things we do need to take into consideration.

First, is this person truly unreachable?
Some people may seem to be but we may just have to be a little more patient. Try making calls at different times and days. If you're bounced to voice mail, try just using your name and number without a message.

Second, make sure that this person is truly the decision maker.Sometimes there are other people in the decision making process that you can reach. Don't forget about the screener, either. Often these people have the information you need. Making a friend of them can help you get through.

Third, if you are speaking with a screener, use it as an opportunity to qualify. Why spend weeks trying to reach someone if your products or services are not good fits?

Fourth, have a large enough list of prospective customers that you don't feel you have to put an usually large emphasis on one or two potential accounts. It's great to win the big ones, the difficult ones but make sure your market is large enough that you aren't desperate for a particular account. Sometimes being more relaxed helps you think up your strategies more easily.

Fifth, if this really is a account you need to close and you really need to speak to someone - network. This is what those networking events help you with - yes I know "Unreachable" probably won't be there either, but you want to make contacts who can tell you how to reach them. In many ways, this is why many people use for LinkedIn.

Sixth, email won't necessarily get a response unless you have a referral name or your product is just what they need at that moment in time.

It's frustrating when you can't people an individual you'd like to. This is among the many challenges of sales. Remember, strong techniques will help you succeed in the end.

Quick Tips for Effective Telephone Communications

Here's a few quick tips for effective telephone communications.

Voice Mail

A voice mail message should follow this format:

Name, Company name, interest statement, close say number, repeat number

Remember:

Always use your first and last names

Use area codes

Message should be brief

Message should give reason to call back

Make message an opportunity for a 30 second commercial

Effectively Reach a Decision Maker

Getting Voice Mail

Give people a reason to call back

Screener

Develop a relationship with screener

Use screener to qualify prospect

Remember: Screener many have decision power

Time of Day

Always easiest to reach either early in morning or late in the day

Avoid Phone Spam

Don't leave constant voice mail messages that aren't returned

Don't call more than once a week (unless otherwise requested)

Do be respectful and polite, regardless of reception by decision makers or screeners

Listening

Learn to Listen

Be aware of listening patterns

Listen actively

Listen objectively

Don't be afraid of silence

Rely less on non-verbal cues

Over 1/2 of all communication skills are non-verbal

Asks Questions to Generate Information and Shift the Conversation

Generates Information

Open ended Questions 

Can be used for general information or specifics

Open ended Questions start with these words: Who, what, where, why, when, which, how

Close-ended Questions

Can be used to verify

Closed-ended Questions may start with: Is, Are, May, Can, Do, Would, Could, Should

Controls the conversation

Begin with the end in mind

Create a prepared sequence of questions

Have alternate questions ready

Conversations can go in many directions

Asking Questions Will:

Allow people to talk to you

Create engaged individuals

Give them the opportunity to "buy into" your conversation

Create Interest in Your Product

In order to sell effectively, your prospects must find a need – or more importantly – a benefit to doing business with you. You must make sure that you have grabbed their interest so that they will continue to listen to you. Creating a statement that helps hold their attention it the first step.

When you are on the telephone, you have only a short period of time in order to accomplish this, literally seconds. Our attention spans have gotten notoriously short. People have always been tempted to multi-task while on the phone. Today, assume your buyer is not giving you their full attention.

So how to get their attention?

In order to create interest, see things from the point of view of the person who will be buying. What you think is most important to them, may be different from what they feel is important. What are the most important advantages and benefits of your product – as seen by your clients? Decide on the top 3. This will give you a starting point.

Interest must be grabbed within about 15 seconds. Decide what is your best advantage and benefit for doing this.

Any statement designed to create interest should be worded positively, designed to catch the prospect’s interest. Try to avoid clichés. Although many products tout the benefit of saving money or saving time, there are many products that say that. Your prospects hear this so often they tune it out as soon as they hear it. You need to set yourself apart.

Your challenge is to present yourself and your product quickly and compellingly.

What’s your favorite interest gathering statement? Why do you think it works?

Make Your Telephone Calls Count

Have you taken the time to think about your telephone presentations lately? Many people tell me that possibly the hardest thing to do these days is reach the decision maker. But what happens when you do reach them? Have you created an opening that makes people want to listen to you and become active participants in the conversation?

All too often when I look at prepared scripts, I notice sentences that might look well in a direct mail piece but will either get you shot down quickly or simply won’t engage your prospective customer.

For example, openings that tout money savings or a saving of time and effort. It may very well be the case, but everyone says their product either 1) saves you money, 2) saves you time or 3) makes your efforts more efficient thereby alsogiving you savings from 1 and 2 as well. Seriously, everyone says it. Doing this actually makes it easier for a decision maker to tune you out – because you’re not different from anyone else who calls – and try to get off the phone as quickly as possible.

Let’s think about a better way. Why not simply introduce yourself and your company name, make
a quick one sentence statement about what your product is, and then ask some questions? Take the opportunity to learn more about your potential customers.

One of the things you might find is that this decision maker is not a potential customer. Isn’t better to find that out up front? Isn’t it better to learn who you should be talking to or know that currently your products/services are not a good match for a particular organization? Give yourself the opportunity to learn more about a customer's needs and wants. You might not be the solution now, but you may be several months from now. But you won't know that if the decision maker tunes you out, waits for you to take a breath, says "No Thanks." and hangs up the phone. You've not had the chance the offer any solution or plant any seeds of thought for future business.

Make your telephone time count. Sit down and review your opening. Make it natural sounding. Avoid tired and hackneyed phrases. Take the time, instead, to become genuinely interested in your prospect. You’ll be far happier with the results.