Are Your Prospects Scratching Their Heads?

I received a "robo" call from Verizon offering me discounts, etc to change my phone plan. The call instructed me to press any key to be connected with an operator. I did so and got a recording that "due to high call volume all our operators are busy now" I was then informed that there was a 5 minute wait for an operator. (OK, this is where we scratch our heads.)


So, let me get this straight. An organization is prospecting yet expects people to wait to speak to someone? Needless to say, I hung up.


BTW, I was actually trying to get my phone number off their list. As I'm sure other callers were trying to do as well. But what about the people that actually did want to learn about Verizon services? How many of them hung up instead of waiting?

Let's use this as an opportunity. Consider it an "Aha" moment, if you will. Ask yourself, have you created procedures to make it easy to buy from you? Did you instead create situations where you are alienating potential customers from doing business with you?

Sometimes you need to be able to step back and look at your procedures from the perspectives of the people with whom you want to do business. Have you made it easy for them? You'll get more sales and have more satisfied customers when you make it easy to do business with you.

Is Your Phone Sales Opening a Cliche?

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? Are you making the most of your opportunity? 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.

Here's two cliched examples: 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 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.

Networking vs. Using the Phone

Anyone who knows me in a professional capacity knows that I am a big proponent of networking. It's important to make connections - they lead to opportunities.

However, it would be a mistake to think that all businesses can grow solely by networking.

Depending on your industry, you may find that the decision makers from the companies that you consider your "best customer" profile, do not attend networking events. (Seriously, I once went to an event for companies that fit my "best customer' profile and the only people there were others who wanted to make connections with these people. NONE of the people in attendance were in the "best customer" profile.)


If you think about it for a moment, you'll realize that's true.

If you've ever held a position that was not in sales, you'll know that most people do not attend networking events as part of their job. They come into work at 8 and leave by 6. Oh, on occasion they might attend a professional event, but that's pretty rare. They don't see or don't feel they have a need for the value of networking.

So what to do to reach them?

In the end, you've got to pick up the phone and call. And yes, that's frustrating.... and yes, it's not nearly as pleasant as talking to people with a canape in one hand and a glass of wine in the other... BUT it's probably more effective.

If you want to increase your business, use your phone for results.

Go ahead, go to the networking events for some human contact - particularly if you work solo - or to build alliances. Increasing your sales revenues? Pick up the phone.

(psst.... Need to know how to do that effectively and efficiently? Check out www.krgcommunications.com or send me a message at info@krgcommunications.com)

Sales Process: Just as Important as Sales Skills

When most people think about the skills necessary for success in sales, they usually think about the interpersonal skills used to successfully close sales and generate business. After all, selling is all about how you deal with people, right? Well... it's not always that simple.

Sometimes the fault for poor or less than expected sales results lies not in the people skills of the sales or customer care reps in your company but rather the sales process that has been set up. Our processes can trip us up and make it harder for people to say "yes" to us. For instance:


Recently I received a call for a phone company, asking me to change my service. Now I'm always in favor of saving money so I definitely gave a listen. I gave my email address and promised to look over the information. I had a hard time listening to the rep as she appeared to be calling from a very noisy call center.


About an hour later I got a call (again from the noisy call center) from the original rep's supervisor asking for my business. I politely told her I prefer to think about this type of decision first. She offered to call me back in 3 days. The next day, I received her follow up call. No reference to the fact she wasn't supposed to call me for two days. She asked for my order again. Now, at this point, I had realized that this offer wouldn't be a good fit for me. I didn't like the length of the contact. She immediately offered a contract of a much shorter duration. I declined the offer.


Here's why I declined the offer:

• Why can't the first person conduct the entire sales process? Unless you have a brand new person or a very complicated product, there's really no reason for a second person to get involved. It smacks of poor training.

• Why is a "supervisor" calling back? Wasn't born yesterday... I've worked in industries where all the sales reps had business cards that said "vice president". Come on, we know you're the closer. There are smoother ways to handle that. (see my first point above)

• Inconsistency. If you're going to call back sooner, reference that to me. For instance "I know I'm supposed to call you back in 2 days, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of ....."

• Offered concession to fast. If you come down in price too fast, or make any concessions too quickly, it makes people feel uneasy. "What else can they compromise on? Would I have been taken advantage of if I hadn't brought that up?"

And oh yes, get a noise canceling headset...

Obviously, these techniques get sales, but how many sales are you losing? Sometimes, we forget there are human beings on the line with human reactions. We need to be able to walk the line between passive and aggressive in order to achieve our goals. Overly aggressive sales techniques increase the odds that buyers will cancel after the "aura" of the sales environment you're created goes away. For more sales and solid customer relationships, use assertive techniques that focus on your customer's needs.m

Poor sales processes can cost you just as many sales as poor interpersonal skills. Make sure yours are designed to help not hinder.

Can I tell you a Secret about Sales and Service Coaching?

Yes, I know I look tired - but here's a short message worth listening to!

Click here for the video:

I've Got a Secret

Sales Experience is NOT all the Same

I've been reading a discussion on one of the Inside Sales boards I follow, the gist of which is that most sales managers would rather hire for sales experience than industry experience. I'm not going to disagree but I am going to posit that the issue is actually more complicated.


There are many different types of sales and most of them boil down to transactional vs. consultative. I've had the opportunity to work with both types and I've seen people go from being very successful in one and then failing when they take on a job in the other. They are usually dumbfounded and can't understand why. "I was a crack closer" they'll say. "I always exceeded my quota", they'll claim. They're right - they did. But that's not the whole story.

Let's face it, closing a sale for a car or a home improvement can be done in one call. Closing on a high dollar sale in a large business can not. Now, it's not that the skill set is different per se, but that the skills are used differently. I'll need to hand hold more people. I need to build consensus - on teams, across departments and divisions in some cases. It's a slower process. I'll ask the great questions, I'll be prepared to take my opening. However, if I don't understand how the sales process works, I'm not going to get anywhere. It works in reverse, too. If I've worked in high dollar b to b sales and now I find myself selling lower dollar, high volume consumer goods, it's going to take a while to find my footing. Unfortunately, some people never will.


So, my bottom line isn't just going to be sales experience, it's how that sales experience has been acquired and how willing the sales professional will be to learn and make changes as necessary. Everyone can learn, everyone can grow. We must be willing to take those steps and most importantly we must understand that those steps must be taken. Sales hotshot in Company A doesn't automatically translate to sales hotshot in Company B. 

As managers and trainers it's our responsibility to make sure this transition goes smoothly. On boarding and on going training and coaching are essential to the success of every salesperson who joins your team. 

Need some help making this happen in your organization? For more information, contact me at info@krgcommunications.com  

www.krgcommunications.com 

Characteristics of Great Closed Ended Questions

Closed-ended questions serve a unique purpose in conversations. Done correctly, they require narrow answers to a specific inquiry.  The answers to these questions are typically "yes"-"no" or some other very brief answer.  Questions (or probes) of this nature perform the following functions:  

• They allow specific facts to be obtained.
• They are simple to answer. The buyers only need answer one question.     
• They are useful in a feedback process when the salesperson desires to check the communication accuracy.
• They can be used to reinforce positive statements.
• They can be used to direct the conversation to a desired topic or concern.
• They usually start with the following words: is, are, can, do,  would, could, should, may.

So, close-ended questions narrow your focus and open-ended questions broaden it.  Although sales and service training and coaching often spends much time focusing on open-ended questions, we should remember that close-ended questions also serve an important function in our efforts.

Vital to Your Success 3: Yet One More Role for the Inside Sales Manager

Enforcer


Sadly, this is what most people think about first when they think about the role of the Inside Sales Manager. It is actually the least important role. If a manager does a great job of developing, coaching and motivating, enforcing becomes the least of the duties - because most of the time you won't have to. 

That’s not to say that enforcing is not important. Each inside sales unit has rules and expectations that must be complied with. Chaos and a lack of results is not acceptable. By using positive reinforcement and taking the time to develop, coach and motivate a sales staff, enforcement of the rules will simply make sense as opposed to being rules imposed by “them” and resented (and therefore made to be broken) by “us”.


However, it is a manager’s responsibility to make sure that the unit is run effectively and efficiently. The manager should not be afraid to make the tough calls. For example, if a sales rep repeatedly does not achieve their goals, even after being coached and given all the necessary tools for success – including learning and development opportunities – the manager must make the difficult decision to terminate the sales rep. If the sales rep repeatedly comes in late or leaves early, the manager must make sure the sales rep knows the rules and if the rules continue to be violated, the sales rep must be terminated.


Being a manager who’s focused on positives does not mean being a poor manager. It does mean being able to make the difficult decisions. Being overly tough doesn't work but neither does being weak. An Inside Sales Manager who who manages their unit fairly and openly, doesn't play favorites and actively works with all members of the team to ensure their success is respected not feared. Respect will get you much better results. 

Avoid These Phrases

Often, when doing research for an upcoming training event in an organization or as part of a consulting assignment, I have the opportunity to listen to both side of customer service or sales calls. Here's what I find really cool - I can always tell when the wheels come off the wagon during a call. And it's usually not the customer. I would venture that 8 out of 10 calls that go awry, happen due to something the customer service or sales professional has said. Always well meaning, but often the one thing that sets off the caller.


Whether we sell or service, there are certain phrases that we should avoid using. There are certain phrases that all but guarantee a negative reaction from our customer or prospect. Let's take a look at words and phrases we should avoid in our telephone work.


I don't know. Is that what some one really wants to hear when they speak with a company representative? After all, isn't it your job to be able to answer customer requests? If you don't know, find out who does and get the answer. An alternative phrase might be "I'm not sure of the answer and I want to make sure I give you the correct information. Let me check that out for you. Are you able to hold?"


I (or we) can't. Don't you just hate being told no? So do most people. Find out what you can do and offer alternatives.


Hang on a second, I'll be right back... can sound rude and abrupt. Use "Are you able to hold instead?" It's much more polite and empathetic.

and really, really get back to them quickly. When you're on hold, I can still hear your caller. The longer you are away, the more time they have to stew. If you can avoid "hold", do so.


You have to... A prospective buyer doesn't or shouldn't HAVE to do anything. We're the ones trying to make the sale. If an action is required on their part, let them know what they'll "need to" do in order to accomplish the objective"


No... No one likes to be told no. Offer alternatives. If you can not come to agreement, be gracious. You never know when they might change their mind.

It's often difficult enough handling sales or services calls all day long. Why make your job any harder? The right words go a long way towards a quick and effective solution. 

Overcoming False Objections (part 2)

psst....... If you want this to make sense, read "Overcoming False Objections (part 1) first.,



In order to effectively handle these "false"objections, break down your response into parts. First, treat the objection as if it were real. This means that you will listen, paraphrase and clarify the objection. For example, the woman who needs her husband's approval can be casually asked why he doesn't want you to do this. "I respect that. Tell me, Sarah why would James prefer you not get involved with/ purchase this product/service?" This gives you the opportunity to learn more. Follow up as necessary.


Your gentle questioning should yield you enough information to make your case more effective if this isn't a "real" objection. Never be flip or cast aspersions on the decision making process: "Oh come on, you mean you can't make up your own mind about these things? Sometimes you just have to override him." In the case of the boss not wanting to upset his assistant, you wouldn't want to say: "You're the boss. Who's in charge here?" (and yes, I've heard these responses). You would say "I understand. It can be uncomfortable changing our routines. What could make her more comfortable about this process?"


When someone needs to talk to the boss about it, find out if you can present to the boss. Don't be surprised if the answer is no. This can be a sign of a false objection. Regardless, treat the objection at face value. Find out what is important to the "boss". Make your contact as comfortable as possible: "Knowing your boss as well as you do, where do you think his concerns will be?"


Generally speaking a false objection falls under its own weight. Do not call them on it. Always let a person save face. If you back them into a corner, if you make them feel uncomfortable - if they feel you have disparaged their situation in any way, your buyer will simply stonewall you. That's simply human nature. All the same, don't let that happen. People's responses should always be treated with respect and dignity. Clarify concerns and explore their situations.


Regardless of the objection, make your buyer feel at ease with you. Overcoming objections can be challenging at times but it's always instructional and it always an opportunity to learn more about an individual's needs and motivations. In the end, it's simply understanding human behavior.

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.

Success "Calls" to You

Yes, it does. Here's a short list of tips for telephone sales and service that can help you succeed


Recognize differences between face to face and telephone communications.
When you communicate over the telephone, you're communicating with a blindfold on. Words and voice become all important. In person, you're watching their body language. Make sure you adjust your message accordingly.

Learn to Listen.
Oddly enough, although we hear everything, we need to make a conscious decision to actually listen to what we're told. Make sure you listen actively and objectively.

Create a telephone presence or image through your words and voice.
Be professional; don't use slang or sloppy grammar. Articulate your thoughts clearly.

Make a dynamic Plan of Action to improve your telephone presence.
Record yourself. Objectively listen to strengths and weaknesses. Create a plan of action base on this.

Concentrate on improving inflection, enthusiasm, rate of speech and volume.

A pleasant sounding voice makes it easier to reach your objectives.

Put your best voice forward and sound confident when you're not.
Sound confident even when you're unsure. A willingness to double-check increases respect of you and your organization. It's all in how you say it.

Prepare for all outcomes.
You can handle anything smoothly and with aplomb if you prepare beforehand.

Voice Mail is an opportunity to have a 30-second commercial for the price of a telephone call.

Take the time to craft your message beforehand.

Think before you speak.
A planned presentation needn't be stiff and sound canned. Be comfortable with your product and your message.

Silence can be powerful - Make it work for you!

Did You Learn in Reverse?

No, I''m not talking about taking Algebra 2 before Algebra 1....

We do, however, tend to learn certain communication skills in school in the opposite proportion in which we'll need them in our in adult lives and careers.

Here is a list of how we communicate, by percentage. Interesting, isn't it. Look at the first one:

• Listening... 55%
• Speaking... 23%
• Reading... 13%
• Writing... 9%

Although we'll spend most of our time listening, it's the other three listed above that get the most attention. Think to how much time you spent writing and reading. You spent less time speaking and if you're like many students, you probably weren't listening all that well. Most people aren't taught how to listen. As adults, though, I've found the most successful people in the room will usually also be the best listeners. My husband is fond of saying "Never miss an opportunity not to say something." I'll add to that "because it's hard to speak and LISTEN effectively at the same time". 

How is listening good for business? Here are a few points to ponder.

• Listening Effectively enables you to Reach a Clarity of Understanding and Respond Appropriately.
• It allows you to Enhance Communication and Support Cooperation.
• Effective listening helps to Improve Morale and Increase Job Commitment

.
...and finally it allow you to focus on real Opportunities.

How to Succeed Using the Telephone to Sell

Most people in sales use the telephone at some point in the sales cycle. For some, it's simply getting the appointment but for others the entire sales process will take place over the telephone. Telephone sales has its roots in the stock brokers of the 1920's and gas-rationing of WWII. Anytime, information has to be delivered quickly and at a low cost, the telephone is the ideal solution.

If you are in the field, I found that the sales process breaks down in this fashion:

1. Reaching the decision maker and setting the appointment: phone/email
2. Presenation to decision maker: in person
3. Follow up: primarily phone/email

Although both the first and third steps can use email to accomplish their goals, it's usually more effective to use the telephone. Unfortunately, although many people use the phone to do business, they're not always effective in their use of this medium.

Goal Setting

In order for a program to succeed, set goals at the beginning of a project. For example, decide how much time you will set aside, how many calls you expect to make.


Parts of the Project
A successful telephone project requires more than just good phone skills. You must also consider:

• Who to call
• When to call
• How you will keep track

Lack of commitment is often the biggest obstacle to the success of a calling project.


In addition, there are 3 basic skills that are needed to be successful.

• Proper use of Voice
• Inflection
• Pauses
•  Emotion
• Words
• Be positive
• Create planned presentation(don't be afraid of this - it's your best friend for success!)
• Listening
• Attentiveness to what's being said and what's not being said
• Discern the Real Message 

Using the telephone to increase your business could be your best tool for success!

A Key to Inside Sales and Service Success

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never harm me." Well, we all now know that's not true, is it? If it was, the phrase "The pen is mightier than the sword" would never have been uttered. The power of the the words we use have tremendous impact on us and our relationships both public and private. In sales and service environments, we use words to solve problems and generate postive outcomes. If you conduct your business primarily by phone, your words have an even greater impact.


In the three legged communications stool that is telephone sales and service, words are the first area we tend to examine. But all too often, when we are actually speaking with someone we speak without thinking about the consequences.


Words can empower and words can destroy. Words create images in the minds of those that hear them. Very often, people overlook the advantage that the correct words can give. How we deliver our message makes a difference in our results.


When speaking to someone, we should be aware of the impact that our words have. How do we want our message perceived? To consider how our meaning is understood, let's talk about the ways we can convey our message. There are three ways to say anything to anyone: positively, negatively and neutrally. These three terms are the keys to your success. We can say the same thing but by using different words, we get different response. In how we position ourselves, our statements can literally change the way people respond to us.


A great example of this concept is using a box of donuts. For instance, if I say to you, "You don't want a donut, do you?" chances are that you will say "no". I've set you up to say this. By using a negative, I've guaranteed that you will respond in kind.


On the other hand, if I ask you, "Do you want a donut?" your answer could equally be a yes or no. It all depends on your own mood, likes or dislikes. This is very neutral. I've left it completely up to you.

Finally, if I come up to you with a box of fresh donuts and say to you, "Wow, don't these donuts look and smell great? Look, there's one of your favorite chocolate frosteds. Here, have one." how would you respond? For most people, the answer would be a responding, "Yes, I'd love a donut!"


By thinking about how you say something, making conscious choices with your words, you can get the results you need.

Is Your Sales Process Costing You Sales?

We spend a lot of time talking about selling skills - the interpersonal skills needed to successfully close sales and generate business. However, sometimes the fault for poor or less than expected sales results lies not in the people skills of the sales rep but rather the sales process itself that has been set up. Our processes can trip us up and make it harder for people to say "yes" to us. For instance:


Recently I received a call for a phone company, asking me to change my service. Now I'm always in favor of saving money so I definitely gave a listen. I gave my fax number and promised to look over the information. I had a hard time listening to the rep as she appeared to be calling from a very noisy call center.

About an hour later I got a call (again from the noisy call center) from the original rep's supervisor asking for my business. I politely told her I prefer to think about this type of decision first. She offered to call me back in 3 days. The next day, I received her follow up call. No reference to the fact she wasn't supposed to call me for two days. She asked for my order again. Now, at this point, I had realized that this offer wouldn't be a good fit for me. I didn't like the length of the contact. She immediately offered a contract of a much shorter duration. I declined the offer.

Here's why:

• Why can't the first person conduct the entire sales process? Unless you have a brand new person or a very complicated product, there's really no reason for a second person to get involved. It smacks of poor training.
• Why is a "supervisor" calling back? Wasn't born yesterday... I've worked in industries where all the sales reps had business cards that said "vice president". Come on, we know you're the closer. There are smoother ways to handle that.
• Was inconsistent. If you're going to call back sooner, reference that to me. For instance "I know I'm supposed to call you back in 2 days, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of ....."
• Offered concessions to fast. If you come down in price too fast, or make any concessions too quickly, it makes people feel uneasy. "What else will they compromise on? Would I have been taken advantage of if I hadn't brought that up?"

And... oh yes, get a noise canceling headset...

Obviously, these techniques get sales, but how many sales are you losing? Sometimes, we forget there are human beings on the line with human reactions. We need to be able to walk the line between passive and aggressive in order to achieve our goals. Overly aggressive sales techniques increase the odds that buyers will cancel after the "aura" of the sales environment you're created goes away. For more sales and solid customer relationships, use assertive techniques that focus on your customer's needs.

Prepare for that Call: Success Tips for Telesales and Service

Why do some people always seem poised, confident and ready for everything? Preparation.


Whenever you need to speak with someone, whether in person or through a telephone conversation, it's always a good idea to plan and rehearse beforehand. This is particularly true for sales people and customer service personnel, but is equally important to anyone who needs to achieve an objective or goal.


Many people are uncomfortable with the level of preparation needed to be successful in sales and service positions. For example, it's a good idea to think through all the opposition or even simple concerns that the other party may have. This allows you think up potential responses in advance and rehearse them. Done properly, you won't seem canned. You will however, appear (and are!) prepared. This shows the other party that you care enough about the result to put the effort into planning your conversation. Very few people wing it. Don't feel you need to be one of them.


Few things are decided in one call. Certain actions may require more thought than others. Achieving goals can take several conversations. In sales, it's been said that the fortune is in the follow up. Often the difference between success and failure is the ability to follow up appropriately. Inappropriate follow up falls into two camps: those that don't follow up at all and those that go overboard and follow up too much. You don't want to disappear into the woodwork but neither do you want to find yourself on a list of potential stalkers.


How do you find balance between these two extremes? Take your cues from your customer or prospect. Don't end the call without getting a follow up commitment. Let them know when you'd like to follow up. Listen to their response carefully. If you hear hesitation, ask them about it. "John, I'm sensing some hesitation, is that a bad time to call back or is there something we haven't covered that you're concerned about". Listen again but not just to the words. Listen to the voice, the phrasing and the hesitations. Listen to what he's not saying as well as to what he is.


You should also know the answers to these questions: How important is product/service this to them? What do you know about their situations? If you don't know the answers, ask. And, if you're playing phone tag, continue to call, if your calls are being returned. It's when they're not returned that you want to re-examine the situation.


In sales or service environments, avoid the use of email as a communications short cut unless necessary. As a communication device, it falls short. Email is great for exchanging information but if you want to resolve an issue or discuss a concern, nothing is more effective than a "real time" conversation.


Preparation is an ongoing activity during a call or conversation. Everything you are hearing from the other party helps you to prepare for the next step in your communication transaction. Re-connect with the reasons you do things in the first place. If they are no longer valid, re-evaluate. It may be time for some changes.

Open the Call

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.

Here's two examples: 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 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.

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

What Makes an Inside Sales Effort Succeed?

Why do some projects start out with high hopes and fail? Why do others succeed? In bringing inside sales into a business to business organization there are issues that must be resolved before the project can go forward.  If they are not, the project is doomed.  Money, time and effort will be expended without the results that management wants. Some people tend to focus solely on the interpersonal efforts needed to sell over the telephone, others concentrate on the mechanic of the project. In reality, both are required for a successful effort.

Today, we'll look at some of the  factors that are important to consider when deciding to implement an inside sales strategy.

Have a set of specific objectives

Make sure you know exactly what you want to accomplish. Too many people decide to add inside sales to their business mix and then tell their customer service people to "call and see if you can get them to reorder". Your objective should be well thought out, measurable and specific. Break every thing out. Visualize what you want the results to look like and work back from there. Is this a prospect effort or repeat customer sales? How many orders will you expect - hourly, daily, weekly? What dollar amount? How many dials per day? How many contacts? What products should be suggested? How much of each do you want to sell? Without doing this type of thought process up-front, you will be running a muddled mess within 6 months.

Determine your target audience

Who will you call? When deciding on your objective, give some thought as to who you will want to call? If your objective is to start a customer sales unit, decide who your priorities will be. Your customer list can be broken out into different segments. You will probably want to do this by dollar volume. You can also segment by product-line. If you sell a product that requires a lot of ongoing knowledge, you may find it easier to segment by product line. Your sales staff will then become experts in specific lines. Personally, I prefer to do it by dollar volume, only because you do not want to have more than one Inside Sales Rep calling on an account. If you decide to segment by product, you might want to create a segment specifically for multi-product customers. If you have decided to begin a prospecting effort, you'll want to do some homework first. Begin by analyzing your current customer base. Look at all the common denominators. Use this information to create a profile of your average customer.

Decide on List Sources

Where will you get your lists? This is an easy one if you are calling existing customers. However, if you've decided to add inside sales for prospecting purposes, you'll need a source of names to call. After you've decided who you wish to call, decide how you'll get lists of enough names to make your prospecting worthwhile. There are various list brokers you can buy lists from as well as online options. You can also use directories from your local chamber of commerce or business organizations, depending on the scope of your project. However, before doing so, make sure that you have decided on your criteria for prospects. You can waste a lot of time calling people who have no need for your products or services. Take a look at your "best" customers. What type of companies are they, what size? Attempting to replicate these customers is your best form of prospecting.