Have you ever begun to think to yourself while you are on
the phone speaking with a prospect, "What am I going to say
next?"
Try this approach. Base your next question upon their
answer. First, listening to what someone is saying
(especially a prospect) is the polite thing to do. Secondly,
this strategy will enable you to keep your mind focused upon
what the other person is saying rather than trying to think
ahead as to what you are going to say next.
The idea is to have a conversation like you would when you
are speaking with a friend. In fact, friendship and rapport
are what you are trying to achieve.
Example: Prospect: "We love our database management system."
Sales Rep: "What do you like about it?" (Said with genuine
interest) Prospect: "It has quick access time to our data."
Sales Rep: "I'd like to see if I can help you. How does the
access time to your data compare to the accuracy of the data
being requested and received?"
In the example, "We love our database management system"
provides the basis for the next question "What do you like
about it?" "It has quick access time to our data" provides
the basis for the next question "How does the access time to
your data compare to the accuracy of the data being
requested and received?"
Have you ever given a friend advice on a specific product or
service that they plan to buy? What happened? Did you try to
force your friend to buy it? Probably not. Why?
People do not want to be forced into what to buy and spewing
forth a bunch of features hoping something you say will
stick is not selling. In other words, people do not like to
be sold they like to buy. Our job is to listen and find out
what people want and value so we can help them buy the way
they want to buy.
I will never forget an experience in class once when I was
trying to coach someone who would not read my notes or
listen to the prospect. The person on the other end said,
"This how we buy. You send me three packets of information
and I will meet with my two managers to determine when and
if we should meet. What did the rep proceed to do? "Why
don't I drop by and deliver it to you personally?" This rep
was determined to get what he wanted which was a
face-to-face appointment. Mr. Prospect replied, "Maybe you
didn't hear me. Send over three packages of information for
review first and then we can set up a meeting." Again, the
rep repeated, "I'll be in the area on Monday, why don't I
drop by and give you the packets?" By this time, you can
picture the steam coming out of the prospect's ears over the
phone. He said, "Either you send me the three packages of
information for my managers and I to review or we don't do
business." At this point, it began to sink in. This is how
Mr. Prospect buys. After we hung up, I asked him why you
kept asking to stop by. His response was I wanted to meet
him and hand the information to him personally. Apparently,
he was not listening to what was being said. Instead, he was
concentrating on his agenda, which was to get an appointment
at any cost. Well it may have cost him the sale.
Do you remember when you had a
great buying experience? I will bet you dollars to donuts
that you raved about it to your friends. You probably talked
about what you really enjoyed most when using that product
or service or what you liked about the person who helped you
buy it and then recommend your friends go see this person
when they needed the products she offered. Think for a
moment or two on how you go about buying things. How do you
want people to treat you? What qualities do you like in a
salesperson and which qualities aggravate you?
What is the experience you
think of, when you enjoyed buying a specific product or
service? Remember that people do not like to be sold, they
like to buy. Again, our job is to listen and find out what
people want and value so we can help them buy the way they
want to buy which may not necessarily be the way we want to
sell. A great salesperson's job is to deliver great sales
experiences by asking questions, listening and creating a
two-way conversation, not a one-way monologue.
Ron La Vine, MBA is president
and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a sales
training firm located in Oak Park, CA. You can get a special
report "41 sales Tips You Can Use Right Now" AND the free
bimonthly Sales Tips for Selling Success eZine all by
signing up at
http://www.ast-incorp.com.
If you would like information
on Live Cold Calling Sales Training please call Ron at
818-991-6487 PST. © 2005
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