The perfect sales call
The perfect sales call
The best salespeople I know are always learning how to conduct better sales calls. This quest for perfection reminds me of quote by Anthony J. D’Angelo, noted author and personal development guru. He once said: “Become addicted to constant and never-ending self-improvement.”
I’ve been selling for more than 22 years and I’ve been fairly successful at it. But even after all these years, I’m still learning how to master the art of selling. Every sales call I make gives me an opportunity to improve some aspect of the selling process.
Here are 15 points that should be part of any successful sales call.
1. Identify the person who makes the buying decisions. A failure to identify the right individual will lead to a lot of wasted time, frustration and (possibly) embarrassment.
2. Have a specific reason to call. It could be to introduce yourself and your company. It could be promote a special offer. Whatever the reason, narrow your focus and don’t call for the sake of calling.
3. Establish a friendly, trustful rapport. I’ve always been interested in people and business. When you take a sincere interest in someone’s job and career, he’ll be more willing to share information.
4. Never make your pitch right away. Get to know your prospect first and try to establish some common ground. Find a topic related to your prospect’s business or personal life to discuss, before moving onto what you’re selling.
5. Take notes. Our memories are never as reliable as written words. Making notes achieves two things: It helps you to keep track of salient points that are discussed, and it tells the customer that you take the conversation seriously.
6. Never slag a competitor. During a sales meeting, all kinds of subjects are bound to come up in conversation, including comments about competitors. Even if your customer bad mouths a competitor, don’t follow suit. Casually change the subject.
7. Be honest about what you do and what you know. If your prospect asks a question that you don’t know, admit it and say you’ll find out.
8. Establish the value and benefits of your product before discussing price. Price should be the last thing that comes up in conversation. Price is always important, but it’s not the only reason people buy from you.
9. Tell a story – don’t recite facts & stats. The art of salesmanship boils down to storytelling more than anything else. Stories compel the listener’s attention. Facts and stats are boring.
10. Never toss around facts or numbers that you’re not sure of. I once gave a verbal quote to a prospective customer, a quote which was considerably lower than the actual quote I submitted the next day. The customer was not pleased, and I didn’t get the order.
11. Respect your prospect’s time. If you are given 15 minutes, then keep your meeting to 15 minutes. If a prospect wants to extend the meeting, that’s fine. But tell her that you appreciate the extra time and thank her for it when the meeting is finished.
12. Ask for the sale. During most of my sales calls, the prospective customer will decide for himself if he wants to buy my marketing services. Rarely do I have to actually ask for the sale. But never be afraid to do just that.
13. Thank your prospect for his/her time. Time is a precious commodity that’s in short supply. When a prospect agrees to see you, make sure that you thank him/her for taking the time to meet with you.
14. Analyze the sales call after you leave. Did you sound confident enough? Was your prospect really interested in your product? Did your presentation waver at any point? Did any questions arise which you couldn’t answer? Could you have phrased that point any better? These are the types of things that you need to ask yourself after every sales call.
15. Follow up. A follow-up email after the meeting is a nice gesture. The email could be a quick thank you, or it could be a short summary of the points that were discussed.
The perfect sales call - To learn more about this author, visit Ross Fattori's Website.
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I don’t believe in the perfect sales call. If you do believe there is such an animal, then you’re probably an amateur salesperson or a mediocre one at best.
The best salespeople I know are always learning how to conduct better sales calls. This quest for perfection reminds me of quote by Anthony J. D’Angelo, noted author and personal development guru. He once said: “Become addicted to constant and never-ending self-improvement.”
I’ve been selling for more than 22 years and I’ve been fairly successful at it. But even after all these years, I’m still learning how to master the art of selling. Every sales call I make gives me an opportunity to improve some aspect of the selling process.
Here are 15 points that should be part of any successful sales call.
1. Identify the person who makes the buying decisions. A failure to identify the right individual will lead to a lot of wasted time, frustration and (possibly) embarrassment.
2. Have a specific reason to call. It could be to introduce yourself and your company. It could be promote a special offer. Whatever the reason, narrow your focus and don’t call for the sake of calling.
3. Establish a friendly, trustful rapport. I’ve always been interested in people and business. When you take a sincere interest in someone’s job and career, he’ll be more willing to share information.
4. Never make your pitch right away. Get to know your prospect first and try to establish some common ground. Find a topic related to your prospect’s business or personal life to discuss, before moving onto what you’re selling.
5. Take notes. Our memories are never as reliable as written words. Making notes achieves two things: It helps you to keep track of salient points that are discussed, and it tells the customer that you take the conversation seriously.
6. Never slag a competitor. During a sales meeting, all kinds of subjects are bound to come up in conversation, including comments about competitors. Even if your customer bad mouths a competitor, don’t follow suit. Casually change the subject.
7. Be honest about what you do and what you know. If your prospect asks a question that you don’t know, admit it and say you’ll find out.
8. Establish the value and benefits of your product before discussing price. Price should be the last thing that comes up in conversation. Price is always important, but it’s not the only reason people buy from you.
9. Tell a story – don’t recite facts & stats. The art of salesmanship boils down to storytelling more than anything else. Stories compel the listener’s attention. Facts and stats are boring.
10. Never toss around facts or numbers that you’re not sure of. I once gave a verbal quote to a prospective customer, a quote which was considerably lower than the actual quote I submitted the next day. The customer was not pleased, and I didn’t get the order.
11. Respect your prospect’s time. If you are given 15 minutes, then keep your meeting to 15 minutes. If a prospect wants to extend the meeting, that’s fine. But tell her that you appreciate the extra time and thank her for it when the meeting is finished.
12. Ask for the sale. During most of my sales calls, the prospective customer will decide for himself if he wants to buy my marketing services. Rarely do I have to actually ask for the sale. But never be afraid to do just that.
13. Thank your prospect for his/her time. Time is a precious commodity that’s in short supply. When a prospect agrees to see you, make sure that you thank him/her for taking the time to meet with you.
14. Analyze the sales call after you leave. Did you sound confident enough? Was your prospect really interested in your product? Did your presentation waver at any point? Did any questions arise which you couldn’t answer? Could you have phrased that point any better? These are the types of things that you need to ask yourself after every sales call.
15. Follow up. A follow-up email after the meeting is a nice gesture. The email could be a quick thank you, or it could be a short summary of the points that were discussed.
The perfect sales call - To learn more about this author, visit Ross Fattori's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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