Part Seven - Prospecting for More Sales
Part Seven - Prospecting for More Sales
The first point of contact with you is often the telephone. You can grab them or lose them right there. When your potential clients phone your office, here is one of the things that can happen: before they can say a word the voice on the other end says "will you hold for a moment please". And then they wait - or perhaps they don't. Maybe they decide then and there not to bother any further with you. How many of you have experienced this frustrating incident, and have hung up as a result?
Make certain that whoever is responsible for answering calls in your business is given sound advice about how to make telephone contact with your customers and sound as pleasant and productive as possible.
o Remember that you can't be seen. The caller only has your voice to guide them, so make sure that it is friendly and that your manner is helpful. They can't see your dazzling smile, or that you're being asked to do sixty things at once. As far as they are concerned their call is the only one you have to handle. In fact it’s the most important call you've had all day. And that’s the way you have to handle it, because it might be the most important call you get all day.
o Listen carefully, and without interruption, to what the caller has to say. Always have a notepad and pencil on hand to take down the caller's name and telephone number and to record details of the enquiry.
o Make sure that the call is concluded to the satisfaction of the caller. Be certain that they have received the information they wanted.
o Secure an appointment. Selling is nearly always done face-to-face. So be certain that you say something like "When would it be suitable for you to meet with us so that we can more fully understand your needs?"
o One of the most important qualities you will need as a seller is to be approachable. So be sure that your telephone acts as an open doorway to your business, not as a barrier which makes access and information difficult to obtain.
When potential customers do get as far as your office, make certain that the premises are clean, attractive and give the impression that the company is business like and efficient. That should go without saying, however only just the other day I had an incident where that was not so. I was seeing a salesperson in a conference room I had hired for the meeting, and without thinking ushered him into the conference room I had booked - only to be confronted with the dirty dishes of those who had used the room before us! Not only should the venue people have cleaned up after them, but I should have checked first!
Personal contact is important. When the buyer walks through your door, they should get prompt courteous service. Otherwise they may not wait.
How many times have you been kept waiting for an appointment? What happens to your impression of the person you are waiting for, the longer you have to wait?
It isn't just your office that has to look right. The people in your premises have to look reliable and efficient too. That may mean that weird hairstyles and extreme styles of dress have no place in your business offices – there again, you maybe a hairdresser - you need to work with what works in your industry. In general, your aim should be to dress and groom yourself in a way that will make your clients feel comfortable.
You can dress fashionably, but you don't want to scare the customers away. Grooming is important too - how many of you clean our shoes regularly, clean your fingernails, get all that white paint out of your hair from the weekend painting job? Even if you don't realise it, customers will be giving you the once over, usually within the first minute of meeting you.
Remember: You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Continued in Part Eight
Part Seven Prospecting for More Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Lawrence Atkinson's Website.
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Here are some points you should check if you want to project an image which will attract business rather than drive it away.
The first point of contact with you is often the telephone. You can grab them or lose them right there. When your potential clients phone your office, here is one of the things that can happen: before they can say a word the voice on the other end says "will you hold for a moment please". And then they wait - or perhaps they don't. Maybe they decide then and there not to bother any further with you. How many of you have experienced this frustrating incident, and have hung up as a result?
Make certain that whoever is responsible for answering calls in your business is given sound advice about how to make telephone contact with your customers and sound as pleasant and productive as possible.
o Remember that you can't be seen. The caller only has your voice to guide them, so make sure that it is friendly and that your manner is helpful. They can't see your dazzling smile, or that you're being asked to do sixty things at once. As far as they are concerned their call is the only one you have to handle. In fact it’s the most important call you've had all day. And that’s the way you have to handle it, because it might be the most important call you get all day.
o Listen carefully, and without interruption, to what the caller has to say. Always have a notepad and pencil on hand to take down the caller's name and telephone number and to record details of the enquiry.
o Make sure that the call is concluded to the satisfaction of the caller. Be certain that they have received the information they wanted.
o Secure an appointment. Selling is nearly always done face-to-face. So be certain that you say something like "When would it be suitable for you to meet with us so that we can more fully understand your needs?"
o One of the most important qualities you will need as a seller is to be approachable. So be sure that your telephone acts as an open doorway to your business, not as a barrier which makes access and information difficult to obtain.
When potential customers do get as far as your office, make certain that the premises are clean, attractive and give the impression that the company is business like and efficient. That should go without saying, however only just the other day I had an incident where that was not so. I was seeing a salesperson in a conference room I had hired for the meeting, and without thinking ushered him into the conference room I had booked - only to be confronted with the dirty dishes of those who had used the room before us! Not only should the venue people have cleaned up after them, but I should have checked first!
Personal contact is important. When the buyer walks through your door, they should get prompt courteous service. Otherwise they may not wait.
How many times have you been kept waiting for an appointment? What happens to your impression of the person you are waiting for, the longer you have to wait?
It isn't just your office that has to look right. The people in your premises have to look reliable and efficient too. That may mean that weird hairstyles and extreme styles of dress have no place in your business offices – there again, you maybe a hairdresser - you need to work with what works in your industry. In general, your aim should be to dress and groom yourself in a way that will make your clients feel comfortable.
You can dress fashionably, but you don't want to scare the customers away. Grooming is important too - how many of you clean our shoes regularly, clean your fingernails, get all that white paint out of your hair from the weekend painting job? Even if you don't realise it, customers will be giving you the once over, usually within the first minute of meeting you.
Remember: You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Continued in Part Eight
Part Seven Prospecting for More Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Lawrence Atkinson'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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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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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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