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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Leanne Hoagland Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales success or one of the many who have failed to change? So what are you doing to change those results? Let’s be honest, with companies moving globally and at lightening speeds, the traditional business solutions are outdated and dead. My approach moves your business out of its comfort zone and secures your competitive advantage now. If you are seeking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, create a culture of great attitudes or just achieve some sleep filled nights, then we should talk because my clients have experienced exactly those types of results. Learn more about customer loyalty at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm Give me a call at 219.759.5601 for a free strategy session. P.S. If you are seeking a motivational speaker, sales trainer or small business expert that will leave your audience smiling and remembering, please feel free to contact me at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland Smith's Website |
The Evan Elite Authors program is currently in beta phase. For details please contact us.
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Lawrence Atkinson
(Visit Lawrence's Website)
Lawrence specialises in sales training and
sales coaching, with over 20 years
experience as both a trainer and a coach.
He has lived and worked in the UK, Europe,
the Middle East and more recently the
Pacific Islands. He is a Fellow and
former Director of the Australian
Institute of Training and Development and
holds Fellowships with the Australian
Institute of Company Directors, the
Australian Institute of Management, and
the Financial Services Institute of
Australasia. He is also a Justice of the
Peace.
His many experiences in a variety of sales
situations present an interesting
background for his training and coaching
interventions and provide Lawrence with an
ability to relate to and train people at
all levels, across a variety of cultural
and industry settings. This includes, for
example, training and coaching business
owners and managers, senior relationship
managers, business banking managers,
financial advisers, retail sales people,
electrical sales engineers, accountants in
PNG, new Australian exporters, importers
and exporters in Fiji, and a video
production company in Bahrain!
A Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, he
loves to work with people to see them
succeed.
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