NAIL THAT SALES CALL
You’re at the sales meeting and not surprisingly, Tom topped the bill as the star salesperson again. How did he do it? He seemed to be naturally gifted to simply pick up his smartphone and call a prospect without information and still make a sale. If you asked Tom how he did it, he’d probably tell you that he didn’t start out like that. He started out by being prepared and confident when making that first call to potential customers.
Here are 7 steps to help you get started in making successful sales calls and nailing that sales pitch.
1. BE PREPARED
Never make a sales call cold. Always be prepared by doing extensive research on the companies you are interested to connect with. You can do so by creating a prospect list that contains their latest statistics, information or articles so as to stay current. This is especially useful in your conversations with the prospects. Trust me, they will be impressed by how much you know about their company.
2. THE INTRODUCTION
Nothing is more annoying to prospects if you got their title wrong or worse! pronounce their names wrongly. LinkedIn is a great place to start. Basic membership is free and gives you access to hundreds of profiles of business professionals. You get to see the companies they work for, their professional titles, expertise and work experience. A quick call to receptionist and asking politely, will give you the correct pronunciation of their name.
3. QUALIFYING
This is where your prospect list proves handy. The list will include the industry your prospect is in, their range of product needs and the decision maker authorised to make purchases. You have to make sure you are speaking to the decision maker because you will need information such as when they plan to purchase products and if they have sufficient financing in place to do so. This is a time saver and helps you to focus on essential details.
4. THE PRESENTATION
A good place to start your sales pitch is to address your prospect’s needs. You do this by emphasizing the benefits of your product whilst giving the general overview. Always keep your presentation focused on your prospect’s concerns. Have an FAQ list of your product so that your prospect is well informed and engaged during the phone conversation. Remember, you only have a few minutes over the phone, so make a good impression!
5. ADDRESSING OBJECTIVES
Sometimes prospects will raise objections because they need more information or they are comparing your product to another vendor’s. Don’t interrupt. Listen to them completely before responding. Be calm, restate their objections and present your solutions. If they have no more objections or concerns, you can move to the next step.
6. THE CLOSING
The goal of the closing is to ask for the company’s order and attempt to get a commitment. One way is to restate your prospect’s needs while stressing your product’s benefits and your ability to provide solutions. If you are able to get to this stage in the call, you should move to the next step.
7. THE FOLLOW-UP
Always do follow-ups. You can do a follow-up call, email or text to thank them for their time. Check in with your new client for their feedback and updates. Scheduling regular calls establish a long-term relationship and turn them into repeat customers. This step is vital.
Not everyone is a natural born salesperson, but if like Tom you are prepared, confident and practise these seven steps, you will definitely nail that sales call!