Hot Tips No 15

Greetings!

If youve followed my material for any length of time, you probably are aware that my focus is on consultative, conversational, common sense, how-to sales tips and strategies when using the phone as your main method of communication.

Whether you never leave the office, or just use the phone for prospecting and servicing accounts between personal visits, these ideas apply.

I often use the term "telesales," which means performing the sales function by phone. This is most often associated with business-to-business sales performed by a skilled professional. Not to be confused with "telemarketing," which I define as someone calling you at home, reading from a script, where everyone gets the same presentation with little interaction between caller and listener. Kind of like a talking direct mail piece.

Heres an example of a telemarketing call that also violated a rule that often is broken by business-to-business callers as well.

I was working on these Tips last night, fully intending on getting them out before midnight, when I was interrupted by a telemarketing call.

"Mr. Soba-E-zack?"

ME: "Its pronounced Sub-check. What do you need?"

"Oh, uh, sorry. Im Pat Jones with Trojan Golf. Youre still a golfer, arent you?"

(Ill normally listen to ANYTHING golf-related, even if it is a telemarketer reading from a script, as this person was. At least their target marketing was good.)

ME: "Yeah, I golf quite a bit."

"Well, good news! As an avid golf fanatic, youve been selected to try out our new titanium irons. Were looking for feedback from golfers on these revolutionary new irons. These new irons ..."

ME: "Stop. I know the routine. You send out the clubs, and then I get an invoice after a trial period. Youre not looking for feedback on your clubs--this is how you sell them, right?"

"Uh, sure we offer the opportunity to buy them after a free trial period. But theres no obligation."

ME: "I understand, but again, the purpose of thiscall is to sell golf clubs, not get feedback on
them, right?"

"Welllll, again, you are under no obligation, and even if you nicked or scuffed them, you wouldnt have to pay for them."

Lucky me. How kind of them.

I had enough and ended the call.

DONT MISREPRESENT SALES CALLS TO TRY AND GET IN
This is the problem with some sales calls, both to consumers and businesses. Callers misrepresent themselves to get and keep someone on the phone. They use such guises as,

... were taking a survey ...
... we want to update our information ...
... were doing an opinion study ...
... were updating our records ...
... were conducting some marketing research ...

... and then later in the call, they inform the person about their "offer," or that theyd like a salesperson to visit.

Dont get me wrong. Im not saying surveys and marketing research do not have a useful function--they do. Just dont mask a lead generation or sales call as something that its not. After all, if a company must use less-than-upfront tactics to get you to buy, wouldnt it justifiably make someone leery about its product and character?

OK, so what is the suggested alternative?

Its no different than what I always suggest:

Have a good opening, generate interest, ask questions, make a recommendation, then ask for commitment.

For example, the golf club salesperson could have said,

"Art, the reason for the call is that we have introduced a line of irons that have been designed to help high handicappers eliminate hooks and slices, and help better golfers shave those last few strokes off their scores. You still golf, right?

Great! Because we dont spend millions on advertising, and market these directly to golfers on a free trial, no-risk basis, were able to give wholesale prices for custom-fitted clubs as good as what the pros use. Id simply like to ask a few questions about your game, and your satisfaction with the equipment you use to see if youd like more information on these clubs."

Granted, that might seem a bit long when you read it on a computer screen. But, delivered in a conversational way, to the right audience, (as all openings should be anyway) most people would be at least interested enough to continue, and not be skeptical about the call. With well-planned and executed questions based upon the prospects answers, reps could make persuasive, tailored recommendations and then ask for commitment.

Bottom line, if someone has to hide the reason theyre calling, they either dont have anything worth buying or they dont have a sound strategy, tactics, and the skill to execute them. The good news is, the latter problem is fixable.

I get lots of questions every week on simple problems like voice mail, what to say in openings, how to follow-up after sending literature, how to prevent objections ... and most often I quote right from the material in my How to Sell More in Less Time with No Rejection, Volumes and 2 books. Its apparent to me that there are too many sales reps out there encountering unnecessary problems, stress, failure, and rejection. I personally guarantee that if you use the phone in any part of the sales process, I can make your job easier, more successful, and help you make more money. For more information, and one of the most unusual guarantees youve ever seen, click on http://store.businessbyphone.com/ps.dll?b=86194

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been."
Wayne Gretzky

Go and have your best week ever!
Art

Reprinted with permission from Art Sobczak’s "TelE-Sales Hot Tips of the Week

About the Author
Art Sobczak



arts@businessbyphone.com
http://www.businessbyphone.com