The Customer’s Viewpoint

Shelley Sterling sells imaging parts and supplies to resellers and is one of the best salespeople I know. She is usually in the role of a sales representative, but that evening in early October she became the customer.

After her experience, Shelley sent me an e-mail describing what had happened, and her e-mail is too good not to share. With Shelley’s permission, here is what she wrote:

“I called a tree-removal company from a flyer that I had seen. He came over last night and as I showed him the two birch trees I wanted a quote on cutting down, he said,

“‘We will take them down and remove them for $200.’

“Then he asked, ‘How does that sound to you?’

Shelley said:

“Ann, I smiled because he was using the trial close that you described in one of your books, but it really worked – it allowed me to vocalize my concern.

“I said, ‘Well, actually I feel these trees are on the small side and that price sounds a little high.’”

How He Won the Sale

“He then came back with:

“‘Oh, did you want the stumps removed too?’

“(Making me feel like the $200 he first quoted was a good deal.)

“Then he essentially asked for the order by saying,

“‘Do you want me to write you an invoice up right now and get this all taken care of?’”

(A good direct close.)

Shelley said, “Yes,” and the tree specialist had his order.

As Shelley wrote in her e-mail, “It’s not easy to sell to a salesperson unless you do it right.”

Are You Missing Opportunities?

If you are not using trial closes or checking questions, you may be missing out on some golden opportunities. Instead of using a direct close and asking for the sale before knowing how the prospect feels about your sales presentation or your products, use a trial close to get feedback from the client and “test the waters.”

How can you do this?

Example: After your prospect expresses an interest, but hesitates and doesn’t place an order, you can say:

* “We can start your auto-ship program next month and you will receive four cartridges every other month. Does that sound like a good plan for you?”

or

* “We can ship these products out today and you will have them tomorrow, how does that sound to you?”

As Shelley said, the trial close used by the tree-removal specialist allowed her to “vocalize her concern.”

So, if your prospect expresses a concern, you can address it and then move on to a choice or direct close.

Try using a checking question – at least once a day – before you ask for the order. Chances are, you will increase your sales and the trial close will become a habit for you.

And imagine if one of the people shaving his head is your boss?

Welcome to the rather wacky world of Zappos.com. It’s an online shoe and merchandise company where “business as usual” is anything but.

Tony Hsieh, the visionary CEO of Zappos explains in his book “Delivering Happiness,” how an emphasis on corporate culture can lead to unprecedented success.

“Make customer service the entire company, not just a department. Focus on company culture as the #1 priority. Apply research from the science of happiness to running a business. Help employees grow both personally and professionally. Seek to change the world. Oh, and make money too.”

Sound crazy? It’s all standard operating procedure at Zappos.com, the online retailer that’s doing over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales every year.

In 1999, Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) sold LinkExchange, the company he co-founded, to Microsoft for $265 million. He then joined Zappos as an adviser and investor, and eventually became CEO.

In 2009, Zappos was listed as one of Fortune magazine’s top 25 companies to work for, and was acquired by Amazon later that year in a deal valued at over $1.2 billion on the day of closing.

In his first book, Tony shares the different business lessons he learned in life, from a lemonade stand and pizza business through LinkExchange, Zappos, and more. Ultimately, he shows how using happiness as a framework can produce profits, passion, and purpose both in business and in life.

Zappos today is known for having great customer service, but that wasn’t always the case.  When they were nearly bankrupt and had no money for marketing, they decided to reach out to their existing customers in the hopes they would become repeat customers.  It worked.

Taking a $39 loss on a free pair of shoes might appear to be bad business on the surface.  But when that person told 5 of their friends, it ended up being more cost effective than $39 worth of advertising.

This is a powerful idea that your customer service can actually be your best marketing tool. At one point Zappos was relying on manufacturers to drop ship all the products they sold on their site.  This allowed them to carry zero inventory and run a simple business, but the orders only had about 95% accuracy and were slow to ship. It also limited the selection of what products they could sell.

They had to make a tough decision: if customer service is what they were all about then they needed to control the entire customer experience from beginning to end.  They made a major shift (and nearly went bankrupt) in the process of starting to keep their own inventory, but it paid off.

It’s worth spending some time thinking about what your core competency is and focusing only on that.  Once you decide what it is, you may have to sacrifice in other areas to achieve it – so you can’t make everything your focus.  Check out Delivering Happiness at Amazon.com

Company Spirit

From http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/06/sunday/main6553702.shtml

At a time when many retailers are struggling, Zappos (derived from the Spanish word for shoes, zapatos) is thriving, thanks in part to a unique company culture – and its 36-year-old CEO, Tony Hsieh.

“Our whole belief is that everyone’s a little weird somehow,” said Hsieh, “and so it’s really more just a fun way of saying that we really want people’s true personalities to shine in the workplace.”

Tony Hsieh so believes he’s learned how to create both passion and profits that he’s outlined his philosophy in the book “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose” (Business Plus).

“So the book is another way to help spread the message that it’s actually possible to make employees happy, make customers happy, and still make investors happy … and you know, still have profits,” Hsieh said.

He’s not kidding. Zappos is now so successful that last fall Amazon paid $1.2 billion to acquire it.

In reality, only a small percentage of your customers are true price shoppers (excluding purchasing agents of large corporations and universities.)  What are the characteristics of a true price shopper?

• Jump from supplier to supplier

• Slow to pay

• Quick to complain

Advertising for Price Shoppers

Look at the focus with these advertisements:

“Deep, deep discounts!”

“Lowest possible pricing!”

“We will beat any price!”

Advertising using the words above is guaranteed to attract price shoppers.  And when they call you, they will focus FIRST on price.  Not a good way to start a conversation with prospects.

To attract premium customers, advertising must focus on great service, convenience, product knowledge and top quality products.

How to Attract Premium Customers

Contrast the price ads above with the following:

“Virgin Atlantic Business Class Flights are Better when you Fly Upper Class”

“At Lowe’s – People Rule.”

“Purina Cat Chow:  A Whole New Way to Better Taste.”

These ads focus on quality, value and service.

Handling Price Questions/Objections

When a prospect asks “What is your best price?” at the beginning of a conversation, before you’ve had a chance to ask questions (and find out what they currently order and how much they are paying now) you can respond with:

“Well, it depends on several variables.  Let me ask you a few questions so I can quote you the best price for your situation.”

Be Prepared With Answers

You will feel more confident when you have prepared ahead of time for price objections.  Have answers ready in advance for the following questions:

“Is that the best you can do?”

“Can I get a better price?”

Your answer to the first question could be:  “When your order is increased to six, you qualify for a quantity discount and you save $45.  Would you like to order six today?”

And in answer to the second question:

“Yes, you can get a better price.  The next price break is at 12.  The toners are $54.00 each instead of $59.00;  You save $60.00  Shall I send you 12 toners?”

A price objection is often either:

• A smoke screen

• A request for more information

• A perception that not enough value is attached to what you are selling

Price and Value

According to the findings of a 15-year study conducted by The Sales Board, a Minneapolis-based sales organization:  More than 90% of all salespeople volunteer a price decrease without being asked!  In addition, according to the same study, most salespeople do not believe their product or service is actually worth the price they charge.  The first person who needs to be sold on the value you provide is you.

Get The Word Out

If you are not a discount store, and if you do not want to attract price shoppers, your efforts in marketing and advertising should reflect this fact.  Think about everything else you provide along with the products you are selling:  experience in the industry, product knowledge.   If you offer superior service, good product knowledge and quality products, let prospects and customers know this.  Focus on these positives and anything unique that differentiates you from your competitor and you will attract fewer price shoppers.

Bad Referrals

Good referrals are crucial to any business selling products available at multiple sources.  Do you really want price shoppers to refer other price shoppers to your company?  That’s what may happen if you are advertising and selling on the basis of price.

Think about this:

A recent Consumer’s Report study found that 73% of consumers buy for reasons other than price! So think twice before you focus on price in your marketing and advertising.

Related posts:  The Price Objection and How to Handle Price Objections

Scroll Down to See Jill’s Video

Jill Konrath | Selling to Big Companies: 3 Deadly Words You Need to Avoid …

“You probably have carefully selected words to impress your prospects with the value your company provides or the kind of relationship your firm establishes with its good customers. So … drum roll … here they are:

1. Leading-Edge (state-of-the-art, industry-leading)
The moment you start using words like this, you’ve turned into a self-serving salesperson. You may not think so and it most likely isn’t your intent, but that’s how your prospect sees you.

“Why? Because you’re trying to impress her with how wonderful your offering is. Everyone knows that that’s how salespeople talk. The more you brag about your offering, the less believable you are. Even if your product or service is the most advanced in the entire world, your prospect knows that it’s only a matter of months before some other firm has a competitive offering that probably costs less.

“Don’t talk about your offering. Leave out all the descriptors that supposedly make it so incredible. Focus on your customer’s objectives, challenges and issues instead. You need to get them to move off the status quo and those “bragging” words just don’t do it. But most often I see sellers use it because they’re scared of losing a potential opportunity. They want to make sure their entire laundry list of offerings is on the table in hopes that prospects find something that they need in it.”

Watch Jill Konrath’s video to Learn More About the Other Deadly Mistakes Sales Reps Make

You can see suggestions for exact wording to use on this page.

Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. Visit http://www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com for more info.  Get a free Sales Call Planning Guide ($19.95 value) when you sign up for the Selling to Big Companies e-newsletter. Just send an email with “subscribe” in the subject line to jill@sellingtobigcompanies.com and it will be sent right to you.

Jill Konrath’s best-selling book Selling to Big Companies is available on Amazon.com

Since my son Dan ran in the Chicago Marathon for four years in a row, I decided to order a jacket.  (In the photo to the right, Dan is the tall guy running in the Grand Rapids Marathon.)

I began to order on the website, but had a question about the jacket. I called the customer service number listed on the website and was surprised when someone (a live human—NOT an automated message) answered after the second ring. The customer service person was knowledgeable, helpful and friendly.  This person,  and this company’s service resulted in a sale and Customer Delight.

I began to think about how rare it is that when we call a business—any type of business—we can speak with someone immediately, without first listening to recorded voice prompts.

More and more companies use automated systems that take the caller through several—sometimes many—automated voice prompts. It can be frustrating. Like the bank: “Touch two for checking information, touch three for savings information, touch four for money market accounts,” and on and on.

Phone Rage

Customers can become angry and even desperate, after listening to a dozen or so automated messages. You have heard about “road rage” and “air rage,”  but phone rage really does exist.  Last summer, the Future Foundation announced the result of its astonishing research: centralized call centers now rate above rush-hour traffic and delayed trains as the UK’s most stressful daily experience.

Any Live Humans There?

If your company is one of the few left where a customer’s call can be answered by a real, live human being immediately, that is a big benefit for your customers. If this is the case (lucky you!), be sure to use this fact among your list of benefits in your advertising campaigns, direct-mail letters and conversations with prospects.

Now, large corporations are beginning to realize they need to get the word out to customers to help them bypass automated voice prompts.  Recently I saw a CitiCard television commercial with the message: “When you call our Customer Service Department, just touch zero to speak to someone.”

If your clients do need to listen to an automated message when they call your company before speaking with someone, how can you make their calling experience easier?

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes: Do you really want them to have to listen to a long, automated message before speaking with a person?  Especially if they have questions that need to be answered?  Or an order that needs to be placed?

Four Tips to Make Your Clients’ Calling Experience Easier

If callers to your company hear a recorded message when they call, be sure to let them know in advance that they will reach an automated message first. Then:

1. If your company uses a series of three or more automated voice prompts and choices, let customers know how they can bypass the messages. In many cases, when a caller touches zero (0), they will be connected to a receptionist.

2. Always give customers your extension number. If you have a direct line, that will make life easier for buyers.

3. If you are going to give your cell phone number to customers, be sure to check frequently for voicemail messages and return calls as soon as possible.

4. Always use your first and last name when calling prospects and customers. It is more professional than just using a first name, and if they reach someone else when calling you back, the customer will have an easier time getting through to you if s/he knows your first and last name.

If you follow these tips, you won’t have angry customers who may turn to your competition for help.  Instead of angry customers you will have delighted customers, who will probably tell friends and associates about their good experience with your company.

Have you been a victim of phone rage?  What was your most frustrating automated phone system experience?   Post your comments below.

Feel free to forward to anyone you know who needs a laugh today.

“Handling objections,”  “answering objections,” “overcoming sales objections.”  These terms have all been used when training sales reps how to respond to objections.  Contrary to what most training programs teach about how to handle objections, sales trainer and speaker Ari Galper has a very different approach: “Diffusing Objections.”  When you have two minutes, it will be worth your while to watch his videos (below) about “diffusing objections instead of overcoming.”

“Get You Off the Phone” Objection
(Scroll down to see videos)

by Ari Galper

“Forget the idea of “overcoming objections.” Doing that only triggers more resistance from prospects that’s very difficult to diffuse.

“Think about it for a moment. When prospects give a reason why they don’t want to proceed –when they “put up resistance” — you’ve been trained to “overcome” their objections rather than to diffuse their resistance by acknowledging that what they’re telling you is their truth.”

By applying the specific skills recommended by Ari Galper, you diffuse that resistance and remove the conflict from the situation. Here is his process for dealing with objections:

1. Diffuse the objection with “That’s not a problem… (Pause)”

2. Acknowledge the truth of their objection (see the sample language below).

3. Reopen the conversation with “Would you be open to…”

For example, suppose a prospect says, “We already have a vendor.” The path of diffusing and reengaging would go like this:

1. “That’s not a problem…(Pause)”

2. “I wasn’t calling to replace the vendor you’re currently using.” Here, you’re addressing their suspicion that your only focus is on making the sale and on ripping out their relationship with their current vendor. You’re simply asking whether they would be open to different ideas that might help them solve a problem. This diffuses the tension.

3. “Would you be open to some different ideas that you might not be using now?” After the tension is dissolved, this lets you reopen the conversation in a natural way because they clearly understand that your goal is to help them. Then, if things are a match between you, you can decide where to go from there.

Notice the word “open” is used instead of “interested.”  When the sales person asks “would you be interested . . .” The answer can easily be “no.”  Instead, when this question is asked “Would you be open to . . . ” this causes the prospect to think more carefully about the question.

Excellent tips in Ari Galper’s videos about “diffusing” objections. Watch and learn:

Another video with wording to diffuse objections

This is a very common complaint in any area of business. However, it is usually the managers who unconsciously demotivate their employees.

Sales people want to succeed in their jobs.  When they sign on they’re psyched to do well in the company. Even if they are experienced, they are new to you and new to your company.  If you haven’t made a conscious effort to show them how to do business your way, they will do it their way and probably be less effective than either of you hoped. What happens next is they become unhappy.  That’s strike one. You’re disappointed, which shows – strike two. Then, you probably tell them what they’re doing wrong and that’s strike three – motivational bankruptcy.

This post by Sam Manfer will hit a nerve whether you are a sales manager or a sales rep.  It is a long article but well worth your time to read.

Six Tips for Exciting Your Sales Team

Thank you to Sam Manfer for allowing us to publish this post.  Very valuable information!

So. . . it is interesting that this buyer (me) was not ready to buy, but ended up ordering a new service I did not intend to purchase because of the attitude and the words of a good sales representative.  Okay, I’ll admit, it was not that much money – but it means an increase every month in my telephone bill.

This is what happened:  Three years ago I called the local cable company to find out if unlimited calls to Canada would be covered under my new digital land line telephone service.

The cable representative was very positive, cheerful and helpful.  She answered:  “Can you hold a few seconds while I check to find out?”  I answered “yes.”

After a few seconds, she said:  “Good news:  Yes – all of your calls to Canada – unlimited – are covered with your digital telephone package.  Plus all calls within the U.S.”

Making the New Sale

After I thanked her, she said:  “While we’re on the phone, I wanted to let you know that for just $2.99 a month, all of your wiring will be covered – both inside and outside wiring.

“Can we sign you up for that today?”

Since I had not been thinking about buying a new product or service during the call, this took me by surprise.  I had to think about it.  Not a lot of money, but I still had to think about it.

The representative then went on to explain further how all wiring would be covered, so if I ever had a problem, all I needed to do was call the cable company and a technician would immediately be dispatched – and the cost of the service call, time plus parts and labor would be covered.

Then she asked – again:  “Can we sign you up for that today?”

Still, I hesitated.  I said:  “I need to think about this.”

Again:  She repeated the benefits of the new service and said for the third time (in a cheerful voice):

“It’s only $2.99 a month.  Can we sign you up for that today?”

I could not think of a reason not to add this service.  So I did.

She asked for the order three times!

Another Interesting Statistic

Marketing studies have found that – except for customers calling specifically to place an order – only 3% of prospects/customers actually offer to buy, telling you: “That sounds good; I’ll take it” or: “Okay, you’ve got yourself a deal.” The remaining 97% wait for you to ASK them to buy.

So, this one question generated a new sale – but the question was asked three times!

See 10 different ways to ask for the order – and 29 different answers to objections in the e-book  How to Win the Sale and Keep The Customer.

On the other hand, on rainy Mondays. . . or Tuesdays or any other day,  if I felt tired or not enthusiastic about calling, the prospects I called sounded unreceptive and unfriendly.

Then, an amazing thing happened. I put two and two together and realized it was up to ME how my prospects responded to my voice and my attitude on the telephone!

WOW!  This opened the door for some tremendous sales. And I want to share the magic formula with you.

Stressful Days versus Happy Days
(They can hear it in your voice)

A few years ago Deidra participated in my e-class and her experience was very interesting.  She told me that a week earlier, she had been through the process of buying her first house; the paperwork involved, searching for past bank statements, telephone calls from the mortgage company, and then closing on her new house.  All of this can be very stressful and she felt her disappointing results on the telephone reflected the way she felt.But after that was over and she had finished with the paperwork, the closing, etc., she felt relieved, AND was looking forward to a vacation in Mexico (at company expense :-)  Deidra was feeling happy and even joyful.

Result: Her numbers went up.  She also attributed the increase to a few changes she had made in her opening statement on the telephone.

Three Tips

1.  Cold call when you have a really good monthly special – a great sale!
KEY POINT:  Now, this is crucial: YOU must feel it is really, truly, a GREAT deal for your prospects and customers! This is the key. It needs to be repeated because it is so important:

YOU must believe it is an excellent opportunity for the people you are calling.

Why?

Because your attitude will shine through! Your prospects will HEAR it in your voice! When YOU sound excited and happy, it will be contagious! It will transfer to your prospects (unless you are calling a really grouchy, negative person who wouldn’t sound happy even if s/he won the lottery!)

2.  Cold call when you have a new product to offer.

Same advice as above: You must feel happy to be sharing this news with your prospects. YOU must really believe it’s a good thing that your company now has the ability to offer this new product or new addition to your product line. For the same reasons listed above.

3.  For a really successful day of cold calling, have a “Phone Blitz”! What is a phone blitz?  It’s a prospecting contest you have with co-workers in your sales department.

How a Phone Blitz Works

Set aside two or three hours (no more than three hours, or you may risk burnout) to call prospects and customers. Ask your administrative department or receptionist to answer phones for you and take messages. Or use your voice mail to take messages. For those two or three hours, dial, dial, dial!

Keep track of sales and/or profits on a chart posted on the wall. As soon as someone makes a sale, they go up to the chart and post the sale on the chart. The challenge can be one or more of the following:

1. Who generates the most revenue during the blitz – or

2. Who generates the most profit – or

3. Who gets the most number of sales

Make a game of your blitz by each putting up some money – a quarter or a dollar or whatever you feel you can gamble. Winner gets the pot!

Get management involved by suggesting they offer prizes for the person who makes the most number of sales and the person generating the most revenue or profit. Certificates can be given for the winner in each category: “Good for a one-hour vacation – come in an hour late or leave an hour early,” subject to manager’s approval. Dollar bills can be put into prize envelopes.

Why it Works

Enthusiasm is contagious. The competitive spirit gets you pumped up and motivated. As sales are made and posted on the chart, you will be more motivated to make the next call.   Cold-calling becomes fun and challenging and not dreaded because there is a good reason to make the calls:  You want to win the contest!

A phone blitz – and recognition for the winners – is a great way to MOTIVATE!

Take a look at this very good article about the importance of positive belief and motivation written by Kate Tammemagi.

Here is one that surprised me:

On a warm summer day last year, my friend Tom and I walked into the Travel Gear store at a local shopping mall.  We intended to purchase just one specific product. The store manager, Mike Morris, greeted us with a smile and what happened after that was . . . well, you be the judge.

I don’t know about you, but I love watching a talented, enthusiastic sales person in action. On that day, I saw what was intended to be a $19.95 purchase, increase to a $168.50 sale. Mike did it so effortlessly, it seemed perfectly natural.

In most retail stores, you walk in, ask for – or pick up – the product you need, walk over to the cash register and pay for it. That’s it. End of transaction. Not this time. Not on this day, and not with Mike Morris.

Enthusiasm Works

As we put the product on the counter and began counting out our money, Mike said (in a friendly voice): “Did you see our purchase-with-purchase sale? It is really terrific.” Then he pulled a very attractive canvas duffle bag from the top of a pile of colorful Samsonite duffle bags and showed it to us.

Mike said:  “The last customer in here bought 15 of these for birthday gifts for her children and grandchildren. Here’s what she liked about it.” He then showed us the bag as it came packaged: flat.

Features, Facts and Benefits.

“What she liked was that you can take this on vacation with you – flat – and then when you buy gifts or souvenirs, you can fill up the bag and take it back home with you.”

He continued: “Look at the inside – it’s vinyl so you can put wet bathing suits inside, or you can put cold cans of soda inside without fear of the soda spilling and ruining your clothing.”

After he saw that we were interested, he went right to the close.

More Benefits and an Easy Close

He showed us the price tag: $30.00.

Then he said it was on sale for $19.95 – BUT the “purchase-with- purchase” price was only $9.95.

That was it. We were sold. We each bought one.

Then he said (enthusiastically) “these bags are great gifts for anyone – children, adults, men, women – anyone can use one of these.”

“If you are ever in a situation where you’ve forgotten someone’s birthday, this is the perfect gift.  You don’t have to run out to the store and spend a fortune on a quick gift.  You already have this and it has only cost you $10.00!   And look how many different colors you can get!”

Mike Increased the Sale by more than 80 Percent

We bought more bags. Mike’s product knowledge and enthusiasm increased the original sale from $19.95 to a final total of $168.50. He was not pushy, just enthusiastic. We were happy; we felt like we had some real bargains.

Mike was happy; he increased the sale by more than 80 percent. It was a win-win situation for everyone.

Do you know an enthusiastic, successful sales person?  Share your story in the Comment section below.  I would love to hear from you!

But many small business people would rather spend an entire day in a dentist’s chair than make prospecting calls. Does the thought of cold calling make your stomach drop to your toes?  These cold calling tips won’t eliminate your fear, but they will help you make cold calling a more successful experience.

1) Smooth the way for your cold call by sending prospects a small, unique promotional item.

This helps break the ice and makes your business stand out from the crowd. Pat Cavanaugh, sales guru of Inc.com , says, “It’s amazing. A $2.15 crazy little item we’ve sent out has helped us get Fortune 500 accounts. When we call, they say, “Oh yeah….you were the one that sent me that…”

2) Do your cold calling early in the morning, if possible.

That’s the best time to reach the decision maker directly, and for most people, the time that they’re most energized.

3) Prepare an opening statement for your cold call.

This lets you organize your thoughts before cold calling, and helps you avoid common mistakes in the cold call opening that would give the person you’re calling the chance to terminate the conversation. For instance, you should never ask, “Is this a good time to talk?” or “How are you today?” Don’t read your opening statement into the phone, but use it as a framework to get the cold calling conversation off to a good start.

4) What should be in the opening statement of your cold call?

This organizational plan for cold calling works well: Include a greeting and an introduction, a reference point (something about the prospect), the benefits of your product or service, and a transition to a question or dialogue.

For example,

“Good afternoon, Ms. Marshall. This is Ken Brown with Green Works. I read in the local paper that you recently broke ground for a new office complex. We specialize in commercial landscape services that allow you to reduce in-house maintenance costs and comply with the city’s new environmental regulations. I’d like to ask a few questions to determine whether one of our programs might meet your needs.’”

5) Be persistent when cold calling.

“Eighty percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of sales people give up after the second call”  Source:  AllBusiness.com.

And above all, practice, practice, practice. While cold calling may never be much fun for you, you can get better at it, and the more you practice cold calling, the more effective you will be. So get your script and your call list together and reach for the phone. The people who want to do business with you are out there – but you have to let them know about you first.

6) Prepare a cold calling script for the rest of your cold call.

Lay out the benefits of your product or service and the reasons your prospect should buy. Write out possible objections and your answer to them. Without a cold calling telesales script, it’s too easy to leave something out or meander. Once again, it’s not that you’ll be reading your script word for word when you call, but that you’ve prepared the framework of the cold call in advance.

7) Focus on the goal when cold calling.

Beginners tend to think that cold calling is about making the sale. It’s not. It’s about getting the chance to make the sale. Specifically, the purpose of a cold call is to set an appointment to make the pitch.

8) Research your markets and prospects.

You need to target your cold calling to the right audience. Use market research to focus on your target market. Source:  How to Find and Sell to Your Target Market.

Find out as much as you possibly can about the company or individual you’re going to cold call in advance. This gives you the huge advantage of being able to talk about their business and their needs when you call them.  Before you make a cold call, do an Internet search and visit www.linkedin.com for information about the prospect.
Need to get motivated before cold calling?  Read:  Building Beliefs Essential to Success – an excellent article written by Kate Tammemagi.

Get more tips about cold calling plus 29 different ways to handle objections in my e-book How to Win the Sale and Keep the Customer

How did she do it?  By pro-actively making dozens of outbound calls each day, being positive and persistent and .  . . something else.

If you are not in the habit of doing what Lily does, just try it for a week and see what happens.  It is a soft sell approach; different than a hard sell, and extremely effective.  Lily’s secret?   A trial close.

Four Benefits with a Trial Close

From How to Win The Sale and Keep The Customer

By trial closing,

1. You are getting feedback from the customer without actually asking for the order.

2. You are taking pressure out of the sales situation because: You are not asking the customer to make a decision.

3. You are only asking your customer for his/her opinion.

4. An opinion is easier to give than a decision.

Low-Risk Strategy

At first it may feel uncomfortable to ask the prospect how s/he feels about your product or service. But remember: you run little risk of rejection with trial closing. The trial close can be used any time during the selling process to test the waters.  The purpose of the trial close strategy is to help you know when to ask for the order.

If you follow Lily’s example, you can:

1.) Find out what is most important to your prospects, and

2.) Get feedback from your customers on how they feel about your sales presentation, and

3.) Increase sales without high-pressure sales tactics.

Exactly what the word implies, a trial close is a test to see how near the prospect is to buying. And it may be used any time prior to the close.  Without the risk of a final “NO,” (and rejection), a trial close is like a report card that tells you how the prospect is accepting your presentation.

Examples

“How does that sound to you?”

“Am I going in the right direction?”

“What do you think about this, so far?”

By asking these – and similar – questions, you are giving the customer the opportunity to let you know how she or he feels about your company, products, services and/or benefits, based on your presentation.  Sometimes the answers you get are so strong that you won’t have to close at all – you’ll do what Lily Ellerton does – just write the order!

“I can quote the best price for you when I know more about your situation,” or . . . “. . . when you tell me what results you are looking for,” or . . . ” . . . how many you usually buy,” or . . . ” . . . whether you are looking for branded or generic,” or . . . ” . . . which type of service you are looking for.”

This way, you will learn what their needs and objectives are and you can talk about the value they will get with your solution before you quote the price. When you think about it, we buy things because the price we pay for something is perceived as being less than dollar value we attach to the result. Whenever you give someone a price quote for anything you should know at least two things.

Questions to Ask

“What is your criteria for making a decision on this?”

“If we meet that, will you buy from us?”

You don’t want to waste your time with price shoppers. What is important is building relationships and getting repeat business.  Ask questions like:  “Aside from price, what else are you considering in your decision?”

Beware of Serial Price Shoppers

If you find you are dealing with a real price shopper, be willing to walk away.  If the sale is based on price alone, the buyer will stay with you only until s/he finds someone who is willing to quote an even lower price. An excellent answer to a price objection is on this page.  It is a true story. How do you handle a price objection?  Share your wisdom with our readers by posting in the Comments section below.

Preparing for the call and knowing what you are going to say to the prospect BEFORE you make the call is crucial.

Last year a telemarketer called me.  Her opening statement was amazing.  I’ll bet you have never heard an opening statement like this one. This is a true story, word for word.

She said:   “Hello, I’m calling from Bank of America.  Uh . . . I mean, the Chevron Corporation.”

(What???   See what I mean?   Amazing.)

I asked her:  “What company are you calling from?”

She answered:  “The Chevron Corporation.”

She then went on to say:  “I know you are busy, so I won’t take up much of your time.”
(She was right about that.)

She began reading from a script, but I stopped her and ended the call.

Now, usually I listen to the whole pitch, because this is what I write about, and I often get good material from the people who call me.  But this person was obviously working for a telemarketing firm that represented several different companies.  And she did not even take the time (BEFORE she placed the call) to figure out which company she was representing during the call.

What is the worst – or best – telemarketing cold call you have ever received?  Please post your comments below so our readers can benefit from your wisdom and experience.

One of the best telesales representatives I met during that time was Jeff, who worked for a well- known wholesaler. At one point, after having purchased a skid of H.P. laser toner cartridges (for resale) from one supplier, I received a phone call from Jeff.  He told me his company was having a sale on the same cartridge I had just purchased from the other supplier.

When I told him we had just ordered a skid of these cartridges (from his competitor), he asked how long they would last. He also asked if we would consider buying the next order from his company. When I said “yes,” he asked, specifically:  “When will you need to order these again?” I answered, “three months from today,” and he said he would call me two weeks before the three-month date.

Five Reasons Why He Got the Order

1.)  Jeff did NOT ask a vague question like,  “Do you sell a lot of these cartridges?”

2.)  He was very SPECIFIC and asked when we would need to order this product again.

3.)  Instead of saying, “I hope you will think of us the next time you need to order,” he asked a great question:  “Will you consider ordering from us the next time you need these cartridges?”  When I answered, “yes,” he had a definite commitment from me.

And Jeff did NOT make a vague statement like: “I’ll give you a call in a few months.”

4.)  He said specifically, “I’ll call you two weeks before you need to order.”

He told me exactly when he would call back, even naming the date. Then he asked, “Okay?” I answered, “Sure, give me a call.” And he did! (Don’t you just love sales people who keep their promises?)

5.)  He called exactly when he said he would. He reminded me of our phone conversation and my agreement to consider purchasing the cartridges from his company. (Jeff was not shy :-)

I was so impressed with Jeff’s perseverance and the fact that he kept good records on our account, that I did place the next order with him.  After that, we ordered on a regular basis.

Jeff became one of the top salespeople in his company and was later promoted to manage a new department.

I was not surprised.

The Customer’s Perspective

I asked Ann why she bought from this sales rep and what set Patricia apart from other sales people Ann heard from and this is what she told me:

“Actually, it was her persistence. I kept putting her off. And she picked ONE item – printer cartridges. She simply asked me to get a price quote from her before I ordered from the discount store. And after I placed my first order, she sent me a fancy little thank you note in the mail!”

How She Makes Those Productive Cold Calls

I asked Patricia for her success secrets and this is what she wrote:

“I think it is very important to believe in the product you are selling as well as the company you work for. When I am cold calling a customer I mention that I have been handling office equipment supplies for many years and I am very fortunate to be working at [name of her company].

“Be persistent! I tell customers that I don’t expect to get all their business after one or two calls. Try us out! We will show you the type of service we provide – Let us be an alternative to your current vendor – a ‘Back Up.’

When I cold call and speak with the receptionist, and can’t get through to the decision maker – I ask for the name of the person who is responsible for ordering office equipment supplies – I’m not trying to sell anything – I just want to send information. I then send an introductory letter to the decision-maker and information about our company.

“After I have a good cold call – I send a thank you note along with my business card. A lot of my customers mention that they like the ‘note’ they have received from us.”

Six habits

that set Patricia apart as a sales professional

1. She is persistent. Even though the customer “put her off,” she did not give up after only one or two prospecting calls.

(Research from Sales & Marketing Executives International found that 81% of all sales made are made in the fifth call or later in the sales process.)

2. She picked ONE item to focus on. She didn’t confuse the prospect by talking about a variety of products.

3. She BELIEVES in the products she sells AND the company she works for. That belief is communicated to her prospects.

4. Patricia offers to be a “back-up supplier” in case the customer’s regular vendor doesn’t have what the customer needs. This is a non-threatening “soft-sell” approach that I have seen pay off over and over and over again.

5. She makes the FIRST call just to get the NAME of the decision maker, then she sends an introductory letter with information about her company.

6. After a successful cold call, she sends thank-you notes with her business card. This is the mark of a professional. It sets Patricia apart from her competitors. A personal thank you note is remembered and appreciated by prospects and customers.

Replacing Lost Business

An American Management Association study shows that only 65% of customers buy every year where they bought before. So sales reps have to sell enough new business to replace lost business just to stay even.  How do you get new business? Some companies use direct mail marketing successfully. Others use a combination of fax blasts and direct mail marketing. But when effective telephone marketing is added, sales can skyrocket.

How quickly you capture a customer’s attention depends on how carefully you choose your words, according to Maura Schreier-Fleming, author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results.  Schreier-Fleming recommends staying away from one particular word.

Avoid This Word

“If a customer has a concern, our job as salespeople is to listen, to acknowledge and to hear that concern.  Using the word ‘but’ negates everything you’ve said before it,” warns Schreier-Fleming.  “What your customer hears is the disagreement that precedes an argument.”

Instead, first acknowledge the concern and follow with the word “and.”

For example, your customer might comment that the process you recommend sounds complicated.  You would respond:  “Yes, it is complicated and with our technical assistance . . . ”

Think about how much better the word “and” sounds – in the sentence above – instead of the word “but.”

Prospect’s Objection

“We are happy with our current vendor.”

When hearing this objection, some salespeople begin their response with “Yes, but we can offer you a lower price” or better quality products, or faster delivery, etc.

A more effective way to handle this objection is to use a soft-sell approach that is very successful.

EXAMPLE

“I understand.  Please keep us in mind as a second source.  We specialize exclusively in these products and we always keep them in stock.  If your current supplier is ever back-ordered on an item you need, give us a call.  You can get delivery the next day.  Is it okay if I send you our monthly sale notices?”

This is a non-combative and friendly response.  Instead of a hard sell “buy today” effect, you leave the impression with the prospect that you are there to help.  Most sales people are surprised at how often these lost prospects call back later to order.  Getting permission to send “monthly sale notices” keeps the door open for future calls.

She doesn’t make more calls than anyone else.  Yet she is able – consistently – to get better results than nearly everyone else in her office.

I am often asked to visit an office and sit with telesales reps to observe and listen to their calls and then to offer ideas and make suggestions which will improve results.

In one such office the sales manager said: “Don’t bother to listen to Lisa, she is the most successful with her calls.”

That made me curious, so after listening to the other telephone sales reps, I asked if I could observe and listen to Lisa, to find out why she was doing so well.  (Lisa and her manager have given me their permission to share this with you.)

Calling Busy People

She works for a company that sells copiers, fax machines and printers. Lisa’s job is to sell imaging supplies for office equipment – on the telephone.

She has a very pleasant voice, a positive attitude and a cheerful disposition. She is also enthusiastic when she makes her calls, which comes across to her prospects. (Enthusiasm is contagious.)

Her territory includes a very busy downtown area in a major metropolitan city in the U.S. Her prospects are busy people, with very little interest in hearing from telemarketers, though they are often called.

What Lisa decided to do was to let her prospects know – at the beginning of her calls – that she wasn’t going to take up much of their time. (Smart idea.)

Example

Some of Lisa’s customers are buying only H.P. brand (OEM) toner cartridges.  Little by little, she has convinced many of her customers to switch to compatible – lower priced – cartridges.

When she calls to let customers know about a sale on compatible Hewlett-Packard laser jet toner cartridges, Lisa starts some of her calls this way:

“Good afternoon, Mr. Smith, it’s Lisa Monroe calling you from [her company's name].  I wanted to quickly let you know that you can now get a compatible cartridge for your H.P. printer at a 40% savings. These cartridges are backed by our 100% guarantee and customers are getting great results from them.  Would you like to try one of these cartridges today?”

(Did you catch that one simple word?)

That one word “Quickly” lets her customers know that Lisa is not going to take up much time.  This puts prospects in a receptive frame of mind.

A Word of Caution

NOTE:  If you decide to use Lisa’s wording, (“. . . a quick call . . .” or “I wanted to quickly tell you . . . “) be sure that your call does not take up much of the prospect’s time.

You probably have a success story – or two – to share.  I would love to hear from you!  Please post your comments below.

A Different Approach

Have you ever read a flyer that made you smile?  This one did just that.  And it got results. George acquired a new customer with his flyer; actually, dozens of new customers – and still counting.

I needed some work done on my deck, so after reading his flyer I called George. He came to my house, gave me an estimate and I hired him. He did a great job!  I gave George’s flyer to my next-door neighbor and George acquired another customer.  This one flyer made the rounds of my neighborhood and George was busy with work for the next two months.

I’ll bet you have never read anything like the wording on this flyer.

George Hill’s Marketing Flyer

I enjoy working around the house

Building a shelf or catching that mouse

I can fix a leak or clean your garage

And by the way of introduction,

My name is George.

Electrical, painting, any chore at all

I will provide estimates and references . . .

Just give me a call.

You will be happy with my reasonable rates

So for all seasons, get your house and garden in shape.

Free Estimates

20 Years Experience

Licensed & Insured

Call me today (George’s name and cell phone number)

Then a list of his services: painting, licensed plumber, roofing, yard work, etc.

and 

“Present this flyer for an easy 10% off”

How You Can Do the Same

Use the A I D A Formula

Have you ever thought of writing a poem about your product or services?  It is a great way to create attention and interest.

Before writing any type of sales letter, email or marketing flyer, use the tried and true copywriting formula, AIDA:

A – Attract the reader’s attention

I – Arouse the reader’s Interest in the offer.

D – Stimulate the reader’s Desire to take the desired action.

A – Ask the reader to take the action requested.

You can get the word out very inexpensively on this Website by putting your business card on our Classifieds page.  Substantial discounts for subscribers!  Call me for info and details: 757.463.0924

An attention-getting subject line is critical.

Emails can generate immediate revenues, but they have to read your email before they are motivated to buy.

There are three ways to make sure your emails are opened and read.  Three of the most important lessons I have learned after 10 years of email marketing are -

1.) Place a text link early on in the text as well as at the end.

2.) When writing the text links, a descriptive link will usually out-perform a shorter, instructional link. In other words, “save 20% on our end-of-season sweaters” will likely do better than “buy now” or even “check out our low prices”.

3.) If you are selling more than one product in your email, you will probably get a higher click-through on the first product mentioned, and the lowest click-through on the last. (This is generally true, but definitely not true all of the time.)

Email is Your Friend

Email communication is a cost-effective way to re-engage someone. Email communication should be direct.

BMW Mini, for example, sends one with the subject line “Are we boring you?”

Useful Information

Useful information should be sent more often than emails attempting to sell something.  When consumers feel they will benefit by reading your messages, they will open and read your emails more often.

Irresistible Subject Lines

There are three different subject lines I received that could not be ignored.

One was product focused:  “Your Printer Has Enemies.”

How could I not open this one?  I needed to know what enemies my printer had.  Another email came from a company I was no longer buying from.  The subject line was compelling:

“We Want You Back”

That one was opened, along with the next email they sent about two weeks later:  “We Miss You!”

Three Tips for Creating Attention-Getting Subject Lines

1.)   Be Specific — A vague subject line is a waste of real estate. A great example of this that I see often is monthly newsletters with subject lines like, “The Green Thumb Newsletter: May 2010.”  This tells the receiver nothing about what they will find when they open the email and gives them very little reason to do so. A better approach for a newsletter like this is, “The Green Thumb: 3 Tips for Summer Gardening.”   Headline Creator Pro is an easy way to create attention-grabbing headlines and it is included in this special offer.

2.)    Write it Last — Many email marketing services prompt you to write your subject line first, as you are building your email. I encourage you to come back to it when you are done with your email content. It is important to determine all the elements of your email first and then look for the most compelling topic to highlight in the subject line. When you are finished composing the body of your email, read it over and pick the “nugget” that will entice your readers to learn more by opening.

3.)   Take Some Time — Don’t just dash off your subject lines. Considering how important they are, take some time to think about them and write several (3-4) before choosing which one to use. Once you have a few subject lines you like, run them by a friend or colleague and see which they think is most compelling.

If you are searching for ways to increase your email marketing success, take a look at this e-book by John Ritskowitz and  Score a six-figure income with these five specific emails.

One night in February, Andy (co-founder of Southeastern Laser in Knoxville, TN) came up with the idea to create a Valentine’s Day Special offer for his customers – and to email the offer.  I won’t give away Andy’s secrets, but I was on his email list and when I saw the message was from Andy (a long-time subscriber) I was interested.  Then – when I read the subject line, I smiled.  That’s the thing about Andy’s emails:  They are fun and creative.  I read the entire email and was very impressed.  Turns out his customers were also impressed, and Andy has a pretty good-sized email list that he has been collecting over the years.

As a result of his email marketing campaign, Andy told me that calls came in immediately after the email were sent, and . . .

• “One customer ordered a full set of color toners, about $300 worth, and said the email reminded him to do it.”
  
• “We received a couple more direct orders after performing the service we had offered in the email.”

• “We took site surveys and added printers to customers’ online ordering pages.”

• “I am still working on the follow through with most of the 25 customers; reviewing accounts, histories.  Looking for opportunities.”

• “I learned that customers value a printer cleaning more than I previously thought.”

When I spoke with Andy yesterday, he told me he will be planning his email campaigns a year in advance (very smart) and he will be spacing his marketing emails about a month apart.

Andy’s advice:  “If you have an idea you think is good, go with it and start writing.  Don’t worry about how it looks or reads until you have finished writing.  Later, read and edit.”

Congratulations, Andy, on your email marketing success!

Do you have an email success story you would like to share?  Post your comment below.  I would love to hear from you!

If you are searching for ways to increase your email marketing success, take a look at this special offer:  How to Make Big Profits from a Small List.

Okay, for the non-skeptics:  For the past year, Dan Robey, author of  The Power of Positive Habits,  has been sending e-mails to me – after I subscribed on his website.  At first the emails seemed a little too cheerful and positive, but then his words began to sink in and I noticed a difference in my day after I read his emails.  So, yes – positive affirmations do work.

An example of one of Dan’s emails:

“I am what I choose to be.”

“All my needs are met instantaneously.”

“I love and accept myself exactly as I am.”

“___________ comes to me easily and effortlessly.”  (Fill in the blank with what you desire.)

“I am now perfectly healthy in body, mind and spirit.”

“I now create my wonderful, ideal life.”

What do the above power affirmations have in common?

1) They’re stated in the present tense. An affirmation is more effective when stated in the present tense.  For example; “I now have a wonderful job.”

Avoid affirming something in the future tense, e.g. “I am going to have a wonderful job” or the results will always be waiting to happen.

2) They express a positive statement. Affirmations need to be stated in the most positive terms possible.

Avoid negative statements.  Affirm what you do want, rather than what you don’t want. For example: “I am no longer sick.” This is a negative statement.

Instead, affirm:  “I am now perfectly healthy in body, mind and spirit.” This statement is much more powerful as it is positive and reinforces your desired goal and doesn’t confuse your subconscious mind with the mention of the undesirable condition.

3) They’re short and specific. Short affirmations are easy to say, and have a far greater impact at the subconscious level than those which are long and wordy. Keeping them specific and to the point adds power as the idea is uncluttered by extraneous elements.

The mechanics that make affirmations powerful are:

Repetition – The importance of repetition cannot be overemphasized. It imprints the affirmation into your subconscious mind.

Emotions – Get involved, be passionate, and use your emotions. Think carefully about the meaning of the words as you repeat them rather than just writing, typing or saying them.

Persistence – Practicing affirmations with persistence achieves results much sooner than practicing them periodically.  Successive sessions will have a compounding effect.

Belief – You don’t necessarily have to believe your affirmation initially in order for it to work.  Belief will grow with your forthcoming successes. What you do need is the ability to *feel* what it would be like when the desire you’re affirming is fulfilled, or your need met. Every time that you have a need — and that need is met — a certain “feeling” is produced in you.

You need to evoke that same feeling when you state your affirmation. In other words, you need to feel with every fiber of your being that what you desire has already happened.  Without this feeling, your affirmation is powerless.

Impress Yourself – Personalize your affirmations. They must *resonate* with you –feel right for you. The stronger your connection with the affirmation, the deeper the impression it makes on your mind, and the sooner you will experience positive results.

So there you have it – the simple formula for creating affirmations that work.  Based on the above, you can easily create your own affirmations to manifest any desire or need you have in life.

Although the practice of affirmations is easy, some people find it challenging to repeat the affirmations continuously while maintaining the highly charged emotional state necessary in making affirmations work.

That has all changed!!

You can now supercharge the power of affirmations and see amazing results in your life in a short period of time.

Take a look at Dan Robey’s e-book The Power of Positive Habits.  I believe you will be glad you did.  If you have read his book, please post a comment below.  I would love to hear from you!

1.   You have had several conversations with the prospect.

2.   You mailed a catalog and price list with all the information the prospect requested.

3.   You followed up with a telephone call and you’ve given a great presentation using facts, features and benefits.  They listened attentively.

4.   You have responded to all objections.

They have a need for your products/services.  So what’s holding them up from buying?

What’s Stopping Them?

You are ready to celebrate – you feel you’ve made the sale.  The prospect is just inches away from placing the order.  Your hands are on the keyboard, ready to input the order.   Or your pen is in your hand waiting to write up the sale.

There is a silence.  No order.  What do you do?

First:  Get Agreement

To make sure they really are close to ordering, start with a statement to review the specifics of the order:  “Let’s see what we agree on.”

If you really have something of value that will help them, get agreement on that point: “Kevin, let’s take inventory of where we are so far. We’ve agreed that this is the printer that’s going to help you get those projects done more quickly, and under budget, right?”

If you can’t get that agreement, stop. This person isn’t sold yet. If they do agree, then proceed:

“Ok, let’s talk about what needs to happen next. You mentioned that your CEO needs to sign off on it. Will you be recommending that you go with us?”

After you get agreement on the main points, move on to closing questions.

Four Closing Questions

To find out – really – how close the prospect is to ordering, and to move the process along, try one of these questions:

“What do you need from me to move forward?”

“What do we still have to do?”

“What do you consider to be the next steps?”

“Shall we process your order today?”

Your Critical Next Step

After asking one of these questions, don’t say a word until the prospect answers you!  And then:  listen carefully to the answer – you’ll learn what you need to do or say to move the sale along.  There is a tendency on the part of some sales people to feel uncomfortable with silence and to begin talking before the prospect answers the question. This is a big mistake because the prospect doesn’t get a chance to say what’s really on her/his mind and the sale may be lost.  If you haven’t practiced using silence – and then listening to the prospect, start today.  There is an old adage:  “No sales person ever listened his way out of a sale.”

There are questions you can ask, that are almost as good as waving a magic wand.

A few years ago I saw someone get an answer I didn’t think it was possible to get. An eight-year-old child – Mary Kate – who is an “A” student, was asked the question:  “What is your favorite subject in school?” Without hesitation she answered “I like them all. I don’t have a favorite subject.”

So, that was that, right? Mary Kate likes all subjects in school. She said she doesn’t have a favorite. She looked and sounded very positive about liking all subjects equally. That could have been the end of the conversation.

But then this question was asked:

“If you did have a favorite subject, what would it be?” After thinking for a few seconds, she answered very definitely: “Math.”

Uncover the Real Answer

The second question was what is known as a high-gain question. High-gain questions can get information that is otherwise difficult to get.

In sales, there is a lot of information that can help the sales rep learn how best to present products, services, benefits and results to the prospect, in order to win the business. One bit of information that would help is the answer to this question: “What is your current supplier not doing or providing, that you wish he would do or provide?”

(In other words, I can probably get your business by doing or providing what your current supplier is not doing or providing if only I knew what it was.)

You could ask the question exactly that way. But would you get a thoughtful and complete answer? Probably not. There is another way to ask, and it is one of those magic high-gain questions.

The High Gain Question

If a prospect tells you he is very happy with his current supplier, maybe he is happy because ordering from this company has become a habit. It could be that they have never thought about buying somewhere else – even if the prospect is unhappy about some aspect of the current vendor’s service. They might not have considered changing suppliers because changing – to some people – is perceived as requiring too much effort. Asking a high-gain question causes the prospect to think.  You can respond to the “I’m happy with my current supplier” objection by starting out with a “cushion” statement like: “I see or I understand,” or: “I can understand and appreciate that kind of loyalty.” Then ask the high-gain question: “How would you rate your current supplier, on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest?”

Important:  After asking this question, don’t say a word until the prospect speaks.

Very few people answer “ten” to this question. But if they do answer “ten,” you know they are not open to changing suppliers now.

Let’s say they answer “Seven.” Your next question is:

“What would it take to make them a ten?”

This question causes the prospect to focus and give you a more specific answer, just as Mary Kate focused and realized that math is her favorite subject.

Very important:  After you ask this question, don’t say a word until the prospect answers.

The answer to this question will tell you exactly what you can do to win new business you are not getting now.

On Friday I was out of my office most of the day and returned at about 4:45.

One of the voice mail messages I received was understandable . . . except for the person’s name. A very important part of a voice mail message.  This is what the message sounded like:  “Hello, this is JoAnn . . . ”
The problem?  It was a man’s voice. Since I have never heard of a man named JoAnn, I replayed the message three times and even had a friend listen to the message. She also thought the man said his name was JoAnn.

As it turned out, when I returned the call, I learned the man’s name was actually Julian.

Do people not realize how their voice mail messages sound?

Some sales reps think that leaving a voice mail message is a waste of time. Well, it is, if your message is not understandable.

Three Ways to Make Sure Your Voicemail Message is Not Deleted Immediately

from Voice Mail Tips and Scripts

1.) Speak clearly and use both your first and last name.

2.) Leave your telephone number and extension number immediately after stating your name.  At the end of your voicemail message repeat your name and telephone number.

3.) Make sure your message lasts no longer than 30 seconds. Most of us have a very short attention span.  A message lasting longer than 30 seconds often gets deleted before the end of the message.

When making a telephone call, be prepared to deal with voice mail. Show that you’ve put some advance thought and research into your call. That alone will make you stand out from 98 percent of all callers.

Most busy executives will listen only to the first two sentences before they delete you.

Find out how to avoid the 6 worst voice mail mistakes.

1.) Leaving only a name and number for a call back.
Some may think that not leaving a company name is an attention getter. But if the prospect returns the call and realizes it is a salesperson trying to sell something, this tactic will leave a negative impression.
When leaving a message on voice mail, be sure it offers a hint of a benefit/result that sparks curiosity, but does not talk about your products or services.

2.) Saying “I’m calling to introduce myself.”

They don’t care and don’t have time to be introduced to every Mary, Kevin and Harry who calls.

3.) Making the call all about YOUR products and services.
Self-serving voice mail messages do not work.  Prospects want to hear how they may benefit by calling you back.

4.) Leaving a message lasting longer than 30 seconds.
Most busy executives will listen only to the first two sentences before they erase you.
They have their finger hovering over the delete key as they listen to voice mail messages.

5.) Using filler words like “um” and “uh.”

In addition to sounding unprofessional, filler words detract from your message.

6.) Making a call without a written plan for what you will say if you reach voice mail. A little preparation can lead to being heard and getting results.

You dramatically increase the likelihood that your calls will get returned when you leave a concise, rehearsed message with a bright and energetic voice.  Think about the point you want to make and write a few key words. Limit the points to one or two per message.

Don’t Get Deleted

The best way to actually get a call back (and not annoy the person you are calling) is to clearly state your telephone number right after your name and company name at the beginning of your message. Then leave a brief message and at the end of your message, state your telephone number and extension number again – clearly.

Most busy executives will listen only to the first two sentences before they delete you.

Did you know there are four compelling ways to motivate prospects to return your calls?

You will learn how in my newest e-book Voice Mail Tips and Scripts.

What is the worst voice mail message you have received?  Post a comment below.  I would love to hear from you!

Value outweighs price

Two weeks ago I could not find cantalopes in any of the local grocery stores . . . that is, until I walked into The Fresh Market.  There they were, even though small, they were rather expensive, but I was determined to buy one anyway. I picked up a cantalope and took it to the check-out counter.  The high price was not an issue after the clerk at the counter said, “Oh, you are going to love this cantaloupe.  It is so sweet and delicious.”  Leaving the store, I felt good about my purchase.  And – yes, the cantaloupe was sweet and delicious.  Funny how price was overshadowed by what the store employee said and . . .  how right she was.

Last August I went to a nearby vegetable and fruit stand and after picking out fresh tomatoes, peaches and corn-on-the-cob, I noticed colorful jars of homemade jams, jellies and preserves for sale.  I began to think about my grandmother’s delicious homemade pear preserves that were a highlight of my summertime visits to her house.  Just at that moment, I saw a jar of pear preserves (just one jar) on the shelf.  I picked it up and took it over to the check-out counter and after handing my money to the woman behind the counter, it occurred to me that the price seemed a bit high.  As if reading my thoughts, she said, “You are lucky!  You got the last jar of pear preserves – there won’t be any more until next year!”  The price was immediately not a factor.  The value I felt I received far outweighed the cost concern.  I was lucky enough to get the “last jar of pear preserves.”

Validate the Decision

Another good example of reassurance after a buying decision, which has probably happened to most of us:  After reading an extensive menu in a restaurant and wondering which mouth-watering entrée to order and then finally making a decision – the waiter tells you: “You’ve made a wise choice. I had the salmon for lunch and it was delicious.”

I remember when I bought my first new car.  Even though I was excited about buying the car and even though it was the car of my dreams, I was nervous about the purchase. The salesman seemed to sense my uneasiness and continued to reassure me after the contract was signed.  He said:  “You’ve made a good decision. This is the end of the model year and the price for this car has never been better.  You will enjoy your new car – it’s perfect for you.”  That reassurance was all I needed to feel much better about my decision. That – for me – increased the value of my purchase and I told everyone I knew about the car dealership that made the transaction a pleasant one.

It is amazing how certain words will cause customers to feel welcome and appreciated – and cause them to WANT to buy from you.

There are six sentences customers love to hear.

1.) “ I’m glad you called me today.”

When a customer calls you with a question or a problem, the FIRST thing they want to know is that their call is welcome, even if it is about a problem or complaint.

2.)  “I can help you with that.”

The second thing the customer wants to hear when they call with a problem is that you are willing and able to help solve the problem.

3.)  “We don’t have it, but I can tell you where to find it.”

When you don’t have a product your customer needs and you refer the customer to one of your competitors, you are building an enormous amount of trust. The customer will never forget you for putting his/her needs before your own desire to make a sale. This will cause the customer to come back and buy from you again and again.

4.)  “I thought about you.”

“When this sale was announced, I thought about you…”  Everyone likes to be “thought about” and when you personalize a sale, customers will feel valued and appreciated.

5.)  “This is going to cut your cost by 40%.”

Everyone LOVES to save money.  Be as specific as possible when you are letting your customer know exactly how much s/he will save by buying your products.

6.)  “Thank you.”

Your mother was right.  When she told you to say “please” and “thank you” she knew that people would love you for it.  How often do you hear “thank you”?  What most of us hear (after making a purchase) is “You’re all set,” or “Have a nice day.”

Question

How does one sales team – who had their best month ever last month – difffer from a sales group that says:  “The economy is terrible and people are not buying” ?

Right there, you just read it – attitude is number one.  When people constantly tell themselves that “things are bad” and “people are not buying,” they reinforce these beliefs and spread it to others.

Have you ever seen or heard a group of people repeating negative experiences?  Rejection they are getting?  If you have witnessed this, do yourself a favor and walk away.  Negativity can be contagious.  You have the ability to change and control your attitude.  You have the ability to motivate yourself and feel positive.

A Success Story

My client, a wholesaler, has been in business for more than ten years and their track record is excellent, but now they are having their best month ever.

Why Are They So Successful?

Because the sales team is so successful , I asked each sales rep:  “Why do you think your sales have been so good?”  Their answers were very interesting.  One person said:  “Support.  The support we get from management is tremendous.”

Another said he found more business in existing accounts.  He asked questions to uncover more needs.  Result:  Companies that were already buying, either increased their orders or began buying additional products.

Marketing

This wholesaler also had a special March Madness Sale – and they sent out email blasts to advertise the sale.  So, in addition to these sales reps making a lot of telephone calls, the company was reaching out to buyers in other ways.

Dedication

One sales super star (who is having his best month ever in) arrives at work each day at – (are you ready for this?)  – between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. and he works until 5:00.  That is true dedication.  He is clearly focused and motivated.  He can start his sales calls early because many of his clients are in a different time zone with a one-hour difference.

He told me:  “I have found that the best time to reach decision makers is very early in the morning when they first arrive at the office.  This works well for me.”

“Whatever you focus on, you get, so if you want to change what you’re getting, change what you’re focusing on.”

- Kurek Ashley

What an FBI Hostage Negotiator Can Teach Us

Dr. Mark Goulston’s Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone may be the perfect book to bring back balance when focusing on productivity.

Dr. Goulston brings a unique blend of expertise to this subject. He has been a UCLA professor of psychiatry for more than 25 years, an executive coach, and has trained FBI and police hostage negotiators. Seems like the perfect qualifications to show us how to get through to absolutely anyone.

An incentive to read this book might be to close more deals, increase sales, or improve business and personal relationships. Following Dr. Goulston’s pearls of wisdom will most likely result in achieving these reasonable goals.

The surprise side effect of employing his strategies for better communication can result in more happiness, peace of mind, and a richer quality of life.  A unique concept!

Something Different About This Book

What was different?  Unlike a lot of professional and personal books that have goal setting, efficiency, and more action-oriented tasks as the focus, Just Listen is the refreshing opposite. Dr. Goulston shares with readers how a more receptive approach is necessary. Instead of trying to force the close of the deal, the job promotion, or a resolution to a family challenge, he provides guidelines and practical suggestions on how to allow these developments to take place more naturally and authentically.

The book offers down-to-earth and doable advice on how to communicate with just about anyone. Drawing upon his clinical experience, coaching expertise, and his own personal challenges as a husband and father, he gives us a lively read with Just Listen’s conversational tone.

The focus and promise of this book The Secret of Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone, is that you get through to people by having them “buy in.”  “Buy-in occurs when people move from resisting to listening to considering what you’re saying.

Locally, here in Virginia Beach, the cable company began – a few years ago – using negative (negative against their competitor) and extremely effective television commercials.  Actually, in the true sense of the word, the ad campaign used by the local cable company may not accurately be described as negative.  It could be described as just stating the facts about their competition.

Two Ads used by Cable Company

First TV commercial:  One man to a listener:  “Did you know that last year Verizon raised its rates by 20 percent?”

The listener:  “NO.  I did not know that.”

Text appearing on the screen:  “What You Don’t Know May Shock You.”

Second TV commercial:  One man to a couple listening: “Did you know that during the past five years the satellite company has raised its rates every year?”

One of the listeners:  “NO.  I did not know that.”

Text appearing on the screen:  “What You Don’t Know May Shock You.”

How Can You Use Something Like This For Your Business?

How can you present negative facts about your competitor in a way that will not cause the listener to regard YOU in a negative way?  One way is to not criticize your customer’s judgement in his/her choice of vendors and at the same time, communicate facts about your company that will benefit the customer.  As an example, let’s say you are a wholesaler of imaging supplies calling a reseller.

Script:
(Important:  This requires real knowledge of the competitor.)

Sales Person:
“Hello Mr. Smith, this is Mary Jones calling from XYZ Imaging Supplies Warehouse, calling about our competitively priced line of Panasonic supplies.  Do you have customers who use Panasonic supplies?”

Prospect:
“Well, actually, we already buy our Panasonic supplies from the ABC Company.”

Sales Person
“The ABC Company is a good competitor of ours.  Actually their line of Panasonic supplies does not include developers and we carry a complete line of Panasonic supplies, including developers.  That would be an extra service you could be providing for your customers – and an extra source of profit for you.”

Important:  Knowledge of the Competition is Critical.  If you give the prospect incorrect information you will lose their trust.

How do you sell against your competition?  Please share your experiences below.  I would love to hear from you!

Look at what sales have become.  There is not much difference between products, so we have to provide something else.  That, “something else” includes adding  (and communicating) value and building good relationships.

A Valuable Resource Worth Preserving

Think of your existing customers as an investment, like a block of precious gold.  If customers are treated like gold, they will shine for you in the marketplace with rave reviews about your company.  They become as valuable as your sales force in telling others about why they should shop with you for their needs. They will bring you new customers and help grow your business for you.

Four Important Facts

#1:  Most businesses invest too much in chasing new customers and too little in staying in contact with – and doing additional repeat business with – their existing customers.

#2:  The satisfied customer is motivated to purchase again, purchase more and purchase something different.

#3:  It costs less to motivate a current customer to purchase again than to acquire a new customer.

#4:  Customers switch vendors because a new competitor is paying more attention to them than you are.

I’ve rarely seen a business that could not grow and improve through increased communication to present customers.

Here is a Real Secret

Give them what they want.  This statement is so basic to doing business that you would think it could not be a secret. However, according to customers, this simple concept is often missed.  We often assume that the only things customers want are low prices or on time delivery. Yes, they want these–but they may also want things like having their invoices in a different format to make it easier for their accounting people. Or perhaps they want to hear about new products and services to allow them to plan more efficiently.

These customer “wants” may mean we have to change our way of doing business or that employees will have to go the extra mile. The real customer want list may be made up of small things. Learning how to honor the “small” things customers want is what has made businesses such as the Wal-Mart chain a success. They give their customers what they want…from flexible shopping times, to product selection, to easy no-hassle returns. Give your potential and existing customers what they want and they will give you what you want–increased sales.

The Cost of Losing Customers

Experts estimate it costs six times as much to get an unhappy customer back as it does to keep a satisfied one on board.  Competitors grow more sophisticated and aggressive by the minute, not only competing for new customers but also attempting to take away your present customers.

The benefits of staying in touch with current customers will pay off time and time again. Keeping in touch means keeping loyal customers.  Use any and all means possible:  telephone marketing, fax and email marketing (with permission) and the old standby – but very effective – targeted direct-mail marketing.

The Benefits of Keeping in Touch

Staying in touch pro-actively on a consistent basis by phone with current customers has many benefits, including:

• Finding additional product and service needs,

• Reaching out to customers who may be unhappy with some aspect of your products or services and

• Retaining more customers, rather than losing customers who quietly walk away and find a new vendor.

How would you react if you got a personal “thank you” from a business several days after you spent money with them? You would feel good and probably want to do more business with them. Give that same feeling to your customers. They will reward you with more business – and a flood of referrals.

Think about this quote from Michael LeBouef, Professor of Management at the University of New Orleans:  “The big bucks aren’t in making customers; they are in keeping customers.”