Low-Hanging Fruit? Not
Anymore.
Nearing
the end of one of the leanest quarters in your career? You’re not alone. And
like many salespeople, you may be looking for quick hits. But if you’re
approaching prospecting and business development the way you always have, think
again.
Times
have changed. The pickings are leaner, and the mood is darker. Your sales
strategy must reflect these changes.
This
e-letter is dedicated to people who want to make things happen—and who are
willing to change the way they conduct their calls to do so.
The TeleSmart 10
At
TeleSmart, we’ve developed the TeleSmart 10—a 10-Step Sales Mastery System that
ensures comprehensive excellence on the telephone. When you focus on each skill
and apply its lessons, the benefits will multiply with the number of calls you
make. Before long, you’ll see increased activity in your pipeline and become an
inside sales hero in your department.
1. Account Planning & Time Management: One of the
biggest challenges when selling by phone is learning to distinguish tasks in
order of skill-sets. Momentum can severely impact your time management. For
example, research and pre-qualification efforts require a different skill-set
than account planning and strategizing.
§
Learn to effectively move from one task to another without
creating a bottleneck in your time management efforts.
§
Remember that time management isn’t so much how you manage
your time but what you “choose” to do in that time
2. Introducing: Be very selective on your
introduction. When you are trying to arouse curiosity with prospects who are
busy, risk-adverse and unfocused, the only winning solution is to do your
homework. A well-informed introduction will pass the test compared to a canned
introduction that will just irritate your prospect. Are you conducting research prior to contacting your prospect?
What are your sources? And how are you integrating the information into your
call? Remember, you need to maximize your first impression:
§
Find quick ways to search, understand, and use online
resources to be informed and intelligent in your introduction.
§
Take the time to design your Opening Statement, Voice Mail
and Email Marketing tactics.
§
Determine a clear calling objective and design the proper
opening to support it.
3. Navigating: It doesn’t mean that nobody is buying
these days but it does mean that more people are involved in where the dollars
are going to be spent. Are you calling enough individuals within the
organization and leveraging their influence?
§
Call into a company to find the appropriate decision-maker.
§
Identify the decision-making hierarchy.
§
Form alliances and organizational charts.
§
Create a “groundswell” of interest from other key
influencers within the company.
4. Questioning: How long are you holding on to a lead before it is
considered dead? Are you letting go too soon and asking your manager for more
leads?
5. Listening: Are you listening for potential short
and long-term opportunities? You may be seeking only “low-hanging fruit,” which
must close in a shorter timeframe with a budget. But today, there must be
increased attention on the relationship-building stage, since building trust
has become elemental.
§
Listen for the big picture.
§
Don’t forget to confirm what the client says by actively
paraphrasing.
§
Listen for red flags.
6. Linking: Can you match your solution with your prospect’s current
environment? Although you may not be required to know precise technical
details, you’ve got to carry your weight—especially if you want to initiate
urgency.
§
Create a one-to-one mapping between your solution and your
client’s needs..
§
Identify clearly why your solution is critical for this
prospect NOW rather than in 6 months.
7. Presenting: Do you sound articulate? Do you
educate your audience and persuade with your ideas? Is your tone appropriate to
your prospect?
§
Tape your calls, and listen to yourself present.
§
Practice your presentation with a partner or coach.
§
Identify areas for improvement and implement strategies to
grow.
8.
Handling Objections: At this time of year, you
usually hear the typical objection: “Call me at the beginning of next year.”
But this year, you’ll hear dozens more relevant objections:
§
“We’re
waiting to find out if we’ve been acquired.”
§
“Call
me after things calm down in the world.”
§
“We’ve
been hit hard and can’t spend money until we know where things stand.”
§
“We’re
bringing everything in-house and will develop our own solution.”
Objections are no different from what they were 30
years ago—but there are more of them now. Pay attention: Which do you hear most
often? Which do you create? Where in the calls do they come up?
§
Learn
where objections come from.
§
Learn
the new skills and techniques to overcome objections.
9. Negotiating & Closing: The hand-off to the field—a
notorious moment. At what point should you turn a lead over?
§
Learn to understand when you’ve reached the most strategic
moment for this transition.
§
Remember that everything must happen immediately—or it’ll
take 3 times longer.
10. Partnering:
Are you a hero with your field partners? If you are and you continue to create
synergy and integration, you’ll ensure that your territory stays intact. When
the field screams, everyone listens!
§
Be
in the driver’s seat and take control. Don’t wait for them to return your
calls, give you a target list. Create it yourself and meet them half way with
information.
§
Become
a motivating influence for them. Set a new standard of excellence!
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Copyright 2003, Josiane
Feigon. All rights reserved. Articles
from TeleSmart
Communications E-Letter may be distributed or
reproduced as long as
the copyright and URL are included.
Please forward a copy
to your friends and associates!
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TeleSmart Communications
Phone/Fax (415) 749-6537
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